Acquisitions
The successful completion of an almost twenty year effort to re-acquire Chestnut Mt., our largest and most ambitious project undertaken to date. This, combined with the donation, by the Buck Hill Falls Company, of a 400-acre easement on adjacent Spruce Mountain resulted in the creation of an almost 900 acre preserve, permanently protected for posterity.
01
Spruce Mountain Easement
Spruce Mountain was donated to the Foundation by the Buck Hill Falls Company in 2012. This 398-acre conservation easement protects the wetlands and watershed that form Griscom Creek and Dry Run.
02
Chestnut Mountain Property
Chestnut Mountain was acquired by the Foundation in 2012. This 479-acre property contains over 6 miles of forested trails with a new overlook created in 2023 that provides an outstanding 180-degree view from Spruce Mountain to the Delaware Water Gap for public enjoyment. Thirty years ago, however, the mountain was under attack, being aggressively logged after plans for development fell through, and the Foundation is still working to restore the forest.
03
Jenkins Woods Easement
Jenkins Woods was acquired by the Foundation from the Buck Hill Falls Company in 1999. This 125-acre conservation easement protects the glen surrounding Buck Hill Creek, including the namesake falls and an area named “Hemlock Cathedral” where many old growth specimens rise over 100 feet over the forest floor.
04
Inn Properties
was acquired by the Foundation in 2017, following the demolition of the derelict Inn. The hilltop parcel, where the Inn stood empty for over 25 years, contains the remains of the Olmsted designed landscape architecture and the Inn’s east room fireplace which has been serving as a gathering place for over a century. From this vantage point, the Delaware Water Gap can be seen to the south and the Pocono Mountain escarpment, formed by Spruce Mountain, Chestnut Mountain, and Mount Wismer, can be seen to the north.
