By The Kolsky Team
Upper Saddle River is a community defined by its open space and natural character, and the parks here reflect that identity. The borough has preserved a meaningful share of its landscape in parks, recreation areas, and green space, giving residents outdoor access that is woven into daily life. Here is a guide to the parks that best represents what outdoor life in Upper Saddle River actually looks like.
Key Takeaways
- Lions Park is Upper Saddle River's most active community park, with a creek-side setting, baseball and soccer fields, a gated playground, and walking paths that draw residents year-round
- Anona Lake is a neighborhood recreational destination with a sandy beach, lake swimming, canoeing, kayaking, tennis courts, and picnic pavilions
- Saddle River County Park, a 577-acre Bergen County linear park adjacent to Upper Saddle River, offers a six-mile multi-use path, a waterfall, and three ponds along the Saddle River
- Liberty Park's reflecting pond and Hess Park's sports fields and playground round out a park network that gives Upper Saddle River residents varied outdoor options within the borough itself
Lions Park
Lions Park is Upper Saddle River's most active community park. The 18.7-acre park sits alongside a creek, and the combination of the natural stream setting, expansive sports fields, and walking paths gives it a character distinct from a standard municipal facility. The gated playground is divided into two age sections for toddlers and older children.
The sports fields include baseball diamonds and a large soccer field hosting organized youth leagues and informal games throughout spring and fall. The park is also the community's primary event venue, hosting the annual Oktoberfest with a car show, live music, and hayrides, and the weeklong Lions Club carnival each Memorial Day.
The sports fields include baseball diamonds and a large soccer field hosting organized youth leagues and informal games throughout spring and fall. The park is also the community's primary event venue, hosting the annual Oktoberfest with a car show, live music, and hayrides, and the weeklong Lions Club carnival each Memorial Day.
What Lions Park Offers Upper Saddle River Residents
- A creek-side walking path alongside the park's natural stream, providing a quiet natural setting for walkers and joggers within an otherwise active community park
- A two-section gated playground accommodating different age groups, with climbing structures, slides, and toddler-specific play equipment in separate dedicated areas
- Baseball fields and a large soccer field supporting organized youth leagues and informal recreational use throughout the spring, summer, and fall seasons
- Annual community events including Oktoberfest and the Memorial Day carnival that make Lions Park the social center of Upper Saddle River's outdoor community calendar
Anona Lake
Anona Lake is Upper Saddle River's most distinctive recreational destination, organized around a lake with a sandy beach. During the swimming season it provides a local alternative to more distant beaches.
Tennis courts, barbecue pavilions, and designated areas for canoeing and kayaking extend the park's usefulness across seasons and activities. The beach and lake together create a summer gathering point that functions as one of Upper Saddle River's most community-building outdoor spaces.
Tennis courts, barbecue pavilions, and designated areas for canoeing and kayaking extend the park's usefulness across seasons and activities. The beach and lake together create a summer gathering point that functions as one of Upper Saddle River's most community-building outdoor spaces.
What Anona Lake Delivers for Residents
- A sandy beach surrounding the lake that provides a genuine swimming destination during the summer season without leaving Upper Saddle River
- Canoeing and kayaking access on the lake, extending recreational use of the water to active paddling for residents who want a more physically engaged outdoor experience
- Tennis courts and barbecue pavilions that make the park functional for organized recreation and informal gatherings throughout the warmer months
- A tree-lined lake setting that gives Anona Lake a more secluded, nature-immersed character than a standard municipal park delivers
Saddle River County Park
Saddle River County Park represents a scale of open space that no municipal park can match. This 577-acre Bergen County linear park follows the Saddle River through multiple communities, connecting them via a six-mile multi-use path from Ridgewood through Glen Rock, Fair Lawn, Paramus, Saddle Brook, and Rochelle Park.
The path accommodates cyclists, runners, walkers, and inline skaters through terrain that shifts from wooded to open meadow. A waterfall at the Dunkerhook section, where Ho-Ho-Kus Brook meets the Saddle River, is one of the most visited features in Bergen County's park system. Three ponds, picnic areas, and playgrounds are distributed across the park's five sections.
The path accommodates cyclists, runners, walkers, and inline skaters through terrain that shifts from wooded to open meadow. A waterfall at the Dunkerhook section, where Ho-Ho-Kus Brook meets the Saddle River, is one of the most visited features in Bergen County's park system. Three ponds, picnic areas, and playgrounds are distributed across the park's five sections.
What Saddle River County Park Offers Upper Saddle River Residents
- A six-mile multi-use path following the Saddle River from Ridgewood to Rochelle Park, accommodating cyclists, runners, walkers, and inline skaters through varied natural terrain
- A waterfall at the Dunkerhook section where Ho-Ho-Kus Brook meets the Saddle River
- Three ponds across the park's five sections, with circular paths, picnic areas, and playgrounds positioned throughout for use during longer visits
- Access via Saddle River Road, making the county park a practical extension of the borough's own park network for residents who want greater trail distance
Liberty Park and Hess Park
Liberty Park and Hess Park round out Upper Saddle River's local park network. Liberty Park's reflecting pond gives it a contemplative character distinct from the activity-oriented energy of Lions Park or Anona Lake. The pond hosts an annual kids' fishing derby that draws families from across the borough.
Hess Park is a smaller neighborhood green space with sports fields and a playground, and is the perfect choice for a quick afternoon visit rather than a destination outing. Its neighborhood scale complements the larger parks by providing accessible outdoor space closer to where residents live.
Hess Park is a smaller neighborhood green space with sports fields and a playground, and is the perfect choice for a quick afternoon visit rather than a destination outing. Its neighborhood scale complements the larger parks by providing accessible outdoor space closer to where residents live.
How Liberty Park and Hess Park Serve the Community
- Liberty Park's reflecting pond provides a quiet, scenic focal point and hosts the annual kids' fishing derby
- Hess Park's sports fields and playground serve the surrounding neighborhood as a convenient outdoor space for afternoon and weekend use
- The two parks extend Upper Saddle River's park coverage into residential areas further from Lions Park and Anona Lake
- Both parks reflect Upper Saddle River's broader commitment to preserving open space and maintaining community green areas throughout the borough
FAQs
Which Upper Saddle River park is best for a first visit with young children?
Lions Park is the most complete option, with its age-divided playground, creek-side walking path, and sports fields giving different family members something to do simultaneously. Anona Lake is the better choice in summer when swimming and the beach are the priority.
Is Saddle River County Park accessible from Upper Saddle River?
Yes. The park is accessible via Saddle River Road, with the multi-use path reachable at multiple entry points. For residents who want more trail distance than the borough's own parks offer, it is the natural extension of their outdoor routine.
Do the Upper Saddle River parks host community events?
Lions Park hosts the annual Oktoberfest and the weeklong Memorial Day carnival. Liberty Park's kids' fishing derby is another borough tradition. Together these events give Upper Saddle River's park system a social dimension that goes well beyond passive outdoor space.
Contact The Kolsky Team Today
Understanding what daily life in Upper Saddle River actually looks like is part of what we bring to every buyer conversation. We know this community in detail and can help you evaluate any property in the context of the neighborhood it sits in.
Reach out to us at The Kolsky Team to start the conversation about Upper Saddle River and Bergen County real estate.
Reach out to us at The Kolsky Team to start the conversation about Upper Saddle River and Bergen County real estate.
