Overpeck County Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Overpeck County Park |
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Henry Hoebel Area of Overpeck Park.
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| Type | County park (Bergen County, New Jersey) |
| Location | Leonia, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park, and Teaneck |
| Area | 811 acres (3.28 km²) (1.27 mi²) |
Overpeck County Park is a huge park in Bergen County, New Jersey. It covers about 811 acres, which is like 600 football fields! The park is spread across four towns: Leonia, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park, and Teaneck. It's built around Overpeck Creek, a small river that flows into the Hackensack River. This creek runs along the western side of some parts of the park, like the Henry Hoebel Area.
Contents
Park History and Development
Early Inhabitants of Overpeck
Long ago, the Ashkineshacky Native Americans lived in the area where Overpeck Park is now. About a thousand Native Americans used to gather here for different activities. They would collect shells to make wampum, which were special beads used as money or for decoration. They also held their bath festivals in Overpeck Creek.
Planning a Big Park
In 1954, a man named A. Thornton Bishop had a big idea. He was the head of the Bergen County Park Commission. He wanted to build a large county park. This park was first planned to be as impressive as Central Park in New York City.
Building the Park and Challenges
In the 1950s, the towns of Leonia, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park, and Teaneck gave land for the park. During the 1970s, Teaneck also sold a large piece of land to Bergen County for the park. This happened when Eleanor Kieliszek was the mayor of Teaneck.
The Henry Hoebel Area was the first part of the park to be built. But other areas were not developed for a long time. They were used as dumping grounds for trash and old car tires. This caused environmental problems. Because of this, Ridgefield Park and Teaneck sued Bergen County. They wanted the park land to be used properly. The project to expand the park started in 2003. The much larger park finally opened in 2010.
Teaneck Creek Park Area
In 2002, the Teaneck Creek Conservancy and the Bergen County Parks Department started a special project. They began to create a 46-acre environmental and cultural park. This area is now a part of Overpeck Park.
Exploring Overpeck Park's Regions
Overpeck County Park has five main areas. If you include the Overpeck Bergen County Golf Course, it has six! Each area offers different activities and features.
Henry Hoebel Area in Leonia
The Henry Hoebel Area is located in Leonia, along Fort Lee Road. It's a great spot for many activities. You can find a small playground here for younger kids. There is also a special memorial for the 9/11 World Trade Center.
This area has paths for biking and jogging. There are also six tennis courts and fields for baseball and soccer. A bicycle and walking path is about one and a quarter miles long. It forms a figure-8 shape, dividing this part of the park. There is also a dog park where your furry friends can play!
South Area in Leonia
The South Area is also in Leonia, just south of the Henry Hoebel Area. It is also located along Fort Lee Road.
This part of the park is home to the Bergen Equestrian Center. This center used to be called the Overpeck Riding Center. It's a place where people can go horseback riding. It has a riding arena and special areas for horses called paddocks. The creek in this area is also used by different rowing teams. Teams from Teaneck High School and Columbia University practice here.
Palisades Park Area
This section of the park is in Palisades Park, along Roosevelt Street. It has lots of sports facilities. You can find four hard-surface tennis courts here. There are also four excellent ball fields, with one having artificial turf. A football stadium with artificial turf and a track is also available. For younger children, there is a tot lot. You can also enjoy picnics and play horseshoes here.
Ridgefield Park Area
The Ridgefield Park Area is in Ridgefield Park, off Emerson Road. It covers about 22 acres. This area has two softball fields and two soccer fields. There is also a large amphitheater with 3,000 lawn seats for outdoor shows. You can find six tennis courts and a playground here. There's plenty of lawn space and 700 parking spots. You can even launch a boat from here and enjoy walking trails. This part of the park had its grand opening on July 5, 2010.
Teaneck Creek Park Area
This area is in Teaneck, located between Teaneck Road, Degraw Avenue, Fycke Lane, and the Glenpointe Facility. It is a 46-acre eco-art park. This means it has walking trails and art installations. These are found throughout a beautiful forested wetland environment. The Teaneck Creek Conservancy helps manage this land. They work with Bergen County to take care of this special part of the park.
