Clinton Point Hike (8.5 Mile Loop) – Greenbrook Falls, Palisades NJ

For a few years now my uncle has been telling me about this impressive waterfall he saw one time while walking along Shore Trail somewhere between Englewood Cliffs and Alpine. That's a section of the park I haven't explored very much of but I finally had the opportunity to look for the falls while doing the Clinton Point Hike.

I'm in the park frequently but normally on shorter hikes that are closer to home. When I went to do Carpenter's Loop II a few days ago, Ross Dock was closed and there was a sign from Englewood Cliffs indicating the trail was closed. I looked at the map and realized I didn't have time to do the northern hike and I'd probably want at least a snack for that duration. It's about twice as long as Carpenter's II. I was able to get through Carpenter's but the next day I decided to finally tackle Clinton Point.

It was an incredible hike and Greenbrook Falls were pretty impressive.

Clinton Point Hike Description

Clinton Point Hike Overview

Step-by-step route

The hike starts at the Englewood Cliffs Picnic Area. A nice spot to visit on it's own. The parking area is right next to the Hudson River with a view of the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge.


With most of the loop trails in Palisades Interstate Park I try to head up to Long Path first and finish on Shore Trail. Long Path is very close to Palisades Interstate Parkway and the car noise from it is constant while Shore Trail is more peaceful. Greenbrook Falls was one of the main reasons I was doing this hike and I wanted to see it early so I decided to start on Shore Trail.

Hmm.. noise... I feel a little bad. The day before I ran across three women at the Englewood Cliffs Picnic Area that were also planning on doing Carpenter's Loop but didn't because of the road closed sign. I suggested if they didn't want to do the hike anyway they might want to head up Dykman Hill and take Long Path for half the time they wanted to hike then turn around and come back. They said they were looking for a challenge, didn't have enough time to do the full Clinton Hill loop (I also don't remember seeing any water bottles.) Personally, the views along the cliffs are one of the best parts of the park and the trails that go from river to the cliffs are a great workout but I didn't factor in the road noise.


After passing through the picnic area and marina a small structure labeled "Bloomers Beach Information" will be on the right of Shore Trail.


An old stone structure on the left used to be the dressing rooms for Bloomer's Beach.



There were beaches along the Hudson River where people could sunbathe and swim. World War II and pollution in the river eventually put an end to that in 1943.


This section of Shore Trail is very narrow and also very close to the banks of the Hudson River. A short distance from the picnic area is a detour that takes a higher route to avoid high tide. It's a nice wooded trail but there are nicer views of the river along the main trail if rising water isn't an issue. It wasn't on my hike so I continued along the main trail since the last time I hiked this way I did the high tide route.


I've hiked the section of Shore Trail between Ross Dock and Englewood Cliffs many times. It's a highly maintained gravel walk that's good for walking and trail running. The sections north of Englewood Cliffs are more varied. Crushed stones, large stones, medium stones, sandy beaches and dirt trails. The stone areas wouldn't be my first choice for trail running but it's still a great hike.

As can be seen in the previous picture, the Undercliff Area beach still has some sand on it and someone decided to get some sun while I was there. Not sure if they took a dip. I wouldn't recommend it. The water has gotten cleaner but after rain, storm water carries a bunch of pollutants with it. If the pollution isn't enough of a deterrent, the currents can be dangerous and there are no lifeguards.


A little north of the beach is the Undercliff Area Bath house. It was a 2-story structure but the wood has rotted away and all that remains is the stone lower level. The beach and the bath house are easy to access from the Undercliff Picnic Area along Henry Hudson Drive if you'd like to visit but hiking isn't your thing.


The grassy area and boulders along the river are a nice spot to take a break. About 3 or 4 miles south is the George Washington Bridge and faint glimpses of Manhattan. This is the furthest north I've previously been on Shore between Englewood Cliffs and Alpine Picnic Areas




I could hear the sound of rushing water and saw a small waterfall. This couldn't have been the falls my uncle was gushing (pun unavoidable) about was it? It wasn't all that impressive.

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