Great Falls (Passaic River), (Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

The 397th addition to our National Park system is intended to commemorate both the natural wonders and powers of the falls, but also the history of the industries that had risen up in the Paterson area that took advantage of the great hydropower and other local natural resources. The park, in southern Paterson, can be easily accessed from Route 80, Rt. 46, or the Garden State Parkway.

Plan Your Visit

Trails of Garret Mountain Reservation (photo by Chris Casciano)

If you’re visiting the area, also consider traveling just south and doing a bit of hiking over the 7 miles of trails in Garret Mountain Reservation which provide a skyline view of distant NYC, or stopping into the Paterson Museum at Lambert Castle.

Lambert Castle (photo by Chris Casciano)

Here are a few links with more information on the Great Falls and this week’s dedication ceremony:

• Paterson’s Great Falls now the newest national park news coverage on NorthJersey.com includes video coverage of the dedicaiton ceremony that took place last Monday.
• Paterson Freat Falls National Historic Park (Official Page)
• @GreatFallsNPS on Twitter

Raritan Riverkeeper Bill Schultz tells stories about the industrial past.

The Raritan River runs through the center of New Jersey, with upper reaches that are incredibly beautiful, providing a valuable source of water for more than a million people. But industry took hold of the lower Raritan early on and left its mark.

This one-hour documentary, narrated by actor Avery Brooks, tells the compelling story of a river that has been profoundly contaminated over 200 years and of the extraordinary efforts to clean it up. It reveals how government agencies, powerful corporations, environmentalists, developers, scientists and lawyers have all clashed in their attempts to deal with the aftermath of extensive pollution and environmental neglect.

Kayaking on the lower Raritan River.

The documentary’s web site also contains some great background information including a page with links and books to learn more about the Raritan, waste, and industry. To learn more about the current status of the river, as well as find info on tours, events or access points check out the Raritan Riverkeeper and NY NJ BayKeeper, featured in the film.

There doesn’t look to be any additional television air dates for the film, but you can watch Rescuing the River: The Raritan online.

Photos courtesy of NJN

It’s important to stay safe and be aware of various hunting seasons and activities before going hiking or backpacking. NJ hunting schedules and regulations can be found at the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife web site and the NY-NJ Trail Conference often posts hunting location and hunting season notices.

I’ve been an REI co-op member for a few years now and their prices, customer service, and quality of their in house brand clothing and gear are all top notch, and they also carry some of the top names in clothing and gear like Black Diamond, Mountain Hardware, Patagonia and The North Face. So if you’re looking for a new jacket or fleece for the Fall, you’ve warn out your trail running shoes over the summer, looking for snowshoes or ski equipment, or just like drooling over gear you wish you had a reason to use and you’re in the area it would be worth a visit.

More information on the opening event, door prizes, and directions to the location on RT 10 is available at http://www.rei.com/easthanover. If you’re an REI member check your mail for a recent flyer with a 20% off coupon.