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.

PROS: This place was very clean and had nice landscape. Lake is big and you can kayak on it. The…read morepaths are very clear and easy to hike through CONS: There's no parking available as they closed the car bridge that leads to the parking lot for no reason. There's also no out house OVERALL: It's an easy hike and the lake is a nice area to kayak on, just plan where you're going to hike cause the lot is closed

Absolutely love this spot! Such a great place to come for a small hike when you wanna enjoy a nice…read moreday. I got here nice and early on a Thursday morning and it was pretty empty. Parking is plenty. I can imagine weekends it gets crowded but there's overflow parking on your way in. Gorgeous selection of two trails, I usually do both to get some extra steps in. Altogether doing both trails is about 2.5 miles. Tons of beautiful views all around. Very very dog friendly as well. I always see a few dogs on the trail. They also do kayak rentals during the summer which seems super fun. Great spot!

This is a hidden gem! We live in Wayne, a couple of miles away, and recently discovered Woodland…read moreLake as a great place to take walks with our dog. She loves walking around the lake and exploring the trails. We're avid sailors, and discovered what a great place this would be to hold SEAS Bergen's basic sailing instruction, since it has such great facilities for boating.

One of America's most glamorous spots. The Kardashian sisters are frequent visitors, spotted…read moreNatalia Vodianova in a canoe here this evening, Brigitte Bardot used to hang out, the port-a-potty has an 18 karat gold seat. to experience all this exquisite voluptiousness vicariously you can hike the 1 mile loop trail around this lake for free but to fish or boat you have to be a resident of Pequannock Township and pay a membership fee. picnic area with a campfire pit - campfire by permit only... next to a busy road and some light industrial areas not a particularly attractive vicinity..

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 so beautiful!! Great place to see the beautiful skyline of New York City. The open…read morefield that they have is great for sitting in the grass and just enjoying the sun on a beautiful day!!

Great view! Hidden gem. Great view of NYC! A nice tribute of 9-11 here. A restaurant near by…read morerecommend reservations. Nice to park and take in the views.

A nice area for hiking/walking that has some wide paths and not so overgrown. There are plenty of…read moretrails to diverge from. Hemlock Falls seems to be a draw and is very nice to relax around but can get a little crowded. Because there are multiple parking lots with easy accessibility, there's a bit of trash and broken glass here and there which is unfortunate. There were quite a few hikers, trail runners and dogs but it never felt claustrophobic. The hikes aren't that difficult but there are quite a few rocks and protruding tree roots. Montclair is less than 10 minutes if you want a bite to eat afterwards.

Great walk. Nothing like a walk through nature. Taking in the sights and sounds, what a beautiful…read morething!!!

I grew up in Cedar Grove and have fond memories of Mills Reservation from the 1950s and 60s.  It…read morewas a great place to explore the natural wooded environment atop First Mountain ... and it still is.  The trails are great for hiking, biking, and jogging. Leashed dogs are welcome.  I highly recommend hiking to Quarry Point at the reservation's southern end.  The views east from here are spectacular -- all the way to the Hudson River and Manhattan skyline, and sometimes the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge.  Oh, did I mention that the reservation is a great place for bird watching?! Parking is limited. There are no buildings or restrooms in the reservation.

How does one rate the woods? I wanted to blame them for a lack of reservoir scenery on the…read morereservoir view trail but there was human error and I was on a different trail. You can see Manhattan and even the Verrazzano Bridge from a few overlooks. If you're into Instagramming lots of trees and occasional rocks this is a fine spot. Geography note: without a car, kind of far from anywhere. Walkable from the weekday-only Mountain Ave. station (for NJ Transit wrath please check out my Substack).

Did a hike today starting from Mary Roth Drive and ending near Lake Riconda Drive. It was four…read moremiles, had some climbs but wasn't too strenuous, and had a few great views. A nice way to spend a day, in the forest.

Whether you're a current student, alumni or faculty, hiking with William Patersons hiking group is…read morea great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday. There are generally 5-6 hikes each semester. The locations vary as some are as far as Sandy Hook or the Delaware Water Gap or as close to High Mountain which is right behind WPU. Karen is in charge of the hikes and is a great leader and always picks fun and interesting locations. Hikes usually go from 10-2 but depending on location can go earlier and longer. If interested make sure you sign up a few days before the day of the hike. The groups are usually small but there are many fun and cool people. Only complaint is that the hikes never start on time. If they did we would have more time for more trails but we usually make it back early anyway. If you love the outdoors and belong to WPU, sign up for one the hikes, they start up again in September.