State Line Lookout
Information on this page current as of January 21, 2010
GROUNDS AND TRAILS OPEN DAYLIGHT HOURS
YEAR-ROUNDFree Parking
Open Weekdays
9:30 AM – 5 PM, year-roundOpen Weekends
9:30 AM – 6 PM, Mar–Oct
9:30 AM – 5 PM, Nov– Feb.Click to check current hours of operation (posted on our home page).
Along with great views across the lower Hudson River Valley (and even a glimpse of Long Island Sound), hikers at State Line can enjoy adventures that range from a short hike to the Women’s Federation Monument (ideal for children) to a challenging rock scramble over a boulder field called “The Giant Stairs” (this is for experienced hikers only). A fall hawk watch is among the special events that are held here annually at this gateway to the National Natural Landmark that is the Palisades.
Women’s Federation Monument on the Long Path.
“Mad about Hawks”… Jonathan Wood and the Raptor Project visit State Line Lookout for an annual program in October… (Click here to see more photos of this event.)
In 1937, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), one of the “New Deal” agencies created during the Depression, began construction of a stone refreshment stand at the lookout point; it opened the following year. (Typical menu items for park refreshment stands at that time included “Hamburger Steak” or “Italian Spaghetti & Meat Sauce” for 35¢, or “Corn Beef & Cabbage” or “Spring Lamb” for 50¢—as well as beer.) Originally open-air, the building was later enclosed by windows. For many years, water had to be brought here by truck; in 1980 a well—1,205 feet deep—was drilled through the dense diabase sill.
Closed while America fought in World War Two (1942–45), Lookout Inn has remained in operation every year since. Today, in addition to a tasty snack and lunch menu, it offers a wide range of books and gifts. Lookout Inn is open year-round. Parking is free.
also: “Welcome to Lookout Inn”See
The State Line Lookout Story
At 532 feet above the Hudson, State Line Lookout sits atop the highest point on the Palisades Cliffs in New Jersey. The rock of the Palisades, called diabase, was formed underground by a volcanic event about 200 million years ago. Processes of erosion, including the glaciers of the Ice Ages, helped uncover and shape the formation into cliffs. The name “Palisades” refers to the resemblance of the vertical columns of diabase to a palisade-type fence made of upright posts.
also: “Ice, On the Rocks”See
Skunk Hollow
In 1806, Jack Earnest, a Bergen County slave who had been able to purchase his own freedom by working odd jobs, bought five acres of land here. So began “Skunk Hollow” (the name probably comes from the skunk cabbage that thrives in the area), a settlement of free black families that lived on top of the “Closter Mountain” through the nineteenth century; a church begun by these families still worships in nearby Sparkill, New York. Here, remnants of the community can be found in the impressive stone walls that crisscross the ski trails west of the Lookout.
Preserving the Great Cliffs
By the late nineteenth century, big stone quarries were blasting the Palisades around the clock for gravel and concrete. The New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs led the fight to preserve the famous cliffs, and in 1900 New Jersey and New York formed an Interstate Commission to buy out the quarries and create a unique 12-mile-long “playground” along the Hudson. (You can take a short hike from the Lookout to a monument honoring the role of the Women’s Clubs.)
Traversing the Summit
In horse-and-wagon days, a road called the Boulevard ran north–south along the summit of the Palisades. The dirt road was lined by cliff-top estates and connected with rugged roads that took farm goods to docks below. In 1926, a concrete-paved highway replaced the old Boulevard, later becoming U.S. Route 9W. Part of that highway is still used as the entrance road to the Lookout area from the Palisades Interstate Parkway; north of the Lookout, the old roadway, abandoned in the 1950s with the construction of the Parkway, is now used by pedestrians and cyclists. During the 1930s and 40s, this highway was busy enough that the park operated a filling station here, and a park policeman was stationed here on nice weekend days to help people safely cross to the viewpoints. Later, a traffic signal, controlled manually by the policeman, was installed.
Cross-country skiers may use the six marked ski trails and the closed section of Old Route 9W during daylight hours only. The trails at State Line have been specifically cleared and marked for skiing, but skiers are urged to wait for a 4-inch snow cover before attempting to use them. The other hiking trails in the park may also be used for cross-country skiing, but not all of these trails are suitable for skiing. Skiers should scout any trail before attempting to ski it.
A note on winter use: State Line Lookout and Lookout Inn may be closed during a significant weather event. When a barrier has been put in place by the Park on any of its roadways, including the access road to the Lookout area, the roadway beyond that barrier is to be considered closed for all use; those going beyond such a barrier are subject to prosecution. The State Line area will be plowed and open for cross-country skiing after the Parkway and other critical park roads have been completely cleared and deemed safe by the Parkway Police. Visitors can expect the area to be open for skiing within 24 hours of the end of a typical storm event.
Our video, A New Deal for the Palisades, featuring rare footage of the Palisades from the 1930s and 40s, is now also available on DVD at Lookout Inn—click here for details.
State Line Lookout
Northbound PIP opposite Exit 3 in Alpine
Tel: 201 750-0465
Carson Mitchell
ManagerNeil Walsh
Co-Manager
2010 Area Information & Fee Schedule (.pdf file, 4 pages)
