PALISADES INTERSTATE PARK, N.J. —— The park, which stretches for 12 miles along the Hudson River, from Fort Lee to Alpine, will sponsor guided hiking tours this winter.
The tours provide a chance for area residents to get to know this national historic and natural landmark in Bergen County, which has over 30 miles of hiking trails within its borders. The hikes will be held “drizzle or shine” and are free and open to all, and advance registration is not required. Hikers should wear sturdy shoes for the sometimes rugged terrain in the park and bring water with them.
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“Millionaire’s Row”
On Sunday afternoon, Jan. 7, hikers can take a tour of “Millionaire’s Row,” where around a dozen grand estates once graced the summit of the Palisades in Alpine. Hikers will meet at 1 p.m. at Park Headquarters, accessible from the Alpine park entrance. The cliff-top mansions, built from Civil War days through the early 1900s, were torn down over half a century ago, when the Palisades Interstate Parkway was built, but the route will wend through some of the more impressive foundation remains and other signs that can still be found in the woods. The hikers will cover about 3 miles round-trip distance in about two hours over relatively easy hiking trails.
Eric Nelsen, a historical interpreter at the park, will lead the hike. Nelsen noted that this hike, perhaps the most popular of the tours he leads throughout the year, benefits the most from winter conditions, when many features that are hidden by foliage during most of the year become apparent. He will have photographs with him to show the group what some of the estates looked like in their day.
To confirm if weather is questionable on the morning of this hike, or if trails may be too icy to conduct the hike, call (201) 768-1360 and enter ext. 108.
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“Kids’ Animal Tracking Hike”
On Saturday, Jan. 20, Christina Fehre, director of Trails and Outdoor Programs for the park, will lead a hike for children meeting at 11 a.m. at State Line Lookout in Alpine, accessible from the northbound Palisades Interstate Parkway at Exit 3 (a U-Turn is available for southbound travelers). For children ages 5 and up, the program will introduce participants to some of the basics of animal tracking. The route will traverse about 2 miles in about one-and-a-half hours, over easy hiking trails. Children must be accompanied by an adult on the program.
For more information about this hike, call (201) 615-9226.
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“Blue Wolf Moon Hike”
On Wednesday evening, Jan. 31, park staff will lead a special night hike through the trails at the State Line Lookout area. Hikers should plan to meet at the Lookout, accessible from the northbound Palisades Interstate Parkway at Exit 3 (a U-Turn is available for southbound travelers), at 8 p.m. If the skies are clear, the trails will be lit by the full moon, but hikers should nevertheless bring flashlights with them. The route will traverse about 2 miles in about one-and-a-half hours, over moderate hiking trails.
The January full moon is known as the “Wolf Moon,” an Algonquin Indian name given to it because, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, “it appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages.” January 2018 is unusual for having two full moons (the first is on New Year’s Day) making this second one a “blue moon” – and so the hike leaders have named their hike a “Blue Wolf Moon Hike.”
To confirm if weather is questionable on the evening of this hike, or if trails may be too icy to conduct the hike, call (201) 768-1360 and enter ext. 108.
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“Old Closter Dock Road”
On Saturday morning, Feb. 3, historical interpreter Eric Nelsen will lead another tour into the park’s past, this time to explore part of the riverfront settlement known in the 19th century as Closter Landing. Hikers will meet at 10 a.m. at the Park Headquarters, accessible from the Alpine park entrance. Nelsen will lead the group down a trail that was once a steep wagon road used by farmers of Closter to bring their farm goods down to the Hudson River for shipment to New York City’s markets. After they arrive at the river, the group will continue along another former wagon road to what was once a fishermen’s hamlet known as “Cape Fly Away,” and then on to a former “excursion grove,” where New Yorkers came to picnic in the decades after the Civil War. This hike, about 3 miles round-trip and taking about two hours, traverses some steep slopes and is rated moderate.
To confirm if weather is questionable on the morning of this hike, or if trails may be too icy to conduct the hike, call 201-768-1360 and enter ext. 108.
For more information or directions to any of the hikes, and to find out about other upcoming programs in the park, visit the park’s website at njpalisades.org.
Photo courtesy Palisades Interstate Park archives
