PROS: One of the best parks I've ever been to. Long paved path, many people riding bikes and walking, loads of fields, nice river and bridges, mile markers, historical water mill along the path, and parking lots along the way CONS: One of the park rangers was rude when he spoke to us. OVERALL: Keep your distance from the rangers and you'll have an amazing time at this park read more

Great day to visit a park! Beautiful weather and mother nature showing off her beautiful colors puts everyone in better spirits. Treat yourself to some free stress therapy. It's so easy to forget that we have some really nice local parks. Enjoyed some time with our foster dogs in the park. Lots of folks were out soaking up vitamin D & fresh air. Great start to the weekend. read more

Saddle River County Park - Enjoy a little of mother nature's artwork - Parks Near Me - Saddle Brook, New Jersey

See all

I've been training for a 32-mile walk/saunter in Manhattan coming up shortly and needed a location to get about 15 miles in on a relatively flat surface. This park came up as a perfect option in one of my books, and turned out to be less than a 20-minute drive from where I live. Done and done. This is a park you can utilize/access from a number of different points along the way, but I went with the official itinerary in my book, which started at the very northern tip by the Wild Duck Pond in Saddle River and went south along the literal Saddle River, through the Dunkerhook Playground area, under Route 4/208 by the Easton Tower, under the Garden State Parkway before finally looping back just before Route 80 and up. My book claimed this was a little over 15 miles but I think it was closer to 14 miles or so - regardless, quite a walk. It took about five hours, with one or two small breaks throughout. I'm more of a rural hiker so my inclination is to narrow my eyes suspiciously at an adventure like this where you never truly stop hearing traffic. But this IS Bergen County, and there should be an expectation that you're never too far away from civilization. The one obvious upside to this is that the bathroom situation was about as good as you're going to get - the Wild Duck Pond had a clean public restroom, and there were perfectly fine port-a-potties scattered conveniently throughout my route. Sometimes I'm reluctant to get aggressive with my water intake because of the bathroom situation concerns, but that was not the case here. Another positive is that this is one of the best-marked paths/trails I've ever seen - every tenth of a mile has a marker, and most intersections have a map or some type of kiosk to help lead the way as well. If you get lost here, that's on you. Another positive is that despite being in a very densely-populated area, this path never crosses any roads. You DO end up going underneath some busy highways, and it's definitely much louder/chaotic in the southern portion as you walk under the GSP by 80, but it's nice not to have to play an impromptu game of Frogger at any point. The optics aren't bad, all things considered. Since my walk occurred in the early spring, there was some solid cherry blossom goodness going on, and parts of the walk were sunny/pleasant. (Conversely, I dealt with random hail three separate times, but you take what you get in April). Most of the parks I walked through had ponds/water features and were well-kept. I think the nicest was the first one at the top in Saddle River, but there was competition. The park area at the bottom in I think Rochelle Park seemed a little worn down but wasn't terrible. I also enjoyed walking by the Easton Tower, a ye olde water pump - was not expecting a preserved historic site right off 4. The area in the northern section is more rural so you're sort of in the woods right alongside Saddle River. Pretty tranquil. I imagine this path can get pretty congested in warmer weather, but from my experience wasn't too bad. There were many canine chums as well, including my first paunchy Doberman sighting (just not a breed I've ever seen pack on the pounds). Wildlife is a bonus in Bergen, but there were tons of squirrels and deer, as well as a few ducks hanging out in the river. Not my preferred type of walking/hiking, but I would come back for sure, and I think I could convince some chums to drop in for portions of this too. You could definitely do worse in this area of the state. read more

See all

This is the park I always go to. I have trained for so many races, half marathons and a marathon here. The paths are clean and clear and always feel safe. read more

First time on this park & i like it. Perfect for walking or running. There are benches if you just want to chill & enjoy the view. Felt safe. Lots of people around, walking their dogs or just taking walks. Parking is free and we got no problem finding a spot mid morning on a weekend. read more

