Located in Palisades Interstate Park just north of the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, Ross Dock Picnic Area is a beautiful waterfront park that juts into the Hudson River. It's a popular spot for both locals and visitors who want to enjoy a day outdoors with a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline. On nice weekends during the warm weather months, it is by far the busiest area in the park. This pristine, sprawling 1000s of acres has boat launching spots with well-maintained restrooms. River breezes are spiced by dozens of barbecues and the happy uproar of families at play; it often fills to capacity by noon. A paved path along the river makes it easy to wander, jog, or push a stroller. More ambitious visitors can link up with longer trails toward the Palisades or up toward the bridge itself. It feels like one's far away from everything even though the city is right there where my partner, his family, and I stopped by, hoping to see the GWB fully lit, two towers with 600-watt LED bulbs, on the eve of America's 250th birthday. We were anticipating to stay a bit longer, but an impending thunderstorm was approaching. read more

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Ross Dock is one of the spots I take visiting friends and family to. It's a waterfront park with picnic tables, grills, a playground, and stunning views of the George Washington Bridge and NYC skyline. The view is absolutely gorgeous!!! I've lived in this area all of my life and I never get tired of it. Plenty of photo opportunities here. There's grassy areas to host picnics in or play sports. If you want to walk, there's a walkway right along the Hudson River and there's a hiking trail adjacent to it. The trails are all connected to the Palisades Interstate Park. Parking isn't difficult to find here, but it is metered ($1.50 per hour). They also have public restrooms and a seasonal concession stand. There are a lot of geese though so.... watch where you're walking because their droppings are everywhere. Whether you want to hike, relax, take photos, or just enjoy the beautiful scenery, you can't go wrong with coming here. ... and yes, it's doggo friendly! :) read more

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This is a good place to walk to and it is beautiful. It seems closed for the season, so the Henry Hudson is free for you to walk and explore. You can reach this park by going on the Henry Hudson. Take a look at my photos to see how beautiful it is! read more

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Came here as recommended by a friend. I was so happy I did because it was the most beautiful fall day. Plenty of parking and I loved that the facilities were clean and they have a playground for kids. They also have grilling stations and picnic tables! We decided to hike up the Palisades Mountains towards the George Washington Bridge. It is not for those faint of heart or with knee any issues. Let's put it that way. It is not a difficult hike by any means or very long but rock stairs basically going straight up. From the top, you have the most beautiful views and you can walk around and enter onto the actual bridge if you feel like walking to New York. If you don't feel like walking up the mountain, you can walk along the water which is scenic and flat. Highly suggest! read more

Ross Dock Picnic Area - Parks Near Me

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Started the year off by visiting this great site and it was enjoyable. The area has great views of NYC, the majestic George Washington Bridge, and the Palisades. Adjacent to the picnic area, you'll find a hiking trail that hugs the Hudson River. As I was doing research on this site, I came across an Internet review that was posted back in 2012, by an 85 year old man. The history of the area is amazing. Here is the post: S. Charles Melidosian on December 5, 2012: I'm now 85, and remember what was called Ross Camp, on the Hudson, in the '30s. We summered there for three months, every year, first living in tents, that were erected over wooden floors. Later, the Park District erected log cabins for rentals. If you lived in your tent the rental was $3.00/month. If you could afford the log cabin, it was $8.00/month. There is still, a large log constructed building on that property, that was our general store, for non perishable canned food, candy, etc... All the log cabins, the shower cabins, the male and female toilets (log cabins), are gone. No electricity or gas. All cooking was done in the rough. We all swam in the Hudson River, got sunburned, picked crab apples, wild peaches, and rasberries to our heart's content. The site also had tomato gardens. At night, we could hear the beautiful music that floated down from the top of the cliffs...from Ben Marden's Riviera Night Club and Casino. The Dykeman Street Ferry boat took us from Dykeman street, New York to the Jersey side. The ride cost a nickle, each way. Autos were also ferried at a cost of 25 cents. World War 2 put an end to the availability of that campsite, due to war time shipping using the Huson River as access to the Atlantic. We were not permitted access to our cabins or personal goods. The campgrounds were off limits to civilians. I revisited the grounds, but there is no remainder of all the structures built there, except the building that was our general store. Ben Martins Casino is also long gone. I asked people in the area, young and old, if they remembered it, but none did. Don't hesitate to stop by the Ross Dock Picnic Area. You'll enjoy your stay, have opportunities for great pictures, and take in breath taking views. read more

