Palisades Interstate Park: River Walk & Fort Lee Historic Park

A classic New Jersey diner in Fort Lee, steps from the Palisades, serving generous all-day breakfast plates — omelets, pancakes, and egg sandwiches — in a warm, unhurried setting. An ideal first stop before a morning on the Shore Trail, with strong diner coffee and quick service that gets you hiking early.

The 11-mile Shore Trail runs at river level along the base of the Palisades from the George Washington Bridge to the New Jersey state line — a wilderness walk within view of the New York skyline, through forest that has been undisturbed since the Palisades Interstate Park acquired the land in 1909. The river-level path passes the ruins of 19th-century estates, the Greenbrook Falls cascade, and the marine railway sites of the old Cornwallis Estate. The 30-minute section from Alpine to the Kearney House is the most scenic segment.

A river-level picnic area at the Alpine Boat Basin, with Hudson River views and a working boat launch on the New Jersey shore directly across from Yonkers. The boat basin was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps; the river is tidal at this point and boat traffic passes 200 feet offshore. The view south encompasses the George Washington Bridge's lower level.

A relaxed neighborhood café in Closter, NJ — the quiet Bergen County town closest to the Palisades' Alpine section — serving soups, sandwiches, and salads at lunch. An easy five-minute detour from the park for a proper sit-down meal before the afternoon drive south to Fort Lee.

A 33-acre park at the south end of the Palisades, on the site of the Continental Army's 1776 fortifications — Washington's headquarters from which he watched the British cross the Hudson below before retreating across New Jersey. The park's reconstructed earthworks, artillery pieces, and visitor center tell the story of the campaign that nearly ended the Revolution; the view from the park's bluff edge looks directly across to Fort Washington in Manhattan, 1,200 feet away.

A Fort Lee hot dog stand in operation since 1932, serving deep-fried Texas Weiners — a New Jersey-specific hot dog style, topped with chili, mustard, and onions — from an original roadstand building on Palisade Avenue. Hiram's has been the subject of food writing in the New York Times, the New Yorker, and the Wall Street Journal without changing the menu or the building in 90 years.