See all

A beautiful park with a 10 mile walking/biking trail from Ridgewood to SADDLE Brook. Various entrances and ample parking. Covered pavilions and playground. The Glen Rock area has a pretty pond but a bit over run with geese. Stay to the right when walking as bicyclists are plentiful (and often fast) Lots of dog walkers with a "dog run" in Ridgewood. Bathroom facilities are available at several locations on the walking trail. Hopefully, in the not to distance future, the county will make funds available to repair the tennis courts near the Century Road entrance. Lots of places to take pictures of nature and wildlife. read more

Been coming to this park for years, it's a great park to walk, jog, for picnics, they have been remodeling in some areas but I also think they need the "Carry in, Carry Out" program, plus vending machines, to prevent dehydration, and a fountain for the birds... read more

Saddle River County Park - Parks Near Me - Saddle Brook, New Jersey

Goose poop everywhere. Took over 5 years to rebuild the Rochelle Park tennis court area. As soon as it was finished there was another regular flood from the Saddle River that washed the landscaping and sod downstream! Who's in charge of this disaster? No worries, some County appointee has it under control! Access gate from Lotz Lane in Rochelle Park is now locked and there is no direct access for baby carriages, plus there is a large plastic water pipe stretched across the Lotz Lane in order to irrigate the ridiculously unnecessary landscaping around the pickle ball courts. No shade left in that area since they removed all the trees at the start if the project. What a waste. read more

So this is the opposite end of the county park that starts (for me at least) at the dog run in Ridgewood (see https://www.yelp.com/biz/saddle-river-county-park-dog-run-ridgewood). 6 miles of meandering, paved walkways marked in tenths of a mile are great for timing your run, biking or a walk. Plenty of playgrounds along the way with restrooms, water fountains, gazebo's, basketball courts and even a tennis court -- all free for your amusement. Plenty of benches to chill and nice views of the river. When I'm not walking the dogs -- this end is the a six mile mark for my biking runs. Weekends in good weather can be a challenge -- with all means of locomotion competing for space on a fairly narrow path. read more

See all

Great park to spend an hour or two. The only thing is you need to watch out for all the wannabe Tour de France cyclists. This park is well maintained and has a nice path for walking and cycling. It's also got additional paths on both ends that take you to other areas of the Saddle River County Park system. The playground is a good size. And the walk around the pond is nice, that is, if there aren't any crazy cyclists going 50mph in their full spandex suits tucked down like they're Lance Armstrong. read more

Great park for both adults and children. It is well maintained . Ideal for those who like to run or those who simply want to walk with their pets. I always feel safe strolling in this park. Parking is also never a problem, they have various spaces in different areas of the park. A lot of greeneries and fresh air , ponds and playgrounds for the family. read more

See all

Same review as Otto C. Pehle Park in Saddle Brook - they are all connected. Due to Hurricane Sandy there are a lot of fallen trees that have not been tended to yet but I do realize the pace of our county workers -- I know a few of them personally. The one thing that mystifies me are the large fees attached to do anything in these parks. I recently ran a 5k walk and was told I needed to provide an insurance statement pay a large fee to use the park walkways and provide them with a fee that would be returned to me should we not leave a mess. It's a "walk" - we walk through the park and leave. Why do I have to pay for all this? I think next time we'll just show up - Will they tell me we can't walk in groups of 5 - 10? There was a total of about 30 people participating. Our county tax dollars at work. read more

City needs a designated bike lane. It's now more crowed than ever. Worry about the youngins on the road with speed demon cyclists. All this park needs Is a painted line in road. With so many families outside now, park must designate bike lanes. This is not the palisades parkway! read more

Saddle River County Park - Beauty of a park. - Parks Near Me - Saddle Brook, New Jersey

Awesome park in Bergen County to check out!! Park features a huge lake, playgrounds, baseball fields, walking/biking paths etc. Perfect outing for picnics, families, exercise, and more. If you're in the area, it's worth checking out! read more

