Somerset County Highpoint Trip Report

on Mine Mtn 600 feet south of USGS BM Chapin (860+ ft)

Date: March 30, 2007
Authors: Sue Ann Miller and Frank Price

This one may not be available much longer. There was a small excavator sitting at the HP area, several trees had been felled (including perhaps the one mentioned in previous reports), and there were several piles of branches. It looked like preparation to add another "estate" home right on the CoHP. A developer's sign marked the entrance to the gravel lane that was otherwise as described in previous reports except that a new and substantial gate blocked it just beyond the high ground. The gravel lane and adjacent woodlands were not posted, so we drove in and parked near apparent high ground. The actual HP was not obvious. No one questioned our presence as we Lobdellized that area of the ridge top in the middle of a weekday morning.

We recommend using Google Earth for pre-trip research to update and expand on what topo maps and DeLorme show. This area of New Jersey was photographed on a leafless day, all the roads are marked and named, and the gravel lane is even visible.

We investigated other nearby lanes but did not see BM Chapin.