Penn State Forest is undeveloped wilderness that has attracted picnickers, hikers, botanists, historians, hunters, anglers, birders and boaters since 1910. Bear Swamp Hill, about 140 feet above sea level, appears in the first line of John McPhee's The Pine Barrens, published in 1968. The area was once proposed as part of a huge jetport, and opposition to that plan helped start the movement to protect the Pine Barrens. Visitors can see the rare Pine Plains. The gate is open sunrise to sunset, and the portage at the Lake Oswego dam is closed until further notice.