Home
Palisades Interstate Park
ACTIVE GETAWAYS
Bergen County Escapes Just a hop, skip—and several bridges and tunnels—across the Hudson River from New York City, Bergen County can be a land apart for taking it easy, if you know where to go.
The Getaway: Meadowlands Sports Complex, East Rutherford
The Action: sporting events, concerts, family entertainment
Learn More: www.meadowlands.com
Call: (201) 935-8500
If you want National Football League action in New Jersey, head to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, just offthe Turnpike. But even if football isn’t for you, the Meadowlands calendar is full of concerts, horse racing, and many other events that appeal to fans of all types. Meadowlands, which includes Giants Stadium, Meadowlands Racetrack, and the Izod Center, even turns its vast parking lot over to a firstclass flea market twice a week. Can’t work a concert, game, or family stage show into your schedule? Then plan to stop just long enough to take the 2-hour Meadowlands Experience Tour to get an insider’s look at what draws 6 million people to the complex every year.
The Getaway: Rockleigh Equestrian Centre, Rockleigh
The Action: horseback riding
Learn More: www.rockleighequestriancentre.com
Call: (201) 768-9745
Leave your worries back in the city when you head out to Rockleigh Equestrian Centre, just 14 miles from the George Washington Bridge. The 10-acre boarding stable, riding center, and horse farm has its own share of prime riding trails and offers a safe and relaxed environment for lessons for adults and children. The centre’s five school horses are well trained and safe for beginner or advanced riders; those who own their own horses can board their steeds and take advantage of three barns, two outdoor rings, and a 5-acre grazing pasture that includes a cross-country course.
The Getaway: Palisades Interstate Park, Alpine
The Action: hiking, nature, exhibits, sightseeing
Learn More: www.njpalisades.org
Call: (201) 768-1360
Take in peerless views of the Hudson River and face off against the New York City skyline when you visit the 12-mile New Jersey stretch of the Palisades Interstate Park, just over the George Washington Bridge from the city in Alpine. Drive along the parkway running along the top of the Palisades Hills to stop at the three scenic overlooks that offer the best vantage points. Inside the 2,500-acre park, 30 miles of trails, two public boat basins, a public boat launch, and four riverfront picnic sites make Palisades a favorite haven for outdoor activities. Keep your eyes peeled for peregrine falcons, once threatened by DDT pesticide use but now making a slow comeback along the Palisades cliffs.
The Getaway: Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, Englewood
The Action: trail walks, nature study
Learn More: www.flatrockbrook.org
Call: (201) 567-1265
Located on one of the last remnants of the Palisades Forest, the Flat Rock Brook Nature Center is a 150-acre preserve and education center on the western slope of the Palisades Hills. A network of more than 3 miles of self-guiding trails takes you past cascading streams, around wetlands and ponds, and through wildfl ower meadows and woodlands. As a natural sanctuary for plant and animal life, it offers you the chance to study wildlife and plants in their natural habitat.
The Getaway: Demarest Farms, Hillsdale
The Action: pick your own fruits and vegetables
Learn More: www.demarestfarms.com
Call: (201) 666-0472
At Demarest Farms in Hillsdale, you can pick your own peaches, apples, and pumpkins depending on the season (visitors are welcome April through November). If you’re not in the mood to do the picking yourself, you can purchase a variety of other fruits and vegetables, such as nectarines, tomatoes, corn, broccoli, beans, squash, peppers, and eggplant. The 120-year-old farm’s 10,000-square-foot Colonial red barn market features a bakery, salad bar, gift shop, and “greenhouse dining” for when the weather turns cold. The grounds also offer perennial gardens, picnic groves, and a waterfall.
The Getaway: Bergen County Zoological Park, Paramus
The Action: zoo animals, pony rides, train ride, carousel
Learn More: co.bergen.nj.us/parks/Parks/Zoo. htm
Call: (201) 262-3771
Located inside Bergen County’s Van Saun Park near Paramus, and open every day of the year, the Bergen County Zoological Park is a small and intimate slice of animal life that includes three types of monkeys, a mountain lion, an ocelot, and various exotic birds, plus a farm area with cows, sheep, pigs, and horses. A new butterfly greenhouse is open to walk through during warm weather. Kids will especially enjoy the charming train ride that makes a loop around the zoo, as well as an old-fashioned carousel and pony rides.