Ross Dock Picnic Area - A must do! - Parks Near Me

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A perfect place for barbecue, trail, jogging along the Hudson River at Palisades Interstate Park - Ross Dock. With the playground here, parents & kids flock around, while we head for the trail that leads up the Hudson River towards Alpine. Fall foliage this year is just so beautiful, and some scenes were breathtakingly perfect Kodak moments. read more

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Love this park! Just across the bridge from Nyc. Gorgeous view of the bridge, tables for picnic & benches, playground for small kids & hiking trails along the river. The park is quiet & clean. Lots of families & dog owners frequent the park. Parking is free on the colder months but i heard they charge parking fee on weekends during the warmer months. Theres a rest room in the area & a few porta potties. Worth visiting if you crave out door time while in Fort Lee, Nj. read more

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Just a gorgeous spot to hang out, relax, and have a picnic. You have the river, gorgeous views of the GWB, and the towering cliffs right behind you. Watch the traffic on the bridge disappear into the trees on the NJ side. It's almost like they're driving into a tunnel in the forest. Pretty cool. We also had fun watching a flock of geese eating and resting on the lawn. Watch out for their poop though. It's hard to believe something like this is free. And within a few miles, you have tons of hiking trails to work off the food. read more

Ross Dock Picnic Area - Parks Near Me

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How did I end up here? I was on a road trip to Philly and the first stop on that trip was a food stop at nearby Mitsuwa market. By then, Philly wasn't in the picture time wise so we had to settle for this Ross Dock Picnic area. I hadn't even heard of it until we were randomly by the GW bridge and were looking for views to enjoy our afternoon. Our GPS took us the very scenic route through the neighborhood houses by the water which were gorgeous. We found the actual trail for the park eventually, leading us to Ross Dock. It's a simple place. You can park and walk around or sit on a bench and enjoy the sights. There were people doing the same: some had drones, some had dogs, and some just showed up bewildered for the views. We stayed from evening to sunset. It was pretty nice to see the sun go down and the bridge light up. There are plenty of fireflies in the area so the darkness really makes them dazzle. But after the sun sets, the dark is really dark. There aren't many lights except by the immediate parking lot. It feels kind of creepy so be careful. Also leaving the park is not as simple as it sounds. There are no lights on the road leading out. It's pitch black and makes it feel like you are upstate all alone when you are just in NJ! We found our way out eventually. If you like taking romantic photos of the bridge, this would be a nice spot to do so. Being here makes you forgot you are from the city. Next time we may bring actual food for the picnic experience. I think there are biking trails and other hiking trails but due to time constraints we were not able to check those out. We observed many cars with their own bikes hitched to the back. read more

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Been here a couple of times as this place is one of the spots me and my husband would like to bring visitors for sight seeing in Jersey. It may not always be the perfect area, being that at times when it rains, there'd be certain parts that'd be muddy or puddled, or that when there'd be too many people the bathroom cleanliness may be overlooked etc. These are things that we dont really have control over though. However, the park may need a little make over or extra hands to keep the place clean and well-maintained. I still appreciate the place despite the touch-ups needed as it has never disappointed any of the guests we brought here so far - or us for that matter. The view of the George Washington Bridge is something you dont easily get tired looking at as well. Seeing the infrastructure itself while at the picnic dock just makes it look so amazing and magestic especially when you have perfect weather with you. The place is also great for picture takings! Ross picnic dock is suitable for families, friends, hikers, joggers, photo enthusiasts and even pets. There is ample picnic tables and Barbeque areas, they also offer a playground for the kids. Just be careful with bird droppings though as wild geese usually stop by before or after their flights. read more

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Great spot for a stroll. Amazing views of the george washington bridge. Nice easy walking path for all ages. A small playground for kids and several grilling stations as well. This park connects to some other local palisades trails. There's plentiful parking and makes for a lovely destination for a picnic or outdoor party! Love this area - the vistas are incredible at all times of the day. read more

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Beautiful picnic spot that is great for families and barbecues. It offers great views of the river, GWB, NYC, and the Palisades Park. It gets crowded on the weekends. Also, they tend to close early - 8:30 p.m. on weekdays during the summer. I'm not sure of their closing time on weekends. read more

