On the western shore of the Hudson River in northeastern New Jersey, we are part of more than 100,000 acres of parklands and historic sites in New York and New Jersey managed by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. The two states formed the Commission in 1900 to stop the defacement of the Palisades by stone quarries, which were blasting the famous cliffs for crushed stone.

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Our album page has galleries of the Palisades as a National Natural Landmark, as a National Historic Landmark — and as seen by our visitors.

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The Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey is about 12 miles long, a half-mile wide, and encompasses 2,500 acres of wild Hudson River shorefront, uplands, and cliffs.

Visitors find within this park more than 30 miles of hiking and ski trails, a boat launching ramp, a scenic riverside drive, a cliff-top parkway and overlooks, riverfront picnic areas and playgrounds, a nature sanctuary, two boat basins, historic sites — and mile after mile of rugged woodlands and vistas just minutes from midtown Manhattan.

The Palisades Interstate Park is a National Historic Landmark and the Palisades are a National Natural Landmark.

The Long Path and Shore Trail are National Recreation Trails.

Thanks to the efforts of far-thinking people over a century ago and since, the New Jersey Palisades today belong to all of us. These pages were created to help you and others enjoy this great National Landmark.

This page last updated: August 1, 2016

Click to download our park brochure (for a smaller file, you can also download the brochure without color). Click here to download other park maps.

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Recently in the park...

Above: Left, a hiker hikes down the Closter Dock Trail. Right, almost like a ghost, the schooner A.J. Meerwald, New Jersey's official tall ship, glides by Bombay Hook in Alpine. Below: Nature writer Jim Wright took an aerial tour of the Palisades and shared some of his photos with us (photo courtesty of Jim Wright and LightHawk).

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Learning from the park...

With twelve miles of Hudson River shoreline, debris washes ashore in the park on a daily basis. Debris left on the shore as the tide recedes is called “tidewrack,” and it includes both natural debris, like branches and leaves, and trash.

After Winter Storm Jonas — which hit during the full-moon high tide at the end of January — our shoreline was inundated with tidewrack. We picked through a 37-foot cluster at Bloomer’s Beach to see what we would find in it…

It turned out that the human rubbish from this 37 feet of tidewrack included 57 plastic bottles, an aluminum can, 4 Mylar balloons, 3 tampon applicators, a boat fender, the armrest from a chair, 8 balls, a fishing bobber — and many pieces of styrofoam. What else can you find…?

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Did you know…?

• If you are coming to the park by public transportation, our Directions pages have information to help you find your way here.

We now include a Google Maps link on many of our directions pages, too.

• “Camp Palisades” — a children’s outdoor nature program with the Trail Crew — will be held on weekdays August 15 to 19 and August 22 to 26 in 2016. Participants can sign up for one week or two. Suggested ages are eight to twelve. Click to download a registration form and more information.

  

• Your group can book one of our informative off-site lecture programs, including our newest illustrated talk, “The Ghosts of Undercliff,” or our newly revised program, “Cliff Shots.” Click here for details.
• We offer staff-led guided hikes and walks for school and scout groups — click here for details.
• You can visit our online archive of stories from “Cliff Notes,” our occasional visitor letter, and read our latest story, “Features of Unusual Beauty and Utility,” too.

  

• We offer a memorial bench program in the park. Click here for details.

  

• The Palisades Parks Conservancy has information about all of the parks and historic sites managed by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, in both New York and New Jersey.
• “The Snack Shack” by the entrance to Englewood Picnic Area & Boat Basin offers a lunch, brunch, and snack menu during warm-weather months (closed November through April). Regular parking fee applies for Snack Shack patrons.



• Every fall, volunteers conduct a hawk watch at State Line Lookout. Visitors are always welcome — click here for more information.

  

• You can download our advisory for park visitors (about ticks, poison ivy, and other concerns).

  

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