Outdoor Activities
Bergen County Parks
201-336-PARK (7275)
Parks Department Website
Totaling nearly 9,000 acres, Bergen County boasts an exceptional park system where residents can ski, skate, jog, cycle, golf, picnic, camp overnight, tour a zoo, visit a Revolutionary War battle site, take a guided nature hike, swim, and a number of sports. The Bergen County Park System features a nationally accredited zoo, five golf courses, twenty-one parks, a horseback riding area, an environmental center, and nine historic sites. In addition, there are many open expanses for individuals and families to enjoy as they please.
GENERAL INFO
Most parks open at 7:30 a.m., close 1/2 hour after sunset. Exceptions are made for lighted sporting areas, ice skating areas, overnight camping (permit required), the Environmental Center Exhibit Hall, and the Bergen County Zoo. Exceptions also for these fee facilities: Campgaw Mountain Ski Center, Darlington Park during the swim season (opens at 10:00 am), Saddle Ridge horseback riding facilities, the Van Saun Park Railroad, Millennium Carousel, pony rides. All information about hours, rates, directions, and permits may be obtained from the Bergen County Department of Parks.
BELMONT HILL COUNTY PARK
Palisades Ave., Garfield
Amenities: Playground, scenic overlook
BORG’S WOODS NATURE PRESERVE
Allen Street, Hackensack
Amenities: 14-acre woodlands and wetlands nature preserve
CAMPGAW MOUNTAIN RESERVATION
200 Campgaw Road, Mahwah, NJ 07430
201-327-3500
201-327-7800 (also for ski area information)
Mon.-Fri., 9am-4pm. Camp season: April 1 – Nov. 30.
www.skicampgaw.com
Amenities: 1373-acre wooded park in Ramapo Mts. Archery, disk golf, fishing, picnicking, skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing in a wooded setting. Hiking available along marked trails. Campsites available, permits (with fees) required and are available at Darlington County Park, Maps available through the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, 156 Ramapo Valley Road, Mahwah, NJ 07430. 201-512-9348; www.nynjtc.org
CAMP GLEN GRAY
200 Midvale Mountain Road, Mahwah, NJ 07430-2700
201-327-7234
www.glengray.org
Email: CampGlenGray@aol.com
Amenities: 750-acre former Boy Scout wooded camp in Ramapo Mts. Camping (cabins, lean-tos, campsites), dining hall for indoor events and meals, fishing, hiking, sports fields.
DAHNERT’S LAKE COUNTY PARK
Midland Avenue, Garfield
Amenities: Fishing, pedestrian pathway, picnicking, playground, roller hockey.
DARLINGTON COUNTY PARK
600 Darlington Ave., Mahwah, NJ 07430
201-327-3500
Entrance on Darlington Ave. off Rte. 202.
Amenities: 178-acre park in foothills of the Ramapo Mts. with three lakes. Basketball courts, fishing, handball courts, multi-use path, picnicking, playground, swimming, tennis courts, wildlife observation.
GARFIELD ARTESIAN FIELDS
Boulevard and Gilbert Street, Elmwood Park
Amenities: Athletic fields: softball field (1), minor league baseball only (1)
HACKENSACK RIVER COUNTY PARK
Hackensack Ave., Hackensack
Amenities: 28-acres along the Hackensack River in northern section of Hackensack. Pedestrian trails/boardwalk, wildlife observation.
JAMES A. MCFAUL ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER
150 Crescent Ave., Wyckoff, NJ
201-891-5571
Open year-round.
Amenities: 81-acre park. Indoor & outdoor wild-life exhibits, bird shelters, woodland gardens, nature education programs, observatory overlook, pedestrian pathways, picnicking, waterfowl pond, wheelchair-accessible boardwalk, nature trails. No pets allowed.
OVERPECK COUNTY PARK
Leonia, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park and Teaneck
Amenities: 805-acres.
Henry Hoebel Area – Leonia North
Fort lee Road, Leonia
Amenities: All-weather running track, athletic fields, basketball, off-leash dog-park area, fitness center, tennis courts, volleyball, World Trade Center Memorial.
