The Most Expensive Snake Encounter in New Jersey History

The Kusers’ Snake Encounter That Created New Jersey’s First State Park

One snake changed the course of New Jersey history.

In 1923, Colonel Anthony and Susie Kuser gave away their 10,000-acre estate after Susie met a timber rattlesnake there. Their gift, worth millions, became New Jersey’s first state park.

Soon after, they built a 220-foot monument for war veterans. Then came the Great Depression.

Young men from Roosevelt’s CCC camps spent nine years building roads, lakes, and campgrounds from scratch. Years later, in 1965, the park set aside 850 acres as the Dryden Kuser Natural Area, named for the Kusers’ son.

At its heart sits a rare treasure – the world’s highest cedar swamp, with trees dating back 200 years. The Cedar Swamp Trail now takes visitors through this unique piece of American wilderness.

A Wealthy Family Bought a Mountain Getaway in 1910

Colonel Anthony and Susie Dryden Kuser bought a huge 10,000-acre property at the highest spot in New Jersey in 1910.

They turned the old High Point Inn into their fancy personal home where they could relax away from city life. The estate sat at the highest point in the state, giving the Kusers amazing views across three states.

On clear days, they could see for miles into New York, Pennsylvania, and throughout New Jersey from their mountaintop home.

One Slithery Encounter Changed Everything

Susie Kuser never felt the same about their mountain estate after she met a timber rattlesnake on the property. The scary run-in left such a strong mark that the couple barely used their huge mansion afterward.

They kept paying to maintain the grounds and buildings every year, even though they rarely visited.

The snake encounter stuck with Susie for years and played a big role in their later choice to find a new use for their barely-used mountain retreat.

The Kusers Gave Away Millions in Real Estate

In 1923, Colonel Anthony and Susie made a shocking announcement. They wanted to give their entire mountain estate to the state of New Jersey.

Their 10,000-acre gift became the first state park in New Jersey history.

The land was worth millions of dollars at the time, making it one of the biggest private gifts the state ever got.

The Kusers handed over not just the land but also the mansion and all the improvements they’d made during their 13 years of ownership.

They Built a Tower to Honor War Veterans

The Kusers paid for a massive 220-foot monument at the highest point on their former property. Workers started building the tower in 1928, and it took two years to finish.

The Kusers wanted the monument to honor all New Jersey veterans who served their country.

The tall obelisk stands 1,803 feet above sea level, marking the highest spot in the entire state and creating a landmark people can see from miles away.

The Great Depression Hit Just as the Park Opened

The timing couldn’t have been worse for the new state park. Just as New Jersey tried to develop the property, the Great Depression crushed the economy.

President Roosevelt started his New Deal programs to fight massive unemployment across America. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) formed to give young men jobs working on public lands.

High Point State Park, still mostly undeveloped, became a perfect spot for these crews to make lasting improvements.

Young Men Arrived to Transform the Wilderness

From 1933 to 1942, two CCC camps opened at High Point with hundreds of young workers. Most came from poor city families and found themselves living in the woods for the first time.

The camps gave them beds, three meals a day, and $30 monthly wages with $25 sent home to their families. Many of these city boys learned to use tools, run equipment, and work outdoors while living at High Point.

Roads, Lakes, and Campgrounds Appeared in the Forest

CCC workers cut and built 25 miles of roads that wind through the park today. They created two beautiful lakes, Sawmill and Steenykill, by damming natural water sources.

The young men built campgrounds with stone fireplaces that still stand almost 90 years later.

They added picnic shelters, wooden platforms for tents, and other features that made the wilderness easy to visit for people from across the state.

Forest Health Became a Top Priority

The CCC crews spent countless hours fixing damaged parts of the forest. They fought wildfires that threatened to destroy large sections of the park.

Teams planted thousands of trees in areas that loggers had cleared before the Kusers owned the property. Their work brought back healthy forest conditions and protected water sources.

The methods they used helped the park recover from years of heavy logging and poor land care.

The Kusers’ Son Carried On Their Love of Nature

Dryden Kuser, son of the park’s donors, grew up to become a serious nature lover in his own right. He loved watching birds and spent years fighting for protected natural areas.

His work in conservation helped shape how people thought about saving wild places rather than just building on them for fun.

His passion for nature shaped how High Point would be managed in the decades after his parents’ gift.

New Jersey Created Its First Protected Natural Area

In 1965, park officials set aside 850 acres of High Point as the Dryden Kuser Natural Area, the first such protected zone in New Jersey history.

This special status meant the land would stay wild, with very little human building allowed. The Natural Area contains some of the most unusual plant groups and wildlife homes in the state.

This move showed a growing focus on saving ecosystems rather than just creating places for recreation.

A 15,000-Year-Old Swamp Sits on the Mountain

The heart of the Natural Area holds something truly special – an Atlantic white cedar swamp sitting at 1,500 feet above sea level. This unusual wetland formed when a glacier retreated about 15,000 years ago.

Scientists believe it’s the highest elevation cedar swamp anywhere in the world. Some of the cedar trees there are over 200 years old.

The swamp seems completely out of place since these cedar communities normally grow along the coast, not on mountaintops.

Visiting High Point State Park, New Jersey

High Point State Park at 1480 State Route 23 in Sussex tells the story of three key changes that shaped this 15,413-acre park.

The Kuser family donated the land, then the Civilian Conservation Corps built trails and facilities. Today you can explore the preserved Dryden Kuser Natural Area with its rare mountaintop cedar swamp.

Visit free daily from 8am to 4:30pm and climb the 1,803-foot monument’s 291 steps on weekends for tri-state views.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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