Hackensack Meadowlands [DeKorte Park]
| Park Overview: | Do not tell Jay Leno and other NJ bashers about this park which has an “overlook trail” on a former garbage dump [and it is beautiful!]. |
| Trail Uses: | Hiking |
| Dogs: | |
| Trail Miles: | 3.5 miles |
| Park Acreage: | 2000 acres |
| City/County/ State: | Lyndhurst/Bergen/NJ |
| Park Description: | Geologically, the Hackensack Meadowlands are part of the Mesozoic Lowland area between the Watchungs and the Palisades. Very different from the rugged Watchungs to their west, they feature a small network of trails that offer the opportunity to explore a wetland teeming with wildlife. Although the area is often thought of as a landfill, a visit to the Meadowlands is definitely not a trip to the dump. The 2,000-acre Richard W. DeKorte Park features a landscaped capped landfill and trails that take visitors out into wildlife observation areas and bird blinds. It also includes the Meadowlands Environment Center, which contains informative exhibits on the Meadowlands and its ecology. Adjacent to the park, and reachable from it, is the 3.5 acre Lyndhurst Nature Reserve.
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| Trails Overview: | Six short trails [0.25 to 1.25 miles] are accessible from the Meadowlands Environment Center at DeKorte Park. The Kingsland Overlook Trail climbs an artificial mound created by a landfill for household waste - walking along this beautifully landscaped trail it is hard to imagine that it was once the site of a garbage dump. Trail descriptions and map |
| Directions: | NJ Turnpike to Exit 16W, follow NJ 3 west to the exit for NJ 17 south [Lyndhurst exit]. Follow the ramp to Polito Avenue and turn left. At the end of Polito Avenue, turn left on Valley Brook Avenue and continue to the parking area. [Google Maps: "2 DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst, NJ"] |
| Contact Information: | Richard W. DeKorte Park/Meadowlands Environment Center 201-460-8300 |
| Region: | Watchungs |
| Fees: | None |
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Immersed in the Meadowlands' beauty
From The Record, July 4, 2010, BY SACHI FUJIMORI, STAFF WRITER
WHAT: "Quintessential Meadowlands, "a landscape and nature photo exhibit by Marco van Brabant.
Marco van Brabant of Hackensack at Richard W. DeKorte Park, where wetlands contrast with city skyline: 'It's a hidden gem.'
WHERE: Flyway Gallery at the Meadowlands Environmental Center in Richard W. DeKorte Park, 1 DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst.
WHEN: Tuesday through Aug. 27. Opening reception 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. next Sunday. Gallery hours: 9 a.m. to 5 pm. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: 201- 460-8300; njmeadowlands.gov; marcovanbrabant.com.
"At dusk one evening in January, Marco van Brabant was snapping photos of the Meadowlands marshlands with his son when the ice beneath his feet cracked and he fell into its chilly waters.
An avid landscape photographer, van Brabant has such affection for the 110 acres of protected wetlands of Richard W. DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst, plunging into its tidal waters was a positive experience.
"I had water up to my chest and I was like, 'I love this place. I'm now a part of the Meadowlands,' " said van Brabant, whose born name is Marco Lips. He chose the surname to pay homage to Brabant, the province in The Netherlands where he grew up. His Nikon D300 camera was spared that day because he held it above his head on its tripod.
Starting on Tuesday, his nature photos will be exhibited at the Flyway Gallery inside the park, in an exhibit titled "Quintessential Meadowlands."
Van Brabant's fascination with these urban marshes comes from seeing beauty in contrasts."
For the rest of the story see The Record.