Henry Hoebel Area – Leonia South
Fort lee Road, Leonia
Amenities: Basketball, bird watching, fishing pier, nature trails, picnicking, playground,
Palisades Park Sportsplex
Roosevelt Street, Palisades Park
Amenities: Athletic fields (permit) with press box, scoreboard & public address system – Challenger Baseball League, Little League, NCAA, Softball, Track & Field events on all-weather running track;; football/soccer stadium; model boating (permit); playground (ADA accessible).
Ridgefield Park Area
199 Challenger Road, Ridgefield Park
Amenities: amphitheater (3000 seats), baseball field, canoe/kayak launch, concession areas, nature overlook, open field (40-acre), pedestrian & pike paths, playground, soccer fields, softball field, tennis courts.
Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Teaneck
Overpeck – Area 1
201-836-2403
www.teaneckcreek.org
PASCACK BROOK COUNTY PARK
Emerson Road, Westwood, & River Vale
Amenities: 79-acre park. Athletic fields, basketball, fishing, model boating (permit), pedestrian pathway, picnicking, playground, tennis courts.
RAMAPO VALLEY COUNTY RESERVATION
Ramapo Valley Road (Route 202), Mahwah, NJ 07430
201-327-3500
Amenities: Over 4000 acres in the Highlands Region. Camping, canoe/kayak access to Ramapo River, cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking trails, tent campsites.
Maps available through the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, 156 Ramapo Valley Road, Mahwah, NJ 07430. 201-512-9348
RIVERSIDE COUNTY PARK
Lyndhurst and North Arlington
Amenities: Park stretches some 85 level-acres along the Passaic River.
Joseph Caricci Area
River Road, Lyndhurst
Amenities: Athletic fields, bocce, off-leash dog-park, fitness center, pedestrian pathway, picnicking, playground, tennis courts.
North Arlington Area
River Road, North Arlington
Amenities: Athletic fields, pedestrian pathway, picnicking, playground, tennis courts.
SADDLE RIVER COUNTY PARK
Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Paramus, Ridgewood, Rochelle Park, Saddle Brook
Amenities: 577-acre linear park that meanders with the Saddle River and its tributary brooks, with 5 park areas linked by 6-mile Bicycle-Pedestrian Pathway that runs from Ridgewood in the north to Rochelle Park in the south.
Rochelle Park Area
Railroad Ave., Rochelle Park
Amenities: Basketball, picnicking, playground (ADA accessible), softball field, tennis courts
Otto C. Pehle Area
Saddle River Rd., Saddle Brook
Amenities: Ball fields, fishing, Easton Tower Historic Site, model boating, picnicking, playground, softball field, tennis courts, Yitshak Rabin Tree Grov
Dunkerhook Area
Paramus Rd., Paramus
Amenities: Fishing, model boating, ice-skating, picnicking, playground, tennis courts.
Wild Duck Pond Area
Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood
Amenities: Fishing, model boating, off-leash dog-park, picnicking, playground (ADA accessible).
SAMUEL NEKLIN COUNTY PARK
Rose Street, Wallington
Amenities: 17-acre park. Athletic fields, dog park, fishing, ice skating, pedestrian walkway, picnicking, playground (ADA accessible), sledding.
VAN SAUN COUNTY PARK
216 Forest Ave., Paramus
Continental Ave., River Edge
Amenities: 146-acre park. Athletic fields, Bergen County Zoological Park, Millennium Carousel, fishing, picnicking, playground (ADA accessible), pony rides, sledding, Bergen County Tennis Center, miniature train ride, Washington Spring Garden County Historic Site.
Bergen County Zoological Park
216 Forest Ave., Paramus, NJ 07652
201-262-3771
Open daily 10am-4:30pm (occasional closings for inclement weather). Admission fee.
An accredited member of The Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
WOOD DALE COUNTY PARK
Prospect Ave., Hillsdale, Park Ridge and Woodcliff Lake
Amenities: 11-acre suburban park. Model boating (permit), off-leash dog-park, fishing, pedestrian pathway, picnicking, playground.