Outdoor activities

Bergen County Parks

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 Information

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. 

Palisades Ave., Garfield 
Amenities: Playground, scenic overlook 

Allen Street, Hackensack 
Amenities: 14-acre woodlands and wetlands nature preserve 

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;

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 

www.nynjtc.org 

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.

200 Midvale Mountain Road, Mahwah, NJ 07430-2700 
201-327-7234 
www.glengray.org 
Email: CampGlenGray@aol.com 

Midland Avenue, Garfield 

Amenities: Fishing, pedestrian pathway, picnicking, playground, roller hockey.

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. 

600 Darlington Ave., Mahwah, NJ 07430 
201-327-3500 
Entrance on Darlington Ave. off Rte. 202. 

Amenities: Athletic fields: softball field (1), minor league baseball only (1)

Boulevard and Gilbert Street, Elmwood Park 

Amenities: 28-acres along the Hackensack River in northern section of Hackensack. Pedestrian trails/boardwalk, wildlife observation.

Hackensack Ave., Hackensack

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. 

150 Crescent Ave., Wyckoff, NJ 
201-891-5571 
Open year-round

Amenities: 805-acres. 

Leonia, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park and Teaneck 

Amenities: All-weather running track, athletic fields, basketball, off-leash dog-park area, fitness center, tennis courts, volleyball, World Trade Center Memorial. 

Fort lee Road, Leonia

Amenities: Basketball, bird watching, fishing pier, nature trails, picnicking, playground.

Fort lee Road, Leonia

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. 

199 Challenger Road, Ridgefield Park
Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Teaneck 
Overpeck – Area 1 
201-836-2403 
www.teaneckcreek.org 

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

Ramapo Valley Road (Route 202), Mahwah, NJ 07430 
201-327-3500 

www.nynjtc.org 

Amenities: Park stretches some 85 level-acres along the Passaic River. 

Lyndhurst and North Arlington 

Amenities: Athletic fields, bocce, off-leash dog-park, fitness center, pedestrian pathway, picnicking, playground, tennis courts. 

River Road, Lyndhurst 

Amenities: Athletic fields, pedestrian pathway, picnicking, playground, tennis courts. 

River Road, North Arlington 

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.

Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Paramus, Ridgewood, Rochelle Park, Saddle Brook 

Amenities: Basketball, picnicking, playground (ADA accessible), softball field, tennis courts

Railroad Ave., Rochelle Park

Amenities: Ball fields, fishing, Easton Tower Historic Site, model boating, picnicking, playground, softball field, tennis courts, Yitshak Rabin Tree Grov

Saddle River Rd., Saddle Brook 

Amenities: Fishing, model boating, ice-skating, picnicking, playground, tennis courts. 

Paramus Rd., Paramus 

Amenities: Fishing, model boating, off-leash dog-park, picnicking, playground (ADA accessible). 

Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood

Amenities: 17-acre park. Athletic fields, dog park, fishing, ice skating, pedestrian walkway, picnicking, playground (ADA accessible), sledding. 

Rose Street, Wallington 

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. 

216 Forest Ave., Paramus 
Continental Ave., River Edge

Open daily 10am-4:30pm (occasional closings for inclement weather). Admission fee. 
An accredited member of The Association of Zoos and Aquariums. 

216 Forest Ave., Paramus, NJ 07652 
201-262-3771 

Amenities: 11-acre suburban park. Model boating (permit), off-leash dog-park, fishing, pedestrian pathway, picnicking, playground.

Prospect Ave., Hillsdale, Park Ridge and Woodcliff Lake