The Palisades (Hudson River) Cliff

Address: The Palisades, along the Hudson River (New Jersey side near Alpine/Englewood Cliffs), USA

Website: https://www.palisadesparksconservancy.org

Hours: Road access and most overlooks open year-round; some visitor centers seasonal

Admission: Park fee for some managed sites; most overlooks free

The Palisades are a continuous line of steep basalt cliffs along the west bank of the Hudson River, notable for their sheer faces and scenic vistas. They form a prominent natural boundary between northeastern New Jersey and the Hudson River.

The cliffs offer a sequence of scenic overlooks, hiking trails and parkland managed as part of Palisades Interstate Park, with public facilities and picnic areas positioned along the cliff top. The exposed rock and vertical faces create strong visual contrast with the river below.

Geologically the Palisades are part of a Triassic-Jurassic rift-margin intrusion that produced the columnar basalt and diabase rock forming the escarpment; the area was quarried in the 19th century before conservation efforts protected the cliffs. The Palisades have been preserved as parkland since the early 20th century and remain a popular regional recreation corridor.

The Palisades run along the Hudson River from the northern reaches of New Jersey into southern New York, immediately across the river from New York City and accessible from multiple points in Bergen County, New Jersey.

• Scale and height: The cliffs extend for roughly 20 miles along the Hudson River and rise to heights of about 300 feet in places, making the Palisades a prominent riverside escarpment.
• Viewing options: The best views can be taken from riverside boat trips or from the park’s overlooks along Route 9W; hiking trails such as sections of the Long Path provide more extensive cliff-top access.

What to See#

• Palisades Interstate Park: Palisades Interstate Park runs along the crest of the cliffs and includes picnic areas, trails, and multiple overlooks with views across the Hudson River toward Manhattan and the New Jersey shore. The park preserves the cliffline and provides the primary public access to the Palisades.
• Cliffside overlooks: State Line Lookout and other cliffside viewpoints that provide panoramic river vistas and photo opportunities; many viewpoints are reachable from short roadside pullouts or short hikes in the park.

From Manhattan the Palisades are easily reached by crossing the George Washington Bridge and taking the Palisades Interstate Parkway northbound. There are several parking areas and overlooks (State Line Lookout, Alpine) and trailheads. Public transit options include NJ Transit and local bus routes to nearby towns; ferries from NYC show the cliffs from the river.

• For dramatic views of the columnar cliffs, stop at State Line Lookout immediately off the Palisades Interstate Parkway.
• Combine a short hike with a ferry ride from NYC to see the Palisades from the water - the river perspective reveals their scale.
• Avoid summer weekend rush hour on the Palisades Interstate Parkway (southbound mornings, northbound evenings).