The Kittatinny Ridge- also known as the Blue Mountain in some regions – runs through Pennsylvania for 185 miles, from the Delaware River to the Mason-Dixon Line. The Ridge is the first prominent landscape feature you encounter as you move north or west from Philadelphia, and it marks the entrance to Pennsylvania’s Ridge and Valley region. It’s the commonwealth’s most treasured landscapes, providing the scenic backdrop to life in 12 counties.
The Ridge is home to the world-famous Appalachian Trail and is a Global Important Bird Area. As a premier raptor migration corridor in the northeastern U.S., one of the leading such sites in the world, it is used by tens of thousands of hawks, eagles, and falcons each fall. The Ridge funnels thousands of southbound migrants; lesser numbers also follow the ridgeline north in the spring. Other species in addition to raptors migrate through, including Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Monarch Butterflies. It is home to wildlife of all sorts.
The Kittatinny Ridge is a place we go to reconnect with nature by taking part in our favorite pastimes. Hikers along the Appalachian Trail, photographers, birdwatchers and curiosity seekers flock to the Ridge in all seasons, but especially in the fall when the foliage is spectacular and kettles of migrating raptors fill the skies. Hunters frequent the multitude of state Game Lands on the Ridge, as well as private lands. Anglers may not visit the Ridge itself very often, but nearly every quality stream in the region has its headwaters on the Ridge. The Kittatinny Ridge has something for everyone and hundreds of thousands take advantage of this treasured recreational resource each year.