This cache is located at the old Iron Pit Mine: During the revolutionary war a 1777 letter from Gen. Washington to Richard Lee, noted that there were between 80 and 100 iron works in Morris County for the purpose of making cannon balls and shells. Trenches or pits were dug until solid rock was laid open. This was often done on steep terrain to reduce the amount of work moving soil. The ore was then moved to a furnace heated by charcoal. A trench near this trail was explored for a 1700’s iron mine, the Ayre’s mine.
Please note this mine is 300 feet off trail, there is a trailhead waypoint and waypoints below which will direct you in a horseshoe direction along a deer trail around the heavy thorny underbrush.
Iron Pit Mine Photo credit: J. Neale 5/1/14
The Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary geocaching project is an exciting partnership between New Jersey Audubon's Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary and The Northern New Jersey Cachers, who were consulted to help develop and implement the new Educational Geotrail.
The Northern New Jersey Cachers, NNJC is about promoting a quality caching experience in Northern New Jersey. For information on The Northern New Jersey Cachers group you can visit: www.nnjc.org.
NNJC.ORG