Nice park for the beginner or more experienced hiker or just someone who wants to have some peace…read moreand quiet outdoors for a couple of hours. The parking lot is big and there is a bathroom, which is appreciated. I took a look at the trail map before I left to find one of a decent length, so check out options, but the trails are well-marked. Once you get past the main train next to the lake, you can find yourself pretty alone except for another occasional hiker, but you can vibe with nature, see a waterfall, and just breathe in the fresh air. Some of the trails are long, but I paced one that was only a couple of miles and still got some nice scenery and a lot of steps in. It's great this park isn't too far from the urban areas of Northern NJ and there are many trail options so you can visit again and experience something new. There's also a sign for trout fishing if that's your thing. Check it out if you want to get away for the day.

This was my first time and what a blast! What I love about…read morehiking is that there's so many cool and magical places that you can't get to by car. For decades I've driven up 287 and wondered what was in all the hills and mountains and today I finally got to see. I met up with my local plus size hiking group for our last hike of the year and Ramapo was a first for all of us despite being longtime New Jerseyans. We did the Macmillan trail and clocked about 3.5 miles total. We went the long trail around the reservoir and then dipped back down the waterfall trail. Very thankful we did it that way - I think all the stairs on the waterfall trail would have been treacherous given the conditions and a bit demoralizing. Getting the big hills out the way first and enjoying the lake made the waterfall that much sweeter. So many dogs and kind people on the trail. Trash was almost non-existent. Tons of rocks and logs to sit a spell - but at below freezing temps we kept it moving lol. Highlights: -ample parking (bc it was cold) -giant rocks -waterfalls -exposed slabs -gorgeous vistas -the swan!!

This is a beautifully maintained nature preserve with walking paths, trails, kayaking/water…read moreboarding, and a picnic area. There is no cost to visit here and it is usually quiet. The flat trail is stroller friendly, very scenic with plenty of benches and picnic tables for resting and eating. There are trails (one which apparently leads to a beautiful waterfall) but not able to access with a stroller. Bring your own trash bag to take with you as there are no garbage cans. You are responsible for cleaning up after yourself. The views of the water were gorgeous, and the boys enjoyed throwing rocks into the water and watching other people kayak and water board. You can bring your own kayak or rent one in the summer. CJ loved the little houses made of sticks all over the preserve. They are a great opportunity for pretend play. Will go back? There's something about this place The views were beautiful, the preserve itself was so clean and well maintained, and plenty to do with the kids!

This place is very nice. Good easy path around the lake that's clean and recently trimmed. There…read moreare benches along the path and trash bins. There's a small parking lot there and a dock for you to bring your own kayak or rent one of their own

No celery is being grown, it's actually a nature preserve. There's no dogs or bikes allowed…read more Sections are fenced off to keep you on the trail. The trail is about a mile and goes around the lake. Some of it is boarded and much of it is in the shade. If it rained recently, than it may be muddy, otherwise sneakers or shoes are fine. It stays level and is good for elderly or kids. There's a lot of benches and a few lookouts as you go around. The preserve is exceptionally clean. I saw one plastic bottle, so I picked it up.

Today it is called the Celery Farm mainly a result of the fact that in 1888 Swiss emigrant Henry J…read more Appert and his wife Ella bought the 107 acre-property and converted the land which was an excavated peat bog into a farm which grew mainly celery and onions. The land has a rich history has seen this parcel of land transition from a glacial land to a peat bog, to a farm and now a nature preserve. The Wolf Clan of the Lenni Lenape gather here to hunt the abundant game in the area. Later in colonial times Founding Father John Fell took possession of the. In the 1080's the borough of Allendale bought the track of land and converted it into a nature preserve. The Celery Farm is an important site for migratory birds and thus bird watchers. There are several areas where birds can be observed including a raised platform overlooking the small lake. There are trails which run about a mile through the preserve. The trails are very wet in spots after any kind of precipitation. Roots and rocks jut up along the path making hiking uncomfortable. When I visited there were numerous hikers who wore masks and observed social distancing. Dogs are not permitted on the trails.

Beautiful park to see fall colors in October or the prettiest flowers in the spring. There are…read moremultiple parking lots so plenty of parking. The website has an interactive map if you get lost. I walked around the whole park in about an hour, it's not too big. Leashed dogs are allowed!

Beautiful nature walk and nice trails. The kids loved it very informative about the wildlife.read more

They need better crowd control and communication regarding the park closing. It's awful how…read morecongested the entire area becomes on the weekends. Online "park full" and electric signage on major highways People need to understand Closed is Closed and move on - you're not special, no accommodations, go home. Try next weekend and get there earlier. SMH - as I just drove by area after sitting in traffic for 10 mins.

