A Bergen County Hybrid

I have a problem with Pascack Brook County Park. It's not a problem I've had before and it is honestly more an issue with retrospect than anything else. This park confuses me. It's 79 acres with ball fields, playgrounds, and fishing "ponds" (you know, the kind that requires that cute little fountain to aerate it). Inside it also boasts a "suburban oasis" that hosts a variety of wildlife in its riparian habitat. Wild celebrities include the dark-eyed junco,  downy woodpecker, great blue heron, painted turtle, box turtle, & wild rabbit among others. So my confusion lies in what this park wants to be. Does it want to be a standard county park (kind of like Wood Dale, which I mentioned in an early entry) or does it want to be a nature preserve?

Parking was super easy, as to be expected with a county park like this. What did give me a little shock is how much pervious pavement there is. The parking areas and paths have pavers with holes filled with gravel to allow water to infiltrate the ground. So awesome and a bit more environmentally friendly than standard paving.

Look at that paving

This is the view I first saw when I stepped out of my car. It's pretty apparent that recent improvements were done. For one, there are some pretty young trees lining the path. I like the way they look now, I can just imagine how it will look when they are all grown in.

Flooded

What I did find kind of funny was that this parking lot, which is filled with these pavers to allow water to percolate into the ground, was flooded with water. 

Seductive curves

Another thing that impressed me was the curving paths that were implemented. Basic landscape design 101: gently curving paths encourage curiosity. Doesn't this path intrigue you? Where does it go? Right into those woods right there?

Oh look. Some wild life. A little bunny.

Forest path

Now this kind of threw me for a loop. Never before have I been to a park that boasted being a wildlife oasis that featured paving through the "riparian forest habitat." Admittedly, I enjoyed it. Maybe it was the convenience of a nice dry path while wandering through the woods. Maybe it was the shocking juxtaposition of wild and tame. I don't know, but it definitely had a cool effect.

What was also cool and not cool at the same time: multiflora rose. It made the woods smell incredible with hints of flowers almost the entire way. Unfortunately, multiflora rose is also highly invasive. I've seen it strangling out natives left and