Waterfalls in New Jersey

Overview of waterfalls in New Jersey

Paterson Great Falls is a 77-foot drop on the Passaic River, per the NPS. Entry is free, per the NPS, and you view it from Overlook Park or Mary Ellen Kramer Park rather than a trail.

Buttermilk Falls in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is the state's tallest waterfall, the NPS says. An archived 2021 NPS release puts it at 75 feet, below the 77 feet the NPS gives Paterson Great Falls.

Hemlock Falls is a 25-foot falls in South Mountain Reservation, per Essex County Parks. The South Mountain Conservancy says it is about a ten-minute walk from the Tulip Springs lot.

Boonton Falls drops the Rockaway River some 20 feet in Grace Lord Park, per the Borough of Mountain Lakes. A restored 1866 stone arch bridge now serves as an overlook, Morris County says.

As far as we can tell, all four were open on our latest checks (Nov 8 to Nov 11, 2026). Each section below notes a closure, access limit or safety warning to check first.

Heights, trails and fees by source

Heights, trails and fees come from each falls page and the sources it cites.

Paterson Great Falls (National Park Service)

The NPS calls Paterson Great Falls "an extraordinary 77-foot fall into a naturally occurring 280-foot chasm." It says the grounds are open from sunrise to sunset. The NPS says the falls reach peak water volume around March and April.

The main NPS lot is at 72 McBride Avenue Extension, by Overlook Park. The NPS warns that parking is extremely limited on weekends and event days, with overflow at the Paterson Museum, 2 Market Street. The NPS says the main lot closes at dusk, and cars left after sunset may be towed.

Buttermilk Falls (Delaware Water Gap)

A wooden staircase climbs beside Buttermilk Falls, and the trail continues to the Appalachian Trail. The NPS lists it at 1.4 miles one way, with 1,104 feet of elevation change.

The NPS says the Main Street bridge in Walpack is closed, so the only car route is Struble Road through Stokes State Forest. The NPS says Struble Road closes from December 15 to April 15. Swimming and wading are not allowed in the falls or within 50 feet upstream.

This is not the Buttermilk Falls near Ithaca, which has its own Buttermilk Falls, New York page. For other falls in the region, see Raymondskill Falls, Dingmans Falls and Bushkill Falls in Pennsylvania.

Hemlock Falls (South Mountain Reservation)

The South Mountain Conservancy says Hemlock Falls forms where Hemlock Brook spills over a 25-foot rock wall. The conservancy says a red-dot blazed, 0.6-mile Hemlock Falls Loop climbs to the spillway above the falls.

Essex County lists the Locust Grove parking lot and Fairy Trail as closed for construction, starting July 6, 2026. On Oct 22, 2026, the conservancy said work would run through mid-November and that the South Orange lot near Hemlock Falls was open. On Nov 11, 2026, Essex County still listed both as closed.

Boonton Falls (Grace Lord Park)

The Borough of Mountain Lakes says to park near the Makey Funeral Home, just before the Rockaway River bridge on West Main Street. A path from Grace Lord Park passes a dam, then reaches views of Boonton Falls and an old stone bridge.

Morris County says the 1866 stone arch bridge reopened in July 2024 as a pedestrian bridge and overlook. Do not swim here: Mountain Lakes says several people have drowned in the basin below the falls.

Fees, dogs and seasons

The NPS says Paterson Great Falls is free, with no entrance pass required. Delaware Water Gap charges no entrance fee, per the NPS. The Essex County Parks pages we read list no fee for South Mountain Reservation. The Boonton Falls pages we read list no fee either.

At Paterson, the NPS allows pets on a non-retractable leash no longer than six feet. At Delaware Water Gap, it says pets are allowed almost everywhere and must be leashed. We found no official trail dog rule for South Mountain Reservation or Grace Lord Park.

Seasons differ. Paterson peaks around March and April, per the NPS. Buttermilk Falls loses its car route on December 15. The South Mountain Conservancy says Hemlock Falls often freezes in winter. Mountain Lakes says Boonton Falls flows best in early spring. Our waterfall safety guide has tips for wet and icy trails.

Nearby states: New York waterfalls and Pennsylvania waterfalls.

New Jersey waterfalls FAQ