Saddle River County Park - Parks Near Me - Saddle Brook, New Jersey

See all

"Saddle River County Park is a 577-acre linear park that meanders with the Saddle River and its tributary brooks. It consists of five park areas that are linked by a multi-use path, including circular paths around some ponds." I have used this park system extensively for over thirty five years and witnessed many improvements and some detractions. There are actually a total of six areas that have different amenities and character: Rochelle Park Area, Otto C. Pelle Area (Saddle Brook), Dunkerhook Area (Paramus), Glen Rock Area, Fair Lawn Area (County Pitch), Wild Duck Pond Area (Ridgewood). I have broken them down into the areas listed above and invite others to offer their reviews of this excellent park system, A link to the parks web site is included there you can view maps and get directions to all the parks. Keep The Parks Clean And Your Dog On A Leash! Check Out The Entire Park System By Clicking The Parks Link Below \/ http://www.yelp.com/list/parks-fair-lawn-2 read more

Awesome large park that gets very busy on summer days. This park is very big and runs miles into different nearby townships. I actually got lost biking here one time. There are several park entrance and parking areas. There's bike and run trail. There are basketball court, a few tennis courts, restrooms, playgrounds and picnic tables. Many benches for people to sit. There's also a pond so many times you'll see the geese waddling across the grass. Watch out for their crap whether your walking, running or biking. The food and ice cream trucks are always here. There's not that many shaded place here and summer heat can be brutal. Many folks bring their own folding chair and umbrella for some shade. The more darling folks bring folding cot and sunbathe. Either ways, it's a very large park and plenty of space to do many things. read more

Nice clean and quiet walking trail, bike riding, rollerblading, skating, picnics kids playground including basketball court and softball field. Only hoped it also had uphills and downhills. I also wish they had enter arrows and exit arrows and signs on the walking trail for walking on your right read more

This "zone" of the Saddle River County Park system has a lot to offer. There is a largish pond with (licensed) fishing, a pleasantly shaded, paved, pathway around said pond, a good sized playground, shaded picnic tables, and a pavilion. Bathrooms are generally pretty clean and well stocked with TP. There is a historical site north on the trail, beyond the second parking lot, between this park area and the Fair Lawn Area. There is much more parking here that at many of the other park areas in the park system, thanks to the second parking area. So if you drive in, and there are no spots, keep going down the road, and you will come to a second, larger, parking lot. During the summer season, there is a ice cream truck parked pretty much all day in the parking lot, so if you don't want to be tempted or nagged by the kids, you might want to go elsewhere. Though the park is lacking in "natural" areas, if you are looking for a well-manicured park this one hits the spot. Everything is well maintained, and people generally keep things tidy. read more

Relaxing park for a nice walk, run or maybe a picnic. Been coming to this park many years since is closer to my house. Sometimes it gets packed with runners or people doing picnics. But as of now is very limited because of Pandemic, so the picnic tables are not available read more

This is my favorite local park to jog in. I start out in the Rochelle Park section and have run the entire length (the path splits-one side goes up to Glen Rock and the other side takes you to Ridgewood ending at the Ridgewood Duck Pond.) The path is well maintained and the northern section of the park is surrounded by woods and a stream. The park is well maintained. I have been here shortly after snowstorms and they do a great job of clearing the pathways for the walkers, bikers and joggers. In the summer, the Saddle River parking lot fills up so be sure to park legally The County Police will issue tickets to vehicles parked on the grass or in spots that aren't marked. read more

This park is absolutely amazing. It is great for biking riding as the trail is nice, paved, and easy. It spans across a few towns and is around 6 miles one way from Rochelle Park to Ridgewood. There is a scenic pond near Rochelle park/Saddle Brook. There is a nice duck pond in Ridgewood. Great place for kids! read more

I really love this park, every time we go we see something new. Pet friendly, bike and jogging trails. The perfect afternoon. read more

See all

I love going here on my free time. This park consists of a long trail that spans 6 miles - from Rochelle Park (by the railroad tracks near CVS) to Glen Rock. The south entrance in Rochelle Park features a large community swimming pool, basketball courts and a couple of tennis courts. Another entrance is in Rochelle Park and features a newly added playground. There are two baseball fields near this entrance. The Saddle River Road entrance in Saddle Brook has a large playground and snack stand. There are picnic tables throughout the area. The path has markers every tenth of a mile, which accommodates people exercising. Throughout the path, there are large open fields that can be used for soccer, frisbees, etc. It ends at Glen Rock at a lake and another playground. read more

