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

Rockefeller Lookout is a small roadside overlook, but the views are really impressive. You get a…read morebeautiful view of the Hudson River, the Palisades cliffs, and even parts of the New York City skyline at a distance. We stopped here for a short break and ended up spending much longer than planned. It's a great place for photography, especially during sunrise or sunset. The parking area is small but convenient for a quick stop. Free for the first 20 mins... The lookout was not that clean, and not sure why people are not using the trash. It wasn't very crowded when we visited. If you're driving along Henry Hudson Drive or exploring the Palisades, this place is definitely worth adding to your trip.

Great little pull off of the palisades parkway that has great views of the cliffs and the city…read moreskyline

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.

Have really only come over here to enjoy my son's flag football games. I love that they have a…read morerestroom space no porter potty and it presents clean.

Good pool, good friends good tennis courts. Good walking path and park staff…read more They have new tennis courts but need a new pool. it was the best bargain in town, especially for seniors of limited means.

Fort Lee Historic Park Hudson Terrace…read moreFort Lee, NJ 07024 This park was a campground for the Continental Army during the American Revolution. A mock cannon and mortar is on site. There are also resigned huts that the soldiers used as quarters. You can also get breathtaking views of the George Washington Bridge, Upper Manhattan, and New Jersey. Admission to the park is free, but there is an hourly charge to park your vehicle. #fortleehistoricpark #fortlee #georgewashingtonbridge #binocularviewer #mortar #cannon #soldiershut #militarycampground #visitorcenter #encampment #americanrevolution #palisadesinterstatepark

Always wondered where people got those super close views of the George Washington Bridge in their…read morereels, and finally found this place! People might get confused by the two names--Palisades Interstate Park and Fort Lee Historic Park--but it's the same location. Parking is metered, and the rates vary by day. On weekends, it's around $2.50/hour. We spent almost 2 hours here, and it was totally worth it. The park is very clean and well maintained. There are several viewpoints where you can enjoy beautiful views of the George Washington Bridge and the Hudson River. There are also a few historical displays that tell the story of the area, which makes the visit even more interesting. There are plenty of benches to sit, relax, and enjoy the scenery. It was peaceful and not too crowded when we visited. On the other side of the park, you'll find old cannons, restored military buildings, and other historic structures from the Revolutionary War period. The views from that side are just as amazing. Overall, it's a great place to spend a couple of hours if you're visiting the Palisades.

Great local playground for the kids young and old. Small kids area is closed in which is a plus…read more You got a nice walking path, tennis courts, track and soccer/football field here also.

PROS: One of the best parks around. Nice trails, skate park, playground, and a tennis court. This…read morehas bathrooms and water fountains nearby along with a track/football/soccer field right behind it. CONS: Unfortunately for the size of this park the parking is very limited. OVERALL: As long as it's not crowded I think you'll have a easy time finding parking and you'll also have a good time at the park

The most amazing hidden gem in Bergen County, NJ. Family…read morefriendly, easy trails and so beautiful. One of our most favorite places .

This is a wonderful place to bring the whole family. They have about 12 different trails, all…read moreseparated in different levels of difficulty. The trails are free to enter but they do request for volunteer donation for non members. Different tiers of annul membership available to purchase at main office that comes with some wonderful perks, such as free access to trails and special events. The main office also has some of the exhibition items like insect box and turtle box. Outside the office there's also bird and butterfly cages. We went to the center for our daughter to participate in butterfly feeding event. Upon arrival we found out we had to buy the tickets for one of the two scheduled events. Luckily there were slots available to the second event on the day. The ticket was reasonably cheap, only $8. It also came with an additional bird's exhibition that took place right in front of office deck. All the stuff members were very friendly, informative and interactive. We spent wonderful couple of hours here on beautiful warm summer day.