Bergen County Escapes Just a hop, skip—and several bridges and tunnels—across the Hudson River from New York City, Bergen County can be a land apart for taking it easy, if you know where to go.
The Getaway: Meadowlands Sports Complex, East Rutherford
The Action: sporting events, concerts, family entertainment
Learn More: www.meadowlands.com
Call: (201) 935-8500
If you want National Football League action in New Jersey, head to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, just offthe Turnpike. But even if football isn’t for you, the Meadowlands calendar is full of concerts, horse racing, and many other events that appeal to fans of all types. Meadowlands, which includes Giants Stadium, Meadowlands Racetrack, and the Izod Center, even turns its vast parking lot over to a firstclass flea market twice a week. Can’t work a concert, game, or family stage show into your schedule? Then plan to stop just long enough to take the 2-hour Meadowlands Experience Tour to get an insider’s look at what draws 6 million people to the complex every year.
The Getaway: Rockleigh Equestrian Centre, Rockleigh
The Action: horseback riding
Learn More: www.rockleighequestriancentre.com
Call: (201) 768-9745
Leave your worries back in the city when you head out to Rockleigh Equestrian Centre, just 14 miles from the George Washington Bridge. The 10-acre boarding stable, riding center, and horse farm has its own share of prime riding trails and offers a safe and relaxed environment for lessons for adults and children. The centre’s five school horses are well trained and safe for beginner or advanced riders; those who own their own horses can board their steeds and take advantage of three barns, two outdoor rings, and a 5-acre grazing pasture that includes a cross-country course.
The Getaway: Palisades Interstate Park, Alpine
The Action: hiking, nature, exhibits, sightseeing
Learn More: www.njpalisades.org
Call: (201) 768-1360
Take in peerless views of the Hudson River and face off against the New York City skyline when you visit the 12-mile New Jersey stretch of the Palisades Interstate Park, just over the George Washington Bridge from the city in Alpine. Drive along the parkway running along the top of the Palisades Hills to stop at the three scenic overlooks that offer the best vantage points. Inside the 2,500-acre park, 30 miles of trails, two public boat basins, a public boat launch, and four riverfront picnic sites make Palisades a favorite haven for outdoor activities. Keep your eyes peeled for peregrine falcons, once threatened by DDT pesticide use but now making a slow comeback along the Palisades cliffs.
The Getaway: Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, Englewood
The Action: trail walks, nature study
Learn More: www.flatrockbrook.org
Call: (201) 567-1265
Located on one of the last remnants of the Palisades Forest, the Flat Rock Brook Nature Center is a 150-acre preserve and education center on the western slope of the Palisades Hills. A network of more than 3 miles of self-guiding trails takes you past cascading streams, around wetlands and ponds, and through wildfl ower meadows and woodlands. As a natural sanctuary for plant and animal life, it offers you the chance to study wildlife and plants in their natural habitat.
The Getaway: Demarest Farms, Hillsdale
The Action: pick your own fruits and vegetables
Learn More: www.demarestfarms.com
Call: (201) 666-0472
At Demarest Farms in Hillsdale, you can pick your own peaches, apples, and pumpkins depending on the season (visitors are welcome April through November). If you’re not in the mood to do the picking yourself, you can purchase a variety of other fruits and vegetables, such as nectarines, tomatoes, corn, broccoli, beans, squash, peppers, and eggplant. The 120-year-old farm’s 10,000-square-foot Colonial red barn market features a bakery, salad bar, gift shop, and “greenhouse dining” for when the weather turns cold. The grounds also offer perennial gardens, picnic groves, and a waterfall.
The Getaway: Bergen County Zoological Park, Paramus
The Action: zoo animals, pony rides, train ride, carousel
Learn More: co.bergen.nj.us/parks/Parks/Zoo. htm
Call: (201) 262-3771
Located inside Bergen County’s Van Saun Park near Paramus, and open every day of the year, the Bergen County Zoological Park is a small and intimate slice of animal life that includes three types of monkeys, a mountain lion, an ocelot, and various exotic birds, plus a farm area with cows, sheep, pigs, and horses. A new butterfly greenhouse is open to walk through during warm weather. Kids will especially enjoy the charming train ride that makes a loop around the zoo, as well as an old-fashioned carousel and pony rides.
