The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission,
home of the Meadowlands Environment Center, has created more than a dozen parks and recreation facilities, including the nature preserves, hiking paths, discovery trails, gardens, wildlife sites, and launching areas for boats and canoes.

Where You Can Explore Nature

Whether it's a guided tour of the wetlands, a short hike through bird habitats, or a peek at the wildflowers in Richard W. DeKorte Park, the Meadowlands District has a trail for you. You'll find miles of marshes, swamps, and salt marshes that brim with nature's beauty all year round at the park. Pick up a free trail guide in the lobby of our Meadowlands Environment Center, and you might catch a glimpse of a red fox or muskrat. Thrill to the trills of 265 bird species who make the Meadowlands their home or dozens of others who migrate through on the Atlantic Flyway. Whether you want an easy or intermediate walk to explore nature's best, you'll find it here.

Path through a field of daylilies at Richard W. DeKorte Park

Where You Can Enjoy the Water

If you’re seeking away to observe natural or man-made phenomena along the Hackensack River, the Meadowlands has many ways to enjoy the water. Our pontoon boats are a leisurely way to cover a large portion of the navigable Hackensack River. For a more close-up look into the tidal creeks and marshes, join us for a canoe trip. Have a kayak? Bring it along. Your guide will mesmerize you on any of these excursions with true stories of the prehistoric people, pirates, and Lenni Lenape Native Americans who lived here. You’ll also learn how the area has been transformed from a landfill into a thriving ecosystem. Don’t forget to mark your calendar to visit us in June when our annual RiverFest features activities for the whole family.

Where You Can Discover Fun

At the Meadowlands Environment Center’s Interactive Learning Center, there’s plenty to see, hear, and touch for adults and children. Climb aboard a life-size turtle, discover a three-dimensional diorama depicting life in the Meadowlands, view satellite images from space, peek at insects under the microscope, listen to the chatter of owls and crickets, or visit the Tidelands Treasures gift shop for a souvenir. Join us for special animal-themed programs for the children, environmental lectures for the grown-ups, or our annual Halloween party featuring spooky interactive nature walks, crafts, and refreshments.

Where you can reflect

If a quiet spot for meditation is your idea of a splendid getaway, plan to spend some time at our Jill Ann Ziemkiewicz Memorial Butterfly Garden, where numerous species of the winged creatures fly freely. Or pause awhile in The Cove, where a scenic overlook of the Meadowlands and the Manhattan skyline is reflected in a World Trade Center Memorial to the lives lost on September 11, 2001. If viewing beautiful artwork calms you, head to the Flyway Gallery where exhibits of paintings, photographs, sculptures, and graphic art change monthly. If you want to get a sense of the wilderness, big sky, and solitude in an urban area, hike the Saw Mill Creek Trail in Richard W. DeKorte Park.

DIRECTIONS

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