Highland Lakes
Country Club and Community Association
- Highland Lakes
- ABOUT
- Archive of All Posts
- The Highland Lakes Community
- If You Are Thinking of Buying Property in Highland Lakes / Initiation Fees
- About Renting Homes in Highland Lakes
- About Renting the Clubhouse for Family Events
- Beaches & Swimming
- Boating & Dock Space
- Chronological History
- Clubhouse
- The Five Lakes and Lagoon of Highland Lakes
- Highland Lakes – Check Us Out!
- The Highland Lakes Newsette
- Newsettes from 2023
- Newsette Production Schedule for 2023
- Newsette Submission Requirements
- Newsettes from 2022
- Newsettes from 2021
- Newsettes from 2020
- Newsettes from 2019
- Newsettes from 2018
- Newsettes from 2017
- Newsettes from 2016
- Newsettes from 2015
- Newsettes from 2014
- Newsettes from 2013
- Newsettes from 2012
- Newsettes from 2011
- Newsettes from 1949-1950
- Newsettes from 1951-1960
- Newsettes from 1961-1970
- Newsettes from 1971-1980
- Newsettes from 1981-1990
- Newsettes from 1991-2000
- Newsettes from 2001-2010
- Highland Lakes Community Map
- SITE MAP
- CALENDAR
- MEMBERS INFO
- Voting Board of Highland Lakes – Fiscal Year 2023
- Annual Meeting
- Club Dues and Assessments
- 2022 Schedule – Dues and Assessments
- 2021 Schedule – Dues and Assessments
- 2019 Schedule – Dues and Assessments
- 2018 Schedule – Dues and Assessments
- 2017 Schedule – Dues and Assessments
- 2016 Schedule – Dues and Assessments
- 2015 Schedule – Dues and Assessments
- 2014 Schedule – Dues and Assessments
- About changes to your recorded deed and Initiation Fees
- Clubs and Interests
- Committee Descriptions and Meetings Calendar
- Committee Meetings Calendar
- Administration Committee
- Badge Checking Committee
- Boat Dock Committee
- Buildings & Grounds Committee
- By-Laws and Rules Committee
- Clubhouse Committee
- Communications Committee
- Dam Committee
- Ecology Committee
- Elections Committee
- Fishing Committee
- Goodwill Fundraising Committee
- Nominating Committee
- Planning Committee
- Roads Committee
- FAQs
- Goodwill Fund
- Helpful Links
- Office Administration
- Rules and Regulations as of May 2022
- Security
- Volunteerism
- Voting Board and Committees
- What Section Do I Live In?
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- EVENTS
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ABOUT
Highland Lakes Country Club and Community Association started in 1933 as a dream shared by two men, John Seckler and Clayton Shepperd, as they looked out over acres of rural farmland in the northernmost county of Sussex, NJ, and talked about the rustic, summer retreat they were going to create. Today, that dream they shared long ago has become a beautiful reality for roughly 2,000 families who now belong to this private community.
Though 80 percent of our membership is comprised of year-round residents, that was not the case in 1936 when the community was officially founded. Sussex County itself was sparsely populated farmland and Highland Lakes, a summer-getaway for city-dwellers who wanted to enjoy the great outdoors. Most homes did not have their own well—instead, their water was piped in from a community well during warmer months. The vast majority of our members arrived as soon as school let out in June and the place bustled with activity from July 4th through Labor Day when cabins were reluctantly “closed for the winter,” leaving only a few hearty families behind to enjoy the tranquil wonderland.
As years passed and highways improved (making commuting to work a viable option), our community saw a gradual shift towards year-round living. Members winterized their cabins, drilled private wells, improved their septic systems, and “dug-out” their basements, bucket-by-bucket. In 1946, the “Little League” softball program was formed, followed soon after by an organized swimming program with Sunday swim races in 1950. A long tradition of boating and sailing activities dates back to the late 1940s, initially with the Comet fleet and later with the Sunfish sailing fleet. Today there continues to be a busy activities, events, sports and club programs offered to all who wish to join in the fun.
Club-organized activities have flourished through the years, transformed again and again depending upon the volunteers who have coordinated them each new season. Some say it is the natural beauty and rural character that makes Highland Lakes so special. Others insist that it is the passion and dedication of volunteers that gives the community its undeniable character harkening back to days of yore. All will agree that it is some combination of the two that makes Highland Lakes such a perfect place to call home.
Read more about the history of Highland Lakes.
