Great Falls
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Great Falls is a waterfall in New Jersey, at a modelled elevation of 28 m. Buck Mountain stands 378 m to the northwest, 13 miles off. The nearest named place is Mary Ellen Kramer Park, a park less than a tenth of a mile away. Palisades Scenic Byway passes 12 miles off.
The story
The Great Falls of the Passaic River is a 77-foot (23 m) high waterfall on the Passaic River in the city of Paterson in Passaic County, New Jersey. One of the United States' largest waterfalls, it played a significant role in the early industrial development of New Jersey starting in the earliest days of the nation. The falls and surrounding area are protected as part of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, administered by the National Park Service. Congress authorized its establishment in 2009. In 1967 it was designated a National Natural Landmark together with Garret Mountain Reservation. The falls and the surrounding neighborhood have also been designated as a National Historic Landmark District since 1976. The Great Falls' raceway and power systems were designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1977. The Great Falls National Historic Park also includes the adjacent Hinchliffe Stadium, one of four still-standing Negro league baseball stadiums.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q5599145, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Height
- 23 m
How to reach it
- 12.2 mi off the Palisades Scenic Byway, National
- 16.5 mi off the Bronx River Parkway
- 20.7 mi off the Western Highlands Scenic Byway, National
- 27.7 mi off the Merritt Parkway, National
Overlooks nearby
- Pinwheel Vista · 25 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Mary Ellen Kramer Park: 0.0 mi
- Overlook Park: 0.1 mi
- Upper Raceway Park: 0.3 mi
- Lou Costello Memorial Park: 0.3 mi
- Federici Park: 0.3 mi
- Alexander Hamilton: 0.1 mi
- The Dublin Spring Water Boy: 0.4 mi
- Nathan Barnert: 0.5 mi
- Garret Hobart: 0.5 mi
- Andrew McBride: 0.5 mi
- Paterson Museum: 0.3 mi
- Pietro and Maria Botto House;American Labor Museum: 1.3 mi
- The Yogi Berra Museum: 3.4 mi
- Hamilton House Museum: 3.4 mi
- Cadmus House Historical Museum: 3.5 mi
- Lou Costello Memorial: 0.3 mi
- Captain Eric M. Graupe: 0.5 mi
- Paterson 9-11 Memorial: 0.7 mi
- Martin Luther King Jr.: 1.0 mi
- Lafayette Memorial: 2.2 mi
- Garret Mountain: 1.1 mi
- Packanack Mountain: 3.3 mi
- Mount Cecchino: 3.5 mi
- High Mountain: 3.8 mi
- Eifall: 4.4 mi
- Speert Green: 2.1 mi
- Butterfly Garden: 2.2 mi
- Clifton Beautification Committee Garden: 3.7 mi
- Presby Memorial Iris Gardens: 4.7 mi
- Lincoln Park Community Garden: 4.7 mi
- Willowbrook Mini Golf: 3.8 mi
- American Flag Rock: 3.8 mi
- Brighton Asylum: 4.5 mi
- T-Bowl Lanes: 4.7 mi
- Basalt Beach: 4.8 mi
- Thor: 3.8 mi
- Sir Maginot Drop: 3.9 mi
- Wooden Bridge: 3.9 mi
- Big Ma Maginot Drop: 4.0 mi
- Maginot Mountain: 4.1 mi
- G. Thomas Donch Nature Preserve: 4.5 mi
- Mills Reservation: 4.7 mi
- Lorrimer Sanctuary: 5.4 mi
- Franklin Swamp: 5.7 mi
- Two Sisters Wetland Preserve Property: 5.8 mi
- East Beach: 3.9 mi
- West Beach: 4.1 mi
- Lionshead Lake Beach: 5.7 mi
- Rutherford Waterfront Park: 6.8 mi
- Pines Lake West Beach: 7.0 mi
- Lafayette Picnic Area: 2.2 mi
- Dog Run Picnic Area: 2.3 mi
- Two Field Picnic Area: 2.4 mi
- Rea House Picnic Area: 2.9 mi
- Duck Pond Picnic Area: 3.5 mi
- Bridal Veil Falls: 2.4 mi
- Buttermilk Falls: 5.0 mi
- MacMillan Brook Falls: 11.3 mi
- Chikahoki Falls: 11.8 mi
- Boonton Falls: 12.3 mi
- Larry Doby Service Area: 5.3 mi
- Vince Lombardi Service Area: 10.2 mi
- Harding Truck Rest Area: 20.3 mi
- New City Village: 13.1 mi
- Monksville: 15.6 mi
- Feltville Historic District: 19.5 mi
- LeFrak Point Lighthouse: 15.3 mi
- Execution Rocks Light: 23.3 mi
- Sands Point Lighthouse: 23.9 mi
- Tulip Springs: 12.6 mi
- Boiling Spring: 13.9 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 13.9 miles of Great Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buck Mountain | NW 317° | 378 m | 13.3 mi |
| Assiniwikam Mountain | NW 322° | 360 m | 13.3 mi |
| Carris Hill | NW 320° | 341 m | 12.2 mi |
| Saddle Mountain | NW 323° | 341 m | 13.9 mi |
| High Mountain | NNW 347° | 337 m | 12.2 mi |
| Fugawe Ridge | WNW 287° | 335 m | 13.0 mi |
| Herman Hill | N 355° | 328 m | 13.7 mi |
| Drag Hill | N 353° | 323 m | 12.6 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:01 | 18:33 | 19:09 |
| June solstice | 05:26 | 19:51 | 20:33 |
| September equinox | 06:45 | 18:20 | 18:56 |
| December solstice | 07:19 | 15:48 | 16:32 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 31 | 32 | 41 | 51 | 62 | 71 | 76 | 74 | 66 | 55 | 45 | 35 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Little Falls, 3 mi away.
Months at or above the year’s average flow: Dec–May — fullest in Mar, leanest in Jul.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean cfs | 1,380 | 1,401 | 2,299 | 2,044 | 1,304 | 808 | 546 | 579 | 578 | 648 | 944 | 1,354 |
USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge Passaic River at Little Falls NJ, 3 mi away — the nearest gauge, which can sit on a different stream.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/13069244688
Day trips start here
Take the scenic way to Great Falls.
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