[5] Campgaw Mountain extends for three miles approximately north to south along the border of Franklin Lakes, Oakland, and Mahwah.

Fyke Brook, a tributary of the Ramapo River, divides the two ridges, running northwest through a narrow valley along the northeastern corner of the mountain.

Evidence of the Lenape presence around Campgaw can be found in a former village that existed on the north side of the mountain, along the south bank of the Ramapo River.

Another historical work from 1894 detailing New Jersey's forests shows that Campgaw Mountain was covered by a nearly unbroken expanse of chestnut, oak, and redcedar,[13] indicating that cultivation along the ridgeline may have declined by that time.

[14] In addition to the development of the park, Campgaw Mountain saw the construction of a Nike missile base during the height of the Cold War.

Installed on the mountain between 1955 and 1971, the base's missiles served to guard New York City's air space, standing by to intercept nuclear-armed Soviet bombers.

Despite the apparent gap at the surface, Campgaw Mountain is firmly linked to the rest of the Watchungs by the continuity of the ridges through the anticline.

Specifically, Campgaw Mountain's ecology is defined by its status as a level IV trap rock and conglomerate upland (ecoregion 64b), similar to the nearby Preakness Range.