Park Hours
Park areas in the Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey are open:
6 AM – 9 PM, April through October 6 AM – 7 PM, November through March
Hikers in the park are advised to plan their excursions to be completed during daylight hours to ensure that they are able to safely exit the trails before dark!
Hurricane Ida: Major Disaster Update
The unprecedented rain event associated with Hurricane Ida caused significant damage in the Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey, especially in the park's riverfront areas. Large amounts of rock and mud were pushed downhill by the rain and spread across roadways and trails, as well as into picnic areas and parking areas. Several paved roads and retaining walls were also badly damaged.
As of the start of 2022, preliminary damage assessments for Dyckman Hill Road and all other damaged areas across the 12-mile, 2,500-acre span of the park have been completed and have been filed with FEMA, allowing the process for this federal assistance grant program to move forward.
Total preliminary estimates for repair of damages from Hurricane Ida in the park are almost $5 million overall, with $3.1 million for the Dyckman Hill repairs alone.
FEMA projects are divided into several categories, depending on the extent of work and associated costs entailed. Smaller projects, like cleanup and simple repairs, have already begun and remain ongoing. Larger projects require more documentation, and these will be able to proceed soon (an example would be repair of roadway and retaining walls on the Alpine Approach Road). Even as these “smaller” projects proceed, we are required to document our work using a wide range of criteria, ranging from archaeological concerns to impact on endangered species and stream encroachment, and many other factors.
Dyckman Hill Road qualifies as a major repair (over $1 million) and so is subject to an even higher level of documentation and oversight. By any reasonable estimate, actual construction work on this project will not commence for at least another year .
How can visitors and friends of the park assist during this time?
Because FEMA operates as a reimbursement program for up to about 75% of the costs of repairs, initial outlays must come from the park. You can help us maintain progress on these repairs by letting your representatives at the local, State, and Federal levels know that this is a priority for their constituents, and so help us maintain adequate funding to continue with the work.
Visitors can also help by staying clear of active construction areas where repairs are being made. Pedestrians and cyclists who enter these sites are not only a liability to the Commission and a hazard to its workers, but also delay repair efforts. We will be posting significant closures and contractor activities on our website, so our visitors can plan alternative routes and help keep the work progressing!
What if I want to do something more “hands-on”?
Keep an eye on our Calendar of Events for any upcoming volunteer work days — or, if you are part of a company or group that would like to pitch in with a day of service, let us know! You’ll find more information here .
Debris field from overtopped stream in Englewood Picnic Area .
Photos: Carol A. Hoernlein, P.E.
Conditions in the park are subject to change without notice. Signs or notices placed on-site, or instructions issued by employees of the Park Commission, supersede information posted here!
Boat basin tenants: Please contact the marina management for your respective boat basin (Englewood or Alpine) for information on access to your vessel during this time!
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We make every effort to ensure that the information on these pages is accurate and up-to-date, but policies and conditions in the park can change without notice or at the Superintendent’s discretion.
Links to pages outside the njpalisades.org domain are provided when we think such pages will be of interest to visitors to the Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey, but we cannot verify the accuracy of information or be responsible for the quality of content they present.
Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey
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Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Phone: 845-786-2701
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