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Yahoo
2 days ago
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Best views in the country? USA TODAY chose these North Jersey spots
Everyone has their own interpretation of what they'd consider to be a beautiful view. But there are just some places that are so breathtaking that they seem to catch the eye of everyone they visit. The Garden State is filled with scenic destinations like this, and so much so that three locations in North Jersey were named among USA Today's Most Treasured Views in America, part of a new USA TODAY network project showcasing breathtaking — and perhaps, under-appreciated — views throughout the United States. These are some of the most beautiful landmarks, scenic vistas and hidden gems you can truly treasure in your area. And these sites highlight the diverse range of scenery North Jersey has to offer, ranging from rich historical sites to impressive natural spots. Here are three of the Most Treasured Views in North Jersey, with tips for getting the best experience at each site. More: Discover America's best hidden natural wonders: 12 breathtaking views to explore More: From waterfalls to lighthouses, here are the 11 best scenic spots in the Northeast Paterson Great Falls is home to one of the nation's most spectacular waterfalls, featuring a grand 260-foot wide, 77-foot high drop that rushes into the Passaic River. The site has existed since the beginning of time, with Paterson being established around it in 1792, and is both a National Natural Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. While the best view of this iconic landmark — which is free to visit — is the walking bridge that goes over the Great Falls, it is closed indefinitely due to safety concerns and is pending replacement. But you can still get a great view from either Overlook Park or Mary Ellen Kramer Park. Do you have a photo of a Most Treasured View? Share it with us! Please submit JPGs only (not HEIC files): And while you're there, you can also go down the block to the Paterson Museum at 2 Market St. Here, you can explore Paterson's history as the nation's first planned industrial city through interpretive exhibits. The museum is free to visit, but donations are recommended. Go: 72 McBride Ave. Extension, Paterson; 973-523-0370, Located at the highest point on the Palisades Cliffs — just one mile south of the New York State border — State Line Lookout at Palisades Interstate Park offers sweeping views of the Hudson River and the New York City skyline. It is a particularly popular spot for bird watching, as it's one of the state's 14 official hawk-counting sites. This area is also home to the Lookout Inn, a refreshment stand that boasts a breakfast, lunch and snack menu for those visiting State Line Lookout. And beyond this, the park also offers more than 30 miles of trails with everything from easy strolls to challenging rock scrambles. Share your Most Treasured View with us! Please submit JPGs only (not HEIC files): Metered parking is in effect year-round for the lot at State Line Lookout, but the first hour of parking is free. A list of other metered parking areas, as well as days where parking is free, can be found on the park's website. Go: Access the parking lot from the northbound side of Palisades Interstate Parking, just north of Exit 2, Alpine; 201-768-1360, Why travel to Washington D.C. when you can get a better view of dazzling cherry blossoms right here in New Jersey? Branch Brook Park, which spans 360 acres and was the nation's first county park, is known for having among the largest and most varied collection of cherry blossom trees in the country. During peak blooming season, typically within the second and third week of April each year, the park has 5,300 cherry blossom trees with 18 different varieties bursting with color. These trees are located all throughout Branch Brook Park, but most are concentrated in the northernmost part of the park. You can also find the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center here, which features galleries and exhibits that highlight the history of cherry blossoms in Newark. As for parking, there is a free lot at the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center and several others around the park. You can also find free street park throughout the area. Go: Lake Street and Park Avenue, Newark; 973-268-3500, Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter for and The Record, covering all things worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay, on X @maddiemcgayy, and sign up for her North Jersey Living newsletter. Do you have a tip, trend or terrific house she should know about? Email her at MMcGay@ This article originally appeared on Best scenic views in North Jersey: Our top picks
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
National Parks Open for Mining? BLM Paves Way for Mineral Rights Claims on Public Land
The Trump administration wants to open National Parks to mining, and it might have a legal avenue to move forward. On April 8, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that an Australian mining company, Dateline Resources, LTG, had been given the go-ahead to continue operating an unauthorized mine in the Mojave National Preserve. The National Park System (NPS) told the LA Times that it has not received or approved any plan for this operation, called Colosseum Mine, which may be the first of more to come. Records obtained by PEER through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request revealed that this Mojave mine is just one of 1,067 mining claims existing within the NPS. The Mining in the Parks Act of 1976 prohibited new mining claims from being legally filed on any NPS property. But most of these claims predate that law. In the case of Colosseum Mine, the permissions were originally approved by the BLM, but were revoked in 1994 when the land became a National Landmark and fell under NPS jurisdiction. Mining claims grant individuals or groups the right to explore for and extract minerals from a specific area. Legal mining claims establish exclusive rights to the resources contained within them. Now, it seems, mining companies like Dateline Resources are targeting these grandfathered claims to tap into. 'The almost forgotten mining legacy on what are now national park lands may leap back to life in a national drive to extract strategic minerals,' PEER Executive Director Tim Whitehouse said in the press release. 'The prospects for mining in national parks will not be quickly or inexpensively diminished.' The records PEER acquired indicate that the existing mining claims are spread out across 15 different areas of the national park system and exist within all but four western states — Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and New Mexico. PEER said that the Pacific West region has more of these claims than any other area, with 645, followed by the Alaska region with 402. The Mojave National Preserve in southern California alone, where Dateline Resources is operating Colosseum Mine, contains 422 claims. Of the 1,067 claims, 60% are patented, and 40% are unpatented. Patented claims grant the claimant full ownership of the land and its mineral rights. Unpatented claims only allow the claimant to extract minerals, but do not grant any ownership over the surface area. The situation in Mojave stems from an executive order signed by Donald Trump in March 2025 directing the Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, and his department to increase American mineral production. Following that order, in April, BLM gave Dateline Resources the green light to move forward with its operations. Mojave National Preserve is part of the national park system, and according to PEER, BLM has no authority over it or the mining claims within it. However, sweeping layoffs by the Trump administration leave little to stand in the way of these orders. 'Since there is currently no National Park Service Director, or even a nominee, there is likely no official parks representative at the table urging protection of park resources,' Whitehouse said. 'What is now unfolding at this one mine in Mojave may be repeated several hundred more times in the coming days.' In a press release announcing the decision, the BLM defended the move as an investment in the country's future energy independence. 'The resumption of mining at Colosseum Mine, America's second rare earth elements mine, supports efforts to bolster America's capacity to produce the critical materials needed to manufacture the technologies to power our future. For too long, the United States has depended on foreign adversaries like China for rare earth elements for technologies that are vital to our national security,' the Bureau said. Dateline Resources claims that it has the right to operate Colloseum Mine under a plan its previous operators submitted to the BLM in 1985. However, after the Mojave National Preserve was established in 1994, oversight was transferred from BLM to NPS, which ended and supplanted that mining plan in 1995. Dateline Resources took over the mine in 2021 in hopes of extracting gold and rare earth minerals from the site. Since then, records obtained through a FOIA by the National Parks Conservation Association revealed a years-long dispute over the operation with NPS. Dateline Resources has been fined for damages to the area and unauthorized roadwork. It has also repeatedly been told to halt operations endangering protected species. In 2023, NPS official Frank Lands explicitly ordered the mine to cease and desist any activities other than water quality monitoring. Now it has been given full permission by the BLM to resume its operation. 'Mining is one of the most destructive land-based activities,' Jeff Ruch, legal counsel for PEER, told GearJunkie. '[It] degrades soil, vegetation, and water, and carries with it the prospect of significant toxic contamination.' NPS Ends Diversity Internships: National Park Services Academy Suspended, 'Under Review'
