Closter Nature Center
Directions
Towns in the northeastern part of Bergen County are not close to any major highways. The easiest way to provide directions may not be the most direct for you. From Route 9W go west on Closter Dock Road in Alpine, when you reach Piermont Road turn right and continue north to the traffic lights at Ruckman Road. Turn left onto Ruckman Road and travel 0.3-mile to the parking area on the left. [GPS Coordinates: 40.97481,-73.95163]
Bus Directions
Take Rockland Coaches [CoachUSA] Bus Lines No. 20 from the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 41st Street, NYC, or No. 84 from George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal at 178th Street, NYC. Both stop at Old Closter Dock Road and Herbert Avenue, which is within one mile of the nature center.
Park Overview
A small natural gem in Closter, New Jersey.
Trail Overview
The Center offers seven short, named trails to explore. With other unnamed trails and unpaved roads the network adds up to three miles. The central White Trail, which runs along Smith Brook, allows access to other trails. Although some of the trails cross wetlands, an extensive network of boardwalks has been constructed to permit hikers to traverse many of these wet, muddy areas.
Click to view descriptions of (relatively short) hikes in the nature center.
Use Web Map link on this site for trail map. A side attraction is Buzzoni Farm, shown on the map in the upper right, and worth visiting to poke around -- interpretive displays are in place.
Park Description
Closter Nature Center
The Closter Nature Center is a quiet and beautiful retreat in the middle of a suburban Bergen County town. Ruckman Road divides it with the Nature Center building, a cabin and two ponds on the south side, and a relatively extensive trail system to the north leading through brooks, wetlands, meadows and forests. The building is wheelchair accessible, the trails are not.