Saddle brook is a huge park with multiple entrances so when you park, make sure you remember which entrance you parked. It's located by major highways such as 80, 17 and 4 relatively easy and convenient to get to. There is a pool, basketball and tennis courts, multiple playgrounds, there is a river and it's really pretty. You can see people lying on grass reading a book, kids playing and people walking their dogs and people running. There are also picnic tables I did not see grills for BBQ. It seems like a very pleasant place to be. The only thing is that was a little weird was we went on a Monday around 2 pm and saw many middle aged men walking around or doing people watching. So I would be careful since I got an uneasy feeling in my gut. Make sure you don't go alone. read more

See all

This parks spans through several Bergen County towns. My favorite sections are Paramus and Saddle Brooke. Least favorite is Ridgewood. This place has lots of benches and gazebos for sitting. If you have a party of ten or more you need a permit to rent a gazebo out. About every section of the park has one. This park has some sections that are kind of messy so please clean up after yourself. This includes dog crap as well. Nobody wants to step on that! The ducks and geese leave enough crap around but at least they just eat grass. I also like that this park has plenty of bathrooms as well if you really need them. Lot's of wildlife around here such as various birds and deer. Coyote have even been spotted by a few yelpers though I have never seen them. Must add if you are walking, the rollerbladers and bikers can be annoying. I always feel like they are going to crash into me! Keep some eyes behind you and keep your distance! One last thing I should add is there are some sections with poison ivy relatively close to some main trails. I'm 75% sure what I took a picture of was poison ivy yet I'm damn well not stupid enough to find out for sure. Luckily there is a plant called mugwort nearby and it helps alleviate poison ivy rash. If my mugwort pic isn't good for an Id Google image it. It is extremely common in the park and smells minty. So come take a stroll and enjoy one of Bergen County's most scenic spots. read more

See all

Beautiful park I went today for my first time and loved it. The down fall no parking so I decided to park on the lawn and got a ticket by Thor biggest dush bag security that was no help for me other then that will go back! read more

See all

An excellent park to come to for runners and bikers alike with a long winding path through the terrain and wrapping around the lakes and rivers. Very large with lots of events that happen there on the regular so plan accordingly as the parking lot is fairly small and isn't always able to accommodate all the visitors for particular races and walks. read more

Best running and biking trails!! This park also has a play area for kids and sheltered picnic area with grills. This Saddle River County Park is part of a park system connected by the bike path, which altogether is four parks and end to end the bike trail is six miles, with an unmarked extension for the last park. If your training for a marathon you can run this path easily. The path is paved and has mile markers. There are bathrooms that are open during the warmer months. You can stash water and fuel along the trail ahead of a monster run. read more

Lovely park.... Great playground always an ice cream truck pretty lake Long well groomed paths for walking, running, bicycling or rollerblading Lots of benches around the lake to sit my fat ass on.... Need I say more? read more

This is my absolute favorite park to be at come Spring and Summer. I begin my workout at the Ridgewood Avenue entrance, Dunkerhook, and I power-walk following a trail that begins from the last parking lot and goes all the way to Fairlawn (maybe even further now) and back- It comes to approximately 9+ miles ... it's a nice relaxing and serene path that is not too crowded during the week. They have 3 bathrooms along the way- one at the starting point, and 2 at the half-way marks ... And, they're always clean. read more

Overall we just love this long linear park which meanders along the river through the towns of Fairlawn,Glen Rock, Paramus, Ridgewood, Rochelle Park, and Saddle Brook. You can get the feeling your out in nature here {which is hard to do in this populated suburban area} and it's very relaxing to bike, or walk the entire length of the park. It takes us 1 hour each way from end to end traveling the entire length of the park on our bikes going at a moderate pace, not speeding. This is the only high quality park that I know of that is conveniently close to the town of Rutherford and is big enough to get some decent exercise. The only two negatives I can think of are that a small percentage of the other bicyclists riding the path DISREGARD other riders and walkers on the path AND SPEED WAY TO FAST ON IT. Those few individuals endanger people in general especially children, elderly, and pets. These reckless bicyclists {mostly men, ---I'm just sayin' } weave in and out and don't slow down when they see people--HIGHLY SELFISH and what are they trying to prove. My other pet peeve is that sometimes you have foot walkers who are CLUELESS that there are other people trying to use the path beside themselves, these OBLIVIOUS walkers will walk on the WRONG SIDE of the path and BLOCK bicyclist trying to pass them {the rule in the park for everyone when either walking or riding is to STAY TO THE RIGHT UNLESS PASSING! Sometimes a group of people will stretch across the entire path blocking it oblivious to any other people who are trying to pass, these walkers act like they own the path. When you ask them nicely to please move aside so that you can pass, they give you a dirty look, they should be the ones getting a DIRTY LOOK. read more

