It is easy to enjoy the beauty of
nature on a hike along the Palisades, just beyond New York. The
Palisades are the tall cliffs on the New Jersey side of the Hudson
River. Free guided hikes, geared towards children, are offered every
Tuesday in August. The series of hikes, called "Rachel's
Rangers", are each about three miles long over fairly easy
trails. The hikes begin at 10 AM and last about two hours.
Here our hike leader is pointing to a strip among the rocks. He
explained there was a rockslide recently in that spot. Large rocks,
in many pieces, came tumbling down into the parking lot.
Our hike was largely along the Hudson River heading north. We were
hiking towards the part that is jutting out, roughly 1 ½
miles away.
Along with path we came upon
the remains of a 19th century factory made of brick.
The hike leader explained that during
the 19th century, New Yorkers would bring their dead horses here
on boats. They would be burned and ground up for fertilizer.
All of our effort paid off.
This was the gorgeous view on the way back, heading south along
the shoreline. That is the George Washington Bridge with the NYC
skyline in the background.
For more information on the hikes,
including where to meet, go to www.njpalisades.org/hiking.htm
