Flat Rock Brook Nature Center

The Flat Rock Brook Nature Center is a 150-acre nature preserve and education center that you can visit with your passenger van rental in Englewood, New Jersey. The Center was established in 1973 by citizens who were interested in land conservation and environmental education. There are also 3.6 miles of trail that you can explore.

Last remnants

When you visit with your passenger rental van, you will find that this is the last remnants of the Palisades Forest that once stood in New Jersey. The purpose of the nature center is to maintain and preserve the lands for plant and animal life in the area. It is open to the public for trail walks, nature study, and other forms of quiet recreation. They also offer a number of environmental programs to people of all ages to increase awareness and understanding of nature. The trails are open daily from dawn until dusk for visitors to explore.

Take a hike

There are 3.6 miles of trails that you can explore when you visit with your large van rental. There are eight different trails that you can walk along with varying degrees of length and difficulty. The trees are marked with colored blazes to indicate the trail you are on. You can also get printed maps from the Nature Center building when you arrive. As you explore the trails, keep an eye out for deer walking by, or the turtles basking in the sun in Quarry Pond. Be sure to bring your camera for those great photo opportunities. You can also visit in the winter and try to identify the animal tracks in the snow.

Grab a bite

When you visit with your large rental van, you can bring a picnic lunch with you to enjoy as well. There is state-of-the-art playground for kids as well here with nature themes. There is a crawl space that represents an animal den, a spider's web to climb on, and a seating area with giant leaves. If you will be visiting with you group of more than 10 people, a group permit is necessary. You will need to submit that request at least a week before you plan to visit and it must be approved by the manager in order for it to be valid. Grills, barbeques, and fires are not permitted here. Please make sure to dispose of your litter in the proper areas.

Plant life

Flat Rock Brook has a number of small gardens that are designed to create natural habitats for wildlife. Native plants are used in order to work in harmony with the ecosystem here. There are two butterfly gardens at Flat Rock that you can visit with your passenger van rental. There is one in front of the building and another along the east side of the parking lot. The plants in this area were designed to provide shelter and food for the butterfly larvae and nectar for adult butterflies. There is also a children's garden where kids can harvest seeds and learn about planting and germination. The Gazebo Harden is designed to illustrate a design for a backyard area. All of the gardens here are low maintenance and require little water or fertilizer.

How to get here

When you visit with your passenger van rental from New York City. You will need to cross the George Washington Bridge and Take Route 4 to the exit at Jones Road. Go north (right) on Jones Road and go for one block to Van Nostrand Avenue. Turn right here, and four blocks later you will see the entrance of the Nature Center at the end of the street.

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