My go to park when marathon training! If you run from one end to the other, and back, and make sure you take the Glen Rock loop both times as well, the total mileage is about 15 miles. You don't have to deal with cars and other things on the street. It does get pretty damn boring though when you need to go above 16 miles and don't want to leave the comfort of the park. Running around in circles around those lakes a few times gets slightly boring, especially on 20 mile training runs. Water fountains close in the winter but the bathrooms are always open from what I've found out. The mile marker signs don't really have any rhyme or reason. They start at one end of the park but then stop mid-park. And they also start them on the opposite end of the park as well. Bring a Garmin or other GPS watch and don't rely on the signs. read more

This park is a hidden gem. I have lived in bergen county all my life,but never went to this park until recently. The paths are well maintained and the scenery is beautiful. It is a great place to run, walk, ride your bicycle, or bring your dog. There are also some great parks to bring your kids on the way. read more

Saddle River County Park - Parks Near Me - Saddle Brook, New Jersey

See all

I grew up in Saddle Brook and spent a lot of time at this park throughout the years. It probably could use a little more attention in areas where it floods and there are a lot of dead trees that have fallen over the last few years -- but I still feel like it's a great park. If you take the paths outside of the ponds, it's not as crowded and there aren't so many dogs and children to trip over. read more

I went here today for the first time after passing it a bunch. I decided to check it out since it was such a beautiful day. First off, I really enjoyed the amount of bike trails that it provided. It made me want to hop on my bike and go for a ride. It also had a lot of nice shady spots which would be good for anyone who wants to go for a picnic or have a BBQ. The park was very clean and it looked like it was well kept. I enjoyed the trails, like I mentioned. I definitely want to come back soon with my bike and enjoy this wonderful park. read more

Well maintained, beautiful surroundings and a relaxed atmosphere. Workout, take a nice stroll, their world is your ouster

This park is beautifully clean with views of the river. Goose tend to be by the water then migrate to the grass so I would watch for poop. There are a few playgrounds perfect for kids, or a picnic. The trip was beautiful and dog friendly. I look forward to coming back here! read more

I have lived next door to this park for 15 years and until recently it's been a very clean bit of real estate. Lately, though, it's become very dirty. Garbage cans have not been emptied, litter is all over and watch your step because large branches block the paths. It seems the park crew has disappeared. Very disappointing. Hope the politicians read this and clean the park up. Hate to see it go to seed. If you are a pedestrian watch out for bikers. They go extremely fast and seldom let you know they are behind you. Would be nice if they used a bit of common courtesy. Might prevent an accident. read more

I have been coming to this park about 15 years to bike when I feel like do an hour or more of training on my bike. Best park in nj to ride your bike for a long distance an not be bothered by cars. Sandy Hook is my second favorite. I have always enjoyed ride and training for charity bike rides. There are a few area where you can go full throttle safely. For the most part it is a leisurely place to ride you are bike for a short time or a couple of hours. Really nice park to walk in or ride a bike. Great during this time when the weather is turning warmer.The pond in the middle of the park is really nice too. The path brings you through 5 towns in Bergen county. There are even some historical structures you pass on the way. There are two ponds and and the saddle river all akin the way. Great place to unwind! read more

This is one of my most favorite parks! It's beautiful and clean. I have seen plenty of wildlife here too. Osprey, Deer, Chipmunks, Ducks, Geese, Bunnies, Woodchucks along with many beautiful birds and butterflies. We start in Saddle Brook and wrap around up through Ridgewood. People are very friendly too. We also enjoy the dog park as well. read more