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.

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.

A nice park. Nice fishing hole !! Lots of fun activities for families!!!…read more A nice park for family fun.

This is a nice smaller park located upon Garamound. They have a pond a big walking area they even…read morehave a skate park, Which not many parts have. There is even a water park if you want to call it that that little kids can play in in the summertime. In fact the Waterpark part of it is just closed for the fall,winter whatever you want to call it. There are two small parking lots at the top which seem to have enough spaces most of the time for visitors. There are several areas with picnic tables that you can eat her which is very nice. And they have a field. Many people don't know that if you walk around the back of the pond and follow the trail up into the woods there are even more picnic tables And if you go up even higher there are actually tennis courts up on top that you can access also from another road on top if you don't feel like walking that much. The pond is not the cleanest however and I really could use a little more maintenance on the area.

Cedar grove community park, is about 6 acres of awesomeness!!!! Lol the amenities in this park…read moreinclude a public pool with changing areas and diving boards, deep end and kiddie pool. A beautifully landscaped garden and ball field. The baseball field has 2 sets of 60+ person sitting bleachers, well lit night lights and pitchers pen. Plenty of park benches and trash cans for having bday parties. Also Built in BBQ pits. Parking is free and very conveniently accessible with over 120 spots, with RV parking. Public bathrooms are available and opened and cleaned daily. There are 2 massive playgrounds available for all ages. One is located next to the park benches and BBQ puts and the other right behind the ball field. My daughter and I had an amazing time at cedar grove community park. Very clean and safe atmosphere. YES!!!! It's open to the public. Reviews Yelp!!!! David $ Erica.

A wonderful with seating areas and a grill. Nice little hidden secret in Clifton New Jersey. Great…read moreplace to bring a date, children, or a group outing.

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).

(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.

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.

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 one's for the deer, not for us, but they've been through a lot so hopefully they'll enjoy it…read more I was none too pleased on my first visit when I didn't see the advertised features, but it turns out I misunderstood a conceptual study of what might be here one day. For now, there are birds and trees, and if it hasn't rained too much recently the terrain will be navigable enough for you to walk to the Peckman River. It's not a tourist destination known internationally or maybe even in most of Passaic County but this was a good for a dose of faux rural vibes.

This is a decent little park right along the Passaic River In Paterson. I'm pretty sure you need a…read morepermit to use the baseball, football or soccer field, but there's plenty of grass for you to picnic or play games. You can rent out or use the pavilion and their website tells you what other events there are, like Zumba. There a paved path for walking or jogging and areas for fishing or feeding the ducks. They have 2 full basketball courts. You'll probably find a kids and an adult game going if the weather is nice.