PROS: Beautiful park with nice hiking trails, multi purpose building, nice lake with gazebo, all…read morelocated in a nice quiet area of the town. This holds many events for a good reason. Best of all it has a very nice 9/11 memorial CONS: Parking is terrible. only a dozen spots for a park this size OVERALL: I would definitely come by and enjoy the park. As long as it's not busy

We went to Cooper's Pond Park a few weeks ago in the afternoon. A short, nature walk with our…read morefamily, it was serene and scenic. The walking path was good to follow along and it was peaceful for all visitors. We watched as several people were fishing by Cooper's pond. Looked like a great activity to do together or solo. Plenty of great water views at different angles. Bike paths were used along the nature paths too. For a short trip out in nature, this was a beautiful place to go. Ducks and geese were all around, watch out for their poop! Enjoy their presence.

Tibbetts Brooks Park is a nice park in Yonkers that features a few streams, walking trails and a…read moregreat bathhouse; though, I did not swim on this occasion. My church held its annual family day cookout on a beautiful Saturday morning and afternoon. The park ingress and egress demand good bus drivers at a few tight corners within and just outside the park. Tibbetts has plenty of parking to accommodate a large number of visitors and the bathhouse is as much a draw as the rest of the park. The pool features a few sections with different tiers outside the pool for lounging and families gathering. It's not all concrete, rather many of the lounge areas are covered in AstroTurf, which makes for a more relaxed and comfortable surface upon which to lay towels and blankets. The restrooms are kept clean, but they have a rather heavy duty check-in for access to the bathhouse. They are controlled by park employees and park police. The pool access fee is $12pp for non-Yonkers residents, even if you think you have a different understanding for group access. Many of our church members were turned away, unless they paid the individual fee. The park employees regularly removed the trash in the vicinity of our family day outing and wherever other groups gathered. They are setup well to handle large groups at Tibbetts Brooks Park. 3.8 stars!

Playground Review Only- Tibbetts Brook Park has so much potential, but the playground is badly…read moreoutdated and in serious need of renovation. The equipment is visibly old and deteriorating, with features that are broken, missing, rusting, or simply being closed off instead of replaced. One of the most obvious examples is a missing slide. The slide has been completely removed, with the concrete footing where it once ended still visible on the ground, while the elevated entrance to the slide has simply been blocked with a small metal barrier. Other play components are worn, faded, and incomplete. The condition of the equipment also goes beyond simply looking old. There is significant visible deterioration on the elevated metal platforms, including peeling and worn protective coating and exposed, rusted metal. These are surfaces children regularly walk on, climb over, and touch. Combined with the missing slide, blocked-off play features, deteriorated equipment, and inadequate ground covering, the playground gives the appearance of being maintained through temporary fixes rather than properly rehabilitated. The playground surface is another concern. Much of the area is bare, compacted dirt with very little wood-chip coverage, including underneath and around elevated play equipment. A children's playground should have adequately maintained protective surfacing, especially in areas where children could fall. This is a major Westchester County park in Yonkers that is heavily used by families, and the playground should reflect that. Removing equipment as it fails, blocking openings, and leaving the remaining aging structure in place is not a long-term solution. At this point, this playground needs more than cosmetic maintenance. Westchester County should conduct a comprehensive safety inspection and replace or fully rehabilitate the aging playground equipment and safety surfacing. Families and children using Tibbetts Brook Park deserve a playground that is safe, complete, modern, and properly maintained.

Lovely little park bordering Leonia Public Library. It seems like lots of families are enjoying…read morethis quiet space on Sunday afternoon. Walking distance from shopping. Diverse neighborhood. Many languages being spoken at the park, and the environment is welcoming. Lots of shade. Playground equipment. Restrooms. Park is well maintained. Plenty of Niantic spots for Ingress/Pokémon Go/Wizards Unite.

An open space, right across the Wood Park & Leonia Public Library, in Leonia…read more Wood Park provides quite a lot with the tennis court, baseball area, and the playground. The sculpture garden is right across, and you can just sit at the gazebo while your car is being serviced at Delta, or after the mass at the St. John Church, or waiting for your kid from Leonia middle school.