Morris Canal Park is a small town park along the Passaic River in the Passaic County town of Little Falls. The park was once home to the Morris Canal, and a short paved trail takes walkers along the former course through the park. Morris Canal Park is also home to a more rugged trail down to the Passaic River, offering a spot to fish and also views of the raging Treatment Plant Falls from across the river.
Explore North Jersey Review: A small town park in desperate need of maintenance. Only worth visiting as a local, or for Treatment Plant Falls
Morris Canal Park
Parking:
- Municipal Lot: Old Morris Canal Ln, Little Falls Township, NJ 07424
- A moderately sized parking area that can be challenging to find parking in. Alternate street parking is available.
Location: Little Falls, Passaic County
Website: N/A
Trail Map: N/A
Restrooms: No
Price: Free
Activities
Walking/Hiking
Morris Canal Park is home to two different trails: A decently maintained paved trail that dead-ends at a closed bridge over the Passaic River, and a poorly maintained gravel trail down to the Passaic River. Both trails are under a half mile.
Fishing
The Passaic River is a popular spot for fishing. Access is via the gravel trail down to the river.
Picnicking
The park features a handful of picnic tables near the parking area and a gazebo. The paved trail also features a few picnic tables.
Points of Interest
- Treatment Plant Falls
Alerts
- The gravel trail down to the river crosses a hazardous bridge. The bridge is missing some ground planks and most railings. A fall from the bridge is about 10 feet.
The Morris Canal
The Morris Canal was a 102-mile canal stretching from the Delaware River in Phillipsburg to the New York Harbor in Jersey City. The canal closed in 1924, and much of the canal has been dismantled. Numerous parks have been created along the former path, and the Morris Canal Greenway is envisioned as a multi-use trail following the canal path. A small portion of the canal passed through Morris Canal Park and followed the current paved pathway, and it is designated as part of the Morris Canal Greenway.
The Paved Trail
The paved trail begins behind a gate at the back of the parking lot. The trail is pretty short and follows the former path of the Morris Canal to where it once crossed the Passaic River. The bridge carrying the canal is long gone, but a current bridge carrying water pipes is still present at the same location.
Unfortunately, you cannot see much of the river from the trail except during the winter when the trees have no leaves.
The Gravel Trail
The gravel trail begins next to the gazebo and takes visitors down to the Passaic River. The trail has suffered some storm damage and desperately needs repairs. A footbridge over a storm drain runoff is currently missing multiple ground planks and almost all the railings. Multiple benches have been damaged by flooding and fallen trees, and the area is full of garbage.
The trail would be nice if it received some much-needed maintenance. The trail was built by, and is likely maintained by, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission. Trail maintenance is likely a very low priority for them, so I do not foresee conditions improving.
This trail is the only way to view Treatment Plant Falls in the summer.
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