Happy New Year friends!…read more 2026 is my year (I say this every year) and I wanted to center my well-being today. So I joined my body affirming hiking group (ask about us!) for our Jan. 1 First Day Hike to Garret Mountain. Imagine our collective surprise when we woke up to a phantom overnight snowstorm! Still we persisted. Our group of 6 was suited and hiking booted for the wooded trails only to discover a thick layer of ice under and over the rocks headed into the forests. Even our microspikes wouldn't have been much help due to the steep declines. So we backtracked and decided to walk the auto loop instead. We got a mile into our 3 miles and Passaic County PD came around and announced the park was closing due to ice and dangerous conditions. So we walked back up to the auto lookout and headed out. 2 of 3 miles wasn't bad considering that I was cold in places I've never been cold before, and had just said to my friend, "I have a bad feeling about this hike today" right before we had to come out of the woods due to ice. Listen to your intuition! I know this park will be stunning in spring so I can't wait to return. The mountain views and gorgeous NYC skyline are not to be missed. Keep in mind: -The Tower was closed for maintenance so check before you go -Microspikes are a must in the winter - and even then... -It's a good 7-8 degrees colder up high in the park. 22 felt like 15. -the wildlife does not gaf. The deer stepped to us as if WE were the exhibit. Love that for them tbh.

Come here for a quick workout . You can do 2 miles and see horses and other wildlife. This place is…read moresecure there's camera surveillance. Such a great place to come and relax. They also have fitness bars to do pull-ups however I'm not at that level yet.

Beautiful park with some waterfalls. It's not a big park acts literally all right there you can…read morewalk around it it takes about 5-10 min longer if your taking pictures. Parking to find was a little hard but I'm not from here so there may have been parking somewhere for the park. Very nice glad I got to see it. Recommend to visit if your in area but nothing major to go out of your way to visit.

Today was the Paterson Preservation Fair with great tours, information tables, activities, and…read morefood. When I first moved north, a friend took me to The Falls. We parked in back and walked through the park, which I now know as Mary Ellen Kramer Park. It was sad and depressing then. Lots of garbage and not inviting. Over the last two years it has come along. New signs, tables, better grounds maintenance. The two buildings on the property still need some love and new roofs, but it's getting there. After checking out the tables, I took the Paterson Great Falls tour. It introduced me to the original mill house and Raceway across the street. A waterway that diverted part of the Passaic towards the bustling silk mills. I had never noticed either before. The tour ended at the Paterson Museum. Great exhibitions on baseball, the silk trade, and the Wright airplane engine factory. Next, I took a tour of Hinchliffe stadium, the newly revamped local home of minor-league baseball. After that, and this was my favorite, I took a tour of Lambert Castle. It's on Garret Mountain, and is still under reconstruction, but what an amazing place! History, architectural details and a beautiful view. Coming back to the park, there was a food truck with hotdogs and hamburgers. I sat at a picnic table and enjoyed the cool breeze while watching families have fun. The Park is definitely getting the facelift and attention that this historically important area needs. Can't wait for the construction along the Passaic River is finished and the walking trails are usable. It was a great event!

(Update) So happy, the walking bridge has finally reopened…read more Viewing the falls from the bridge is an impressive experience. Fun Fact- The Falls: A 77-foot-high waterfall on the Passaic River, second only to Niagara Falls in volume east of the Mississippi. The Great Falls of Paterson is even more impressive to see after a major rainstorm. The falls are more immense and you'll get spritzed. LOL... In the winter time, You can see the falls in a frozen state. An absolutely mesmerizing experience. Hope you enjoy the photos from all seasons.

Paterson, NJ - Paterson Great Falls is the second largest waterfall east of the Mississippi River…read more(can you guess the first?), and although it is not as impressive as A-lister Niagara Falls, we are still quite lucky to be in close proximity to such a spectacle of nature! It powered America's first planned industrial city of Paterson, New Jersey, established by Alexander Hamilton in 1792 (before he became a Broadway star), which produced everything from textiles, to locomotives, paper rolls, firearms, and aircraft engines. The park is run by the National Park Service and is free to visit. You can wander around on your own, or join a free guided tour given by a park ranger, which I highly recommend. I was only aware of the falls from the observation deck of Haines Overlook Park and assumed that was the whole shebang. It was not. The ranger-led tour revealed other sections of the park with different vantage points, which I wouldn't have thought to explore. Our tour guide Emma S was very knowledgeable and gave a great presentation. As luck would have it, we went the day after heavy overnight rains, and the waterfall was in full glory. Emma told us this is the most water she's seen in her two years as a tour guide! A new pedestrian footbridge just opened in February 2026, allowing visitors to walk across the chasm for close-up views of the 77-foot waterfall at misting distance. Further expansions and more section openings are planned in the coming years, as well as a new visitor center. Finally: kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge - a program available at most of the 400+ national parks. My child received his first badge here, a handsome wooden pin. So that was very cool. Other nearby attractions include the Paterson Museum, Muth Museum, and the newly re-opened Lambert Castle, so you can make a full day of it.

On our random visit, entrances to the Lambert Castle and Tower were closed, but the road was open…read more We were able to admire this lovely structure from outside. Our intention anyway was to go hiking. That was accomplished. From the area of the tower, which sits higher than the castle, some panoramic views can be seen ofthe surrounding cityscape. You can also find other hiking trails that lead you further along the hilltop. A perfectly beautiful day also makes this spot... - lovely for a picnic - picturesque for a photoshoot - ideal for a background in your vlog - an escape from the noise of a busy week - nice for a nap or daydream - sweet for something romantic - zen for meditation

I took a tour of Lambert Castle a couple days prior and felt the need to explore the tower up the…read morehill. It was beautiful! Elegant stone work. A trellis covered in vines. Views of nature all the way to NYC that would've been glorious many decades ago. The valley is a bit over developed now, but still impressive. This tower would've been an extension of the extravagant home below. Just walking around it gives you a sense of power and incorporation into nature on this unique mountain in the middle of a densely populated city. Garret mountain, holds this gem, and many others. Well worth a visit!

This place is huge!!!! Visit and buy a membership and go often! The staff is kind, dedicated and…read moreknowledgeable! Sign up for a program or hike today!

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.

Located in Woodland Park, Garret Mountain Reservation is a wonderful urban park. While they are…read moreneither as intense nor as remote as the Appalachian Trail, they do provide good terrain for a short walk, which my partner and I did today. Barbour Pond is a 1-mile (2,500-step) route with an elevation gain of about 0 ft and is rated as easy. The path has lots of ledges to sit on and watch nature. Today the landscape was dominated by people enjoying a beautiful low humidity, clear blue sky with a picnic, photo enthusiasts taking pictures of birds, or fishermen casting for some trout. It's a great place to unwind and enjoy nature.

Love going for a hike here with the doggies !!! Great elevation and breathtaking views !! Lots of…read moreshade from all the beautiful trees

This review is specifically for the dog park as I've come here twice in the past two months just…read morefor that. I had to meet some family halfway to drop a few items and this park ended up being the halfway for me. It's pretty convenient off of Route 3, and only minutes away from the Garden State Parkway. Additionally, it's only 15 mins or so away from the American Dream mall. The park is huge, most of which I've yet to explore (including the views of the NYC skyline). The dog park is just past the first parking lot (I believe the main lot) you see. You can park on the street (there are two huge spots) right in front of the dog parks or you can park in the parking lot and walk right down the hill towards the dog park. There are two dog parks - one for small dogs and the other for larger dogs. Both look equivalent, except one is obviously bigger. My dog was mostly sniffing the leaves that fell in the fall and perhaps has gotten to the age where he's uninterested in anything outside of sniffing things. For younger, more active dogs, this is a fun place to just play. You can definitely give your dog some good exercise going up and down ladders and such. The people also are pretty nice and the dog park is largely clean. People do pick up their poop, which is very important. This is a pretty good place to let your dog loose for a bit.

It gives me great pleasure to add "the rec" and be the first to review. I have lived in town all my…read morelife and practically grew up at this park. The only thing that would make the rec. better is if it still had the basketball court. North Haledon is a baseball town and it shows. The park has 5 basketball fields. #1 is major league size located by the Brookside entrance. You will also find the kids jungle gym, or kids American Ninja Warrior training facility as well as the entrance to High Mountain School. There is also a trail accessible from Dawn Ave. for the locals. Field #5 is a great field for a homer in derby. It is located by the overlook entrance by then police department and Library. There is a beautiful stream that goes along the border of the park. You may find children in the water, but I wouldn't recommend it. There is a bike trail that goes behind #1 and also a garden. They have batting cages, but are only accessible by the ref commission or coaches. There's a refreshment stand and pavilion area. There are plenty of soccer fields and tennis courts as well. The tennis court is locked, the code is 421, the police assured me that anybody can play. They also have a wall for "pickle ball." I'm not sure what that is, but when I was a kid we used to play "butt's up" outside the gym by the middle school. I suspect they didn't want kids playing there, created a wall and renamed this game. (You if you dropped the ball after it was bounced against the wall, you had to run and touch the wall before someone would throw it against the wall, if the ball got there first, you would have to allow the thrower to throw the tennis ball at your butt).

I HAD to go back to this because it's such an amazing experience. I'm sure they do more than "Fall…read moreFoliage" trips but that's when I visited in the past. Despite my best efforts in the past to do Fall train rides, which turned out to be disappointing only because there was never any good colors on trees, this by far is the very best fall foliage experience I've ever had in my life. You get great views of the tree color transitions and just great photo opportunities. It does get cold on the water so bring a jacket. Experience is as excellent as last time with beverages and snacks for purchase. If you enjoy fall colors, great scenery and boats then you have to do this at least once.

A peaceful Hudson River cruise from Peekskill to Bear Mountain. Beautiful views and a truly…read morerelaxing experience! Such a wonderful way to spend the day. Very pleased with this cruise!