Rifle Camp Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rifle Camp Park |
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View from Garret Mountain in Rifle Camp Park.
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| Type | County park |
| Location | Woodland Park and Clifton in New Jersey, United States |
| Area | 169 acres (68 ha) |
| Created | 1928 |
| Operated by | Passaic County Parks & Recreation |
| Open | All year |
| Parking | Five parking areas |
| Website | Rifle Camp Park |
Rifle Camp Park is a fun and exciting county park in Passaic County, New Jersey. It covers a huge area of 225 acres (about 0.9 square kilometers)! Most of the park is in Woodland Park, but a small part also reaches into Clifton.
This park is a great place for outdoor adventures. You can explore many hiking trails, visit an observatory to look at the stars, or learn about nature at the nature center. There's also a fitness trail for exercise, an amphitheater for shows, and a special spot for watching birds. Plus, scout groups can even camp overnight!
Park History: From Estate to Park
Rifle Camp Park was created from land that once belonged to a rich silk mill owner named Catholina Lambert. After he passed away in 1923, the city of Paterson bought his large estate. Then, in 1928, the land was given to Passaic County to become a park.
Famous landscape designers, Olmsted Associates, helped plan the park. They finished their work in 1934, making it the beautiful place we see today. For a long time, people have wanted to connect Rifle Camp Park with the nearby Garret Mountain Reservation. As of 2011, local leaders were still talking about ways to link these two great parks.
Revolutionary War History: A Look Back in Time
Did you know Rifle Camp Park has a cool connection to the American Revolutionary War? In 1780, during the war, George Washington's troops used this area. They could watch for British movements from here.
The park's name, 'Rifle Camp,' comes from a group of soldiers called Major James Parr's rifle corps. These skilled riflemen camped here for a short time. They were protecting a key pass called the Great Notch from British attacks. Even though they only stayed for about a week, their presence gave the area its historic name.
The land was also home to Thomas Ryder's farm. He was a Loyalist, meaning he supported the British during the war. It's said that a lawyer named Joshua Hett Smith, who helped the famous traitor Benedict Arnold, found a safe place to stay at Ryder's farm while trying to escape.
Exploring Rifle Camp Park
Rifle Camp Park sits on a part of First Watchung Mountain called Garret Mountain. The park is mostly covered in thick forests. You'll also see many large, cool-looking rocks called trap rocks sticking out of the ground.
On the eastern side of the park, there are tall, steep cliffs made of basalt rock. From these cliffs, you can see amazing views of the whole area around you! To the west, you'll find the Great Notch Reservoir. Some of the water in the park flows into this reservoir, which is also the start of the Third River.
You can get to Rifle Camp Park from Rifle Camp Road in Woodland Park. The main road inside the park leads to five different parking areas. The first parking area is close to the amphitheater, and the fifth one is near the observatory and nature center.