Today I had one of the worst experiences at Darlington Lake with my 9-year-old son…read more He wanted to try the splash area, so I bought the tickets. As soon as we got there, he went into the water and sat down--without a life vest. I calmly tried to explain to him that it was against the rules and he needed to wear a vest because it could be dangerous. Suddenly, a lifeguard started yelling at us to get out of the water. I told him my son has autism and asked for some patience, but he kept yelling. Then a second lifeguard began screaming even louder. People around us started staring while the shouting continued, and my son began to get very agitated. I couldn't hold it together--I broke down crying. Thankfully, an angel came over to help. He spoke gently to my son, and my son told him it was our first time there. This kind man helped calm him down and encouraged him to get out of the water--and he did. (I later found out that he works with children with special needs at the Special Olympics, and I'm incredibly grateful for his help.) I told my son, "Let's just go," and promised him we'd try again another day--but honestly, I don't plan to go back. I cried the whole way home. My son just wanted to enjoy the splash pad, but I couldn't handle another situation like that. I absolutely do not recommend this place. This should never have happened. My son has severe anxiety, and two years ago he went into catatonia. Only in the last few months have we started going out again. Today was supposed to be a small, brave step forward--but it turned into a deeply traumatic experience instead.

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.

Great place for a stroll, jog or hike w friends and family. Awesome learning center and wild life…read moreexhibits to explore.

Part of the Bergen County Park System, the J.A. Mcfaul Envirinmental Center is an education and…read morewildlife oasis in an otherwise suburban community. The center features both an indoor and outdoor experience. The outdoor experience offers well maintained nature trails which circumvent a large duck pond where you wild find swans, turtles, waterlillies and other wildlife. A beautiful gazebo overlooks the pond and is surrounded by flowerbeds. Hiking along the lake trail will take you to a two story observation deck. Many people use the paved entrance road to walk or jog. It is a one mile go-around with many joggers the day I visited. For those interested in an up close look at a red-tailed hawk, owls, pigeons and a red fox, the center has caged environments especially for that purpose. The indoor environmental center is a good sized facility designed to educate visitors about native fauna and flora. There are two main rooms. The room off the looby has a variety of fis tanks displaying turtles, snakes, frogs, etc.. Educational displays feature charts, photos, taxidermy and artifacts. I particularly liked the bear display. Adjacent to this room is the observatory room. Large windows give you an opportunity to view the duck pond and wildlife. This room has displays ranging from bats, bees, trees, etc.. Well maintained restrooms are available. In summary. While this is not comparable to a large zoo. it has many things to look at and experience for a well spent morning or afternoon. The facility is free of charge.

Came here tonight to try on their Canada goose coats as I am looking to buy a new winter coat. I…read moreforget the name of the man (manager?) who helped me. He was very knowledgeable, kind, and patiently answered my many questions. In the end, I ended up buying a different coat online but my experience here was great. I would definitely be back if I ever needed camping, fishing, skiing or some other outdoor sports gear. They seem to have a lot of stock and good sales too.

Not very happy. I brought one of my rifles there to sell on consignment then afterwards changed my…read moremine because after a couple of months it didn't sell.. when I first came to the store all of the guys were so excited to see a very nice rifle and stated how well it looks and the bluing is so good. Well while I was filling out the paperwork from the background check the refle was on counter in my gun case open, when I finished the paperwork the person helping me walked up front with it and I went to inspect my gun and then another employee grabbed the case pulling it away from me and placed it on the floor note he was acting strange the hole time I was there, So I didn't get a chance to look at my gun until I got home and found it look like some parts were swapped from another gun the stock has damage, witness marks the screws the level action shows wear when mine didn't some scratches on the magazine tube and forearm brace, The day I came in the store excited to do business with them like I have in the passed and had purchased three rifles and lots of other items over the years with them but probably not going back...

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!

I think this place is a hidden gem. There's not a lot of natural lakes that you can swim in. Of…read morecourse when I went, they were closed for swimming and they even have a dock with boat rentals, which was also closed. I'll be sure to come back to swim in the lake and maybe take a boat around. I don't think the boat is quite big ending for a boat ride that will get my adrenaline flowing, but a canoe or paddle board would be cool. But even closed, this is a great place to go for picnicking or hiking with free parking. There's picnic tables, a jungle gym, bathrooms and I'm sorry I didn't check to see if the showers were working if you wanted to use them. Now, this is important. I started walking around the lake, around the lake wound be going to the left, but the trail went right. I went left, there was a rock wall and I figured I'd follow it and it would bring me back to around the lake. It didn't, I ended up crossing into New York and wandering around Sterling Forest until I eventually found my self on the main road. After walking about 3 more miles, I was actually able to find a trail that lead back to the lake, of course when that trail reached the road for the lake, I walked a mile in the wrong direction, my point is FOLLOW THE TRAIL! The lake is in Ringwood state park and right by the NJ Botanical Gardens and also Skyland Manor.

The lake itself was beautiful and the kayak, row boat and peddle boat rentals were reasonably…read morepriced. It was a nice excursion on the water except for the constant gun shots from skeet shooting taking place nearby. If you can drown out the noise from that it is a very serene experience. The staff at the boathouse was friendly and helpful.