About Penn State Forest
Penn State Forest is an undeveloped wilderness area in New Jersey, home to a globally rare Pine Plains forest characterized by stunted pine trees. The site holds historical significance as the location of one of New Jersey’s few African-American Civilian Conservation Corps camps, established in 1933, and was once part of the Penn Reserve, acquired by the state in 1910. Bear Swamp Hill, a distinctive 140-foot elevation mentioned in John McPhee’s *The Pine Barrens*, played a pivotal role in the conservation movement after being slated for a proposed jetport in the 1960s. Lake Oswego, a reservoir used for cranberry farming, provides a scenic backdrop for picnicking and boating.
European settlement in the area dates to the early 1800s with the small village of Penn Place, named after a descendant of the Penn family, likely James Penn, son of a sea captain William Penn. The Penn family occupied the land until around 1890, after which Edwin Pue purchased the property and sold 2,764 acres to the state in 1910. The forest remained largely undisturbed until the Great Depression, when the CCC camp brought structured conservation work to the area. Military maneuvers later took place here during the lead-up to World War II, adding to its layered history.