Many people don't know this but New Jersey has alot of parks. Some are real good finds. Flat Rock…read moreBrook is a hidden gem. It is tucked away in a residential neighborhood. We went on Friday afternoon and we were lucky to get a parking space. The parking lot is small with only about 15 spots. Hiking was very easy even though it was not marked. It was nice to be able to enjoy the great outdoors without having to drive a long distance. The highlight of the visit was the aviary. The aviary housed 1 falcon and 2 owls. It was really cool to see these birds close up!

Flat Rock is more rustic than I expected given the location and relative lack of hype. It offers…read moremore varied terrain than some other suburban spots like Emerson Woods Preserve. The sign mentioning NYC being 4.3 miles away is a clever comment on the unexpected location, unclear if that's a "crow files" metric or an actual journey involving walking over the GWB. (click here for my "Fear of Heights" podcast on Audacy). At least one of the wooden bridges across the water wasn't in good shape. If it fails you won't drown but you might get muddy. And in one major advantage over other quirky NJ nature spots is the existence of a bathroom (depending on the hours of the nature center building, which are shorter than those of the overall preserve). Geography notes: you won't want to walk all the way to/from downtown Englewood as I did, the 166 bus gets relatively close but is a relatively slow ride.

Beautiful garden to spent an hour exploring. I tested out my new camera here and it didn't…read moredisappoint.

Beautiful park to see fall colors in October or the prettiest flowers in the spring. There are…read moremultiple parking lots so plenty of parking. The website has an interactive map if you get lost. I walked around the whole park in about an hour, it's not too big. Leashed dogs are allowed!

Great space to enjoy the outdoors, lots of places to walk or picnic, but I enjoyed kayaking on the…read morelake. They have one and tandem kayaks to be rented by the hour, they provide life jackets and help you launch and get back to the dock. Then they explain where the boundaries are and let you have at it. It's a fun way to spend a summer afternoon, even if you aren't experienced. The waters are pretty calm, and it's a good upper body work out. If there's not parking nearby, there are other lots. So depending on what you're looking for outdoors, this is a nice oasis for the otherwise very urban areas in North Jersey.

New Overpeck Park 40 Fort Lee Rd…read more Leonia, NJ 07605 This 811-acre park does not compare to the liveliness and energy of other large parks such as Central Park or Van Cortlandt Park, but there are still many ways to stay occupied. The trails are on wide, level black pavement. It's a perfect time to take a stroll either individually, with family or friends, or with a domestic pet. While walking, I highly recommend wearing sunscreen and/or a hat. Drink plenty of water because there are minimal trees leading to no shade on the trail. If you want to get your heart rate up, go for a jog or bicycle ride. Multiple benches are stationed throughout the trails. Or, you can always bring your own lounge chair or blanket to find a quiet spot to sit and chill. It's a great place to set up a picnic while admiring breathing taking views of the Manhattan Skyline. During the warmer seasons, the Overpeck Park Kayak Center is open. Feel free to rent a canoe or kayak and paddle the Overpeck Creek. In addition to boats, the Kayak Center also rents out fishing rods for prospective anglers. However, a valid NJ freshwater fishing license is required. To avoid any fees, all visitors have the option to bring their own equipment. A fairly large playground is on site for younger children. They may play on the jungle gym, swing set, climbing webs, and slides. There are multiple parking lots available throughout the park. Some of them have an EV charging station for electric automobiles. Overall, this park is pretty decent and it's great to spend a couple of hours on a spring or summer afternoon. #thenewoverpeckpark #newoverpeckpark #overpeckcreek #leonianj

medium sized county park with a roughly 1 mile blue blazedxloop trail leading from the north end of…read morethe parking lot to a small waterfall and then up to a peak with a view of Rockland County (closeup are is a very scenic industrial park LOL).. waterfall was quite unimpressive on Thanksgiving Day 2016 due to the recent drought, i gather from photos I saw it is much better after a big rain or spring snowmelt.. when you go up the blue blaze trail after descending from peak you will see a gravel road turn right and follow white blaze back to parking lot.

Beautiful Hudson River town with old school and artistic vibe. Catch one of Piermont's many events…read moreif you're lucky, from an Oktoberfest in the streets to five free summer outdoor concerts for picnicking, dancing and mingling. Many great walks including the old Eerie Trail, Tallman Mountain State Park (public swimming pool nestled in the woody landscape with night time live music too) and the famous Piermont Pier walk adjacent to the Hudson River. Many galleries, restaurants, funky shops and 19th century homes.

Less than a hour north of NYC, my partner and I came to the village of Piermont whose popular with…read moreday trippers especially bikers along the Hudson River for their Oktoberfest. A block of Piermont Avenue was closed to traffic and transformed with street vendors selling food, beer, and other knickknacks. Some were dressed for the occasion in lederhosen and dirndl. We found a vendor selling the giant pretzel with fondue dipping sauce to share and only $14. It came out freshly from the oven and tasted delicious. Unfortunately the event is a one day only and enjoyed some time here.

A lovely walk for a nice day…read more.. I've known of the pier for the last few years, but it wasn't until recently that I made the trip there. I went earlier on a Sunday early afternoon and the town was already busy. Lots of people enoying some outdoor dining. There is also a Green Market there on select weekend mornings which seemed nice. There are a few areas to park, but the regulation sigsn threw me off...I ended up parking in a lot marked Parking Lot D where there were no signs. You can use the address of "100 Gair Street" if you plan on visiting via GPS. I also noticed people parking and headed toward the pier, which was when I fingured parking there would be safe. I believe there are a few spots closer to the Pier path but those were marked "Reserved" From parking lot D to the tip of the pier is about a mile, so be sure to have comfortable shoes on. The first half of the walk is a wide paved path through tall grass on the right and apartments/housing to the left. The second half offers some lovely views of the Hudson river and Tappan Zee bridge. The paved pier was large but no fisherman there that day. A lot of people walking, jogging, runnng and biking though...the 2-mile trek (back and forth) is perfect for all of these activities. There are lots of benches all along the path to sit, relax and take in the views. There is a building toward the end of the pier, which looks sort of like a museum with information on the outside walls, but the doors were closed at the time. Overall it was a lovely visit. A half day may include visiting the green market, visiting the pier and maybe even grabbing a bite in town.

Finally made it to this peaceful, beautiful park in the middle of the Hudson River. The Husband…read morealways curious whats the bridge like structure protruding in the middle of the river. 2 weeks ago when the weather was nice we finally visited & we were glad we did. Picturesque river views on both side, with lots of trees, wildlife and waterfront views. There are lots of benches, ample parking and rest room at the end of the mile stretch. This park is perfect for quiet walks, bird watching, walking your dogs or just to spend time in nature. I highly recommend a visit if you are around the area

A gorgeous Spring Day for exploring! Ridgewood has a beautiful Main Street by the train station…read morewith just as lovely side streets. Today I was using the bus for transit and a main hub is off Van Neste Square. Babies, dogs and folks are picnicking and enjoying this sunshine. The park has a veterans memorial tower with an eagle on top. Lots of restaurants and shops are within walking distance so I'll be back.

A beautiful little park tucked away in a quaint Paramus neighborhood. Not too big, but has a…read morebasketball court, a couple of playgrounds and enough open field. The trees were gorgeous today against the blue sky backdrop!