Houvenkopf Mountain

Houvenkopf Mountain
Elevation	931 ft (284 m) NGVD 29[1]
Location
Location	Bergen County, New Jersey, USA
Range	Ramapo Mountains
Coordinates	41°06′21″N 74°10′31″W / 41.1059292°N 74.1751453°W / 41.1059292; -74.1751453Coordinates: 41°06′21″N 74°10′31″W / 41.1059292°N 74.1751453°W / 41.1059292; -74.1751453 [2]
Topo map	USGS Ramsey
Climbing
Easiest route	Hike

Houvenkopf or Hovenkopf Mountain is a mountain in Bergen County, New Jersey, extending into New York, where it forms the western side of the southern entrance to Ramapo Pass. The major peak on the New Jersey side rises to 931 feet (284 m) and is known as Stag Hill. It is separated by a deep saddle from the major peak on the New York side, the "Hooge Kop" proper, which rises to about 770 feet (230 m) and overlooks Hillburn to the north and Suffern to the east. It is part of the Ramapo Mountains.

History

The mountain's name is derived from the Dutch "Hooge Kop", meaning "High Head". Locals used to spread grain around the summit boulders and catch passenger pigeons.

The mountain was the subject of a poem, "Mount Houvenkopf", by Joyce Kilmer, written in 1918. In 1928, the Ku Klux Klan burned fiery crosses on the mountainside, easily visible in Suffern and beyond.

Parts of the mountain, including the summit of Stag Hill, are now part of the Ramapo Mountain Reservation and are publicly accessible.

References

1. ^ Verified elevation from USGS topographic map Ramsey
2. ^ "Houvenkopf Mountain". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:877266. Retrieved 2008-12-07. 

External links

• "Houvenkopf Mountain". NY-NJ-CT Botany Online. http://www.nynjctbotany.org/njhigh/houvnkpf.html. Retrieved 2008-12-07.