More than 50 years ago, five Bergen County municipalities -- Englewood, Leonia, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park, and Teaneck -- donated hundreds of acres of land surrounding Overpeck Creek to the county for the creation of a park, including land that was serving as a landfill. Now, spanning more than 805 acres, Overpeck County Park is Bergen County’s premier recreational destination. Park amenities include multiple athletic tracks and fields (natural grass and artificial turf), picnic and fishing areas, a children's playground, a canoe/kayak launch into Overpeck Creek, a grass amphitheater, 5 miles of walking/bike trails, and more.
Fitness enthusiasts are drawn to this site with its fitness field and jogging path. A 1.25-mile bicycle-pedestrian path forms a figure-eight beside the lake.
Five miles of paths for pedestrian and bicycle use
Observation deck/nature overlook
Canoe/kayak launch (car top only)
Dock
3,000-seat amphitheater
40-acre open field
Three tennis courts
Three pickleball courts
Three comfort stations
Two concession areas
Teaneck Creek Area
For over three hundred years, the area that is now the Teaneck Creek section of Overpeck County Park was drained, ditched, developed, and generally mistreated by human inhabitants. Most recently, in the early 1900s, the 46-acre property was meant to become a landfill. A clay material was placed on the property to serve as a base liner for the landfill, and while the landfill was never built, the clay material was never removed. In 1951, the Township of Teaneck transferred the property to Bergen County for the creation of a public park and recreation area in 1951. As a result of this past human disturbance, the natural hydrology of the site was disrupted, resulting in the colonization of invasive plant species on the property.
In 2020, the Bergen County Department of Parks & Recreation began a 20-acre wetland- restoration effort to repair the struggling ecosystem. The project included the removal of invasive plants species, the reintroduction of tens of thousands of native plants, and innovative natural infrastructure, including the first regenerative stormwater conveyance system in New Jersey, The project’s first phase was successfully completed in 2022.
The park has already seen a stunning return of wildlife and over the next couple of years, as the native flora continues to flourish so will the wildlife. To give the plants the best chances of success, the Bergen County Parks Department will take an active and aggressive role against invasive plant species in 2023 and 2024.
To continue improving this section of Overpeck County Park and bridge the gap between people and nature, the County of Bergen has retained a landscape architecture firm to make recommendations for park enhancements such as ADA accessible trails, future eco-art installations, outdoor classrooms, and wildlife viewing areas. On September 23, 2024, a community meeting was conducted to present conceptual design ideas of improvements to the park. Please watch the recorded meeting below.
For more information about the Capital Improvement Project at Teaneck Creek, please visit the Capital Improvements webpage.
Activities
PASSIVE RECREACTION
Walking nature paths
Picnicking
OTHER AMENITIES
Meditation Peace Labyrinth
Butterfly Pollinator Garden
Teaneck Creek Conservancy
Through a partnership that started in 2001, the non-profit Teaneck Creek Conservancy has organized citizen volunteers to care for the park while providing passive recreation and environmental education programs with a unique emphasis on Eco-Art community projects. For more information and a schedule of upcoming programs, please visit teaneckcreek.org or call 201-836-2403.
Contact Us
Bergen County Department of Parks
One Bergen County Plaza • 4th Floor • Hackensack, NJ 07601-7076