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Made a wish to a Zoltar here not too long ago and boy has my life taken off, now im an adult, was promoted from data processing to VP at a toy company. This place not only offers great views but is life altering. Check it out. read more

From a scenic perspective, the area is nice. There is a long view of the Hudson, the GW, and as you drive/bike/walk down the road to the picnic area, you get different views of the city with the beauty of the leaves [in the fall]. For the kids, there are trails for biking, a large playground area and plenty of grass for frisbee and other field games. The playground floor is dirt not sand, so after a big rain, it gets muddy. Plus, the southern parking lot gets flooded. There is relatively clean bathrooms with running water. And in the summer time, they sell snacks in the gazebo area. read more

I came here a few months ago with my friends son's we had a good time , very spacious , few people and a beautiful scenery of New York City , I will definitely go back again!! read more

This place is awesome for BBQs when the weather is nice. It's very spacious to have group BBQs and the view of the water, GW bridge and the City is awesome. The only 2 cons are lack of parking and BBQ grills during summer. But there's always spots open during late spring and early fall. The walking trails are nice and easy. There's a $5 parking fee starting Memorial Day to Labor Day. No fee outside that period. read more

This place is falling apart. Its filthy, very unkept, and part of the parking lot its always flooded. There is animal crap all over the park. The worst is the kid's playground. Really? $5 entrance during the week for this crap? read more

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So I came to Ross Dock park for a birthday party and I was expecting to not pay due to the information on the website. Wrong. They are still charging and when I asked the lady collecting she said, "Oh they changed it." What a joke. Then I asked if there was someone I could talk to and she told me to call the number on the home site. I called, no response. I went back and asked her if there was someone I could talk to perhaps an extension I could call and she said that there is nobody working in the administrative building today and she was the only one working. Why would she even tell me to call them in the first place without clarifying that important detail before I stayed on the phone for 10 minutes waiting for somebody to pick up? Even if you were going to charge people, at least make sure the park is clean. I came here near opening time and it's disgusting. There are bones on the grass, the benches have stains and old dried food on them, wrappers everywhere, etc. read more

Ross Dock Picnic Area - False information - Parks Near Me

Beautiful place provides the rare opportunity to remember that NYC is a city built on an island on a river that has some extraordinary geological features! I wish the staff that worked here was more knowledgeable about native plants & worked to restore the area with native plants that animals need because this area provides critically important habitat given its location.... brackish water forest areas are usually important breeding grounds for a lot of animals... but most of the plants in the park are invasive.... The park is overrun with Japanese Knotwood & Porcelain Berry / Amur Pepper Vine causing serious damage literally overgrowing EVERYHING!!! Last summer I saw a truck full of park staff driving around with their clippers & I thought they were going to take out this giant every growing patch of Japanese Knotwood but was shocked to see them mow down an area that actually had some native plants & leave the Japanese Knotwood which continued to grow unchecked all summer... the few areas that have Eastern White Pines are surrounded by parking lots & picnic areas so they are unable to seed/ spread their DNA given the ground around them is mowed down & therefore they are effectively unable to reclaim the land. I guess the park doesn't hire people that can differentiate plants because they just weedwack & mow indiscriminately & leave the really invasive plants that animals do not need to run wild.... Which is a huge loss for this one of a kind park! The park is also overrun with English Ivy, Norway Maple Trees, Common Privet, Norway Spruce Trees, Burning Bush, Mugwort, Japanese Honeysuckle & Chinese Empress Trees take up most of the natural landscape & all of which do not offer wildlife much.... since doing some research I've seen from pictures that the whole area was clear cut to the ground in the late 1800's & since then a women's group fought to turn it into a park but it seems they just let invasive species take it over because the history of the area is apparent if you know plants.... this park needs some love & the Hudson River ecosystem deserves it! It needs some serious knowledgeable weeding & replanting of native plants. If there were more native plants there would probably be more song birds & other things but I have seen a couple Bald Eagles & Ospreys & a coyote & lots of deer & ticks & even a few terrapins. I wish they would let the riverbank plants come back & then you would see a lot more birds & it would provide critical habitat that the area deserves. If you don't know plants & just see green you will love it! read more