If you ever need a timeout and take a break, this is one of the best drives in the state of New…read moreYork. The drive takes you past lakes, the beautiful green scenery etc. If you plan to drive here at night, it is pitch dark, I don't recall seeing a light post. There is a boating dock along the drive. It is close to the Woodbury outlets and bear mountain, so you can make a full day of activities. Restrooms may be hard to come by.

I've been coming here for many many years. Such a wonderful place to hike and bring my dogs to…read more They love swimming!! End up hiking to the top of one of the mountains where we won't be bothered. Need to visit again soon!

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.

What a stunning beautiful park , so clean with plenty of parking , picnic table and a beautiful…read morewaterfall-river . It's an amazing place to spend the day on a romantic date or with the family .

I definitely recommend going early and having your own transportation to get there because signal…read morecan be spotty. The croton gorge and its bridge was beautiful. Beautiful views , the sound of the water and trees all around. I saw a deer and many people picnicking in the grass. A lot of lantern flies unfortunately. I wish there was a way to get rid of them in a eco friendly manner because the trees don't deserve this haha! They had portopotties , a playground, and some food trucks. On a beautiful day this is a hidden gem not too far from the city.

Love this place! I have been here so many times…read more I love running, walking, hiking and sight seeing here. There are always great views and very picturesque paths ... I would highly recommend this place. During Covid, most people had masks. I would say that most people were social distancing, and it was still a safe place during quarantining. I'll definitely be back again soon.

Beautiful park with areas for picnics they also have grills installed. You can also hike or go for…read morea stroll with your dog.

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.

On a beautiful fall day my wife and I decided to take a hike…read more Halfway into the hike we came across an area that was a gay kook-up spot We tried to avoid this but ended up in a clearing with a giant tree stump this was later discovered this was called the $@&$ stump

Nice trail that has a steep section, but is worth the views. We followed the yellow trail up to the…read moreoverlook and then turned back down at the mailbox shortly after. We visited in mid October and had perfect weather. The trail was moderately busy so I'd suggest going early if you want to be more spaced out from other groups.

I've passed this hidden gem THOUSANDS of times, and while back in NY for a long weekend finally…read moredecided to check it out. Though I grew up less than 15-20 min. away, this beach was not in my township (Huntington) so we stuck to our own local N. Shore Long Island Sound beaches (rather than pay a craaazy entry fee). Off season, everyone's a resident of everywhere/anywhere, so a beautiful, sunny February afternoon was a PERFECT opportunity to check out Callahans. We had the whole place to ourselves, and my sister and I checked out the upper picnic area, the new/improved playground, and the wonderful views around the perimeter of the parking lot. Rumor has it there are other trails, but we did not see them, so we ventured down to the entrance to the beach to get a closer look at the BEAUTIFUL views... NOTE: I don't believe you can park in the little circle near the stairs leading down to the beach, though strangely enough, there are handicapped parking spaces there. This beach is many things: scenic, secluded, convenient if you live in the area, great for families, picnics, and golf fans, but it is definitely NOT handicapped friendly, unless you just plan to enjoy the view from above. There are MANY steps to get down to that beautiful beach, and you'd better be in reasonably good shape AND not forget anything in your car, because it's a TRIP up and down those stairs. While my sister and I didn't find the hiking trails that are supposedly there, we did hike the full length of the beach, a WONDERFUL walk all the way to neighboring Sunken Meadow State Park beach and back. BEAUTIFUL, invigorating, and very do-able, nearly 3 miles back and forth. Well worth the "ride!!" Some of the best things/places on Long Island are still free, especially if you go off season... Check this place out!!

Nothing good to say about this beach.Parking is far from beach area the. After walking to beach…read morearea you have to tackle the stairs going down then after a few heart attacks the beach area is dirty and water dirty with floating it looks like used condoms. Where did my tax dollars go besides the steps and the asphalt area above where lifeguard station is. My last time there!

Hermoso muy lindo y agradable . Todo à la perfection la naturaleza lo es todo . Para compartir en…read morefamilia

The boathouse was closed so kayaks and boats were unavailable, but the beach was open and it was…read morebeautiful. It opens by 10 and if you are there early, you'll get a nice spot and time to enjoy the water before the crowds get there.

Be aware: Locals Only. Beautiful local park, very well kept and pretty walking trail.read more

Great place to go hiking. Wear your rubber boots and you can go walk through the shallow parts of…read morethe glen. If you prefer the dry trail overlooking the glen that is pretty also.

These trails, nestled right in the Riverdale neighborhood, are an absolute gem and a perfect, easy…read moreescape from the city hustle and bustle! They offer spectacular views of the Hudson River, often feeling like you are literally touching it, while gazing across at the dramatic cliffs of the New Jersey Palisades, which absolutely adds to the view. It's especially beautiful in the fall for the foliage--the trees burst with color, creating a vibrant backdrop to the river gorge. The trails themselves are easy, quick, and simple, with minimal elevation gain (no limited hills), making them accessible for just about anyone. You can enjoy a relaxing walk or seek out a more "ruggedness when needed" feel in certain sections. I constantly see people enjoying them: biking, walking, and even taking conference calls while soaking up the view! Important Dog Owner Warning These are great trails for walking your dogs. I often see dogs enjoying being off-leash here, but if you choose to do so, please be hyper-aware! The trail runs right alongside the Metro-North Hudson Line tracks (the stretch between the Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil stops), and the fence isn't aligning the whole way. A distracted dog chasing a rabbit or squirrel can easily run right onto the active tracks. Keep a tight watch or use a long lead--it's not worth the risk, even if your dog is well-behaved. Overall, a highly recommended spot for a scenic, simple, and convenient outdoor experience!

Spent the day in Riverdale on Sunday and got an amazing workout. The trail was really nice even…read morethough it felt like 1,000 degrees out that day. My dad and I had a great time, and we got all of our steps in that day. There was one part of Riverdale Park with branches leaning against a tree and it kind of looked like a scene out of The Blair Witch Project. It was a beautiful day, and I'm glad I got to enjoy it at the park.