is a private lake community that focuses on outdoor activities. The area, once rolling dairy farm hillsides, was developed in the 1930s as a summer retreat for families in the New York City Metropolitan area. Most of the homes are lake-style or log cabins, retaining most of the architecture of the original community. Many of what were once summer homes, are now the full-time residences of homeowners in Highland Lakes. Highland Lakes is made up of five lakes (Highland Lake, East Highland Lake, Upper Highland Lake, Upper West Highland Lake, and Lake Wanda) that between them have seven beaches. Highland Lakes is governed by a private association that manages all property and access to recreational facilities, which include the lakes, beaches, playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts and clubhouse. All property owners pay an initiation fee and annual dues to the Highland Lakes Country Club and Community Association. Highland Lakes is located adjacent to the 34,350-acre Wawayanda State Park and near the Pequannock Watershed, which is a large parcel owned by the City of Newark in Essex County for their water supply. Notable people People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Highland Lakes include: Nicolas de Gunzburg Ryan Izzo (born 1995), tight end for the Seattle Seahawks. References External links The Advertiser News, community newspaper Census-designated places in Sussex County, New Jersey Vernon Township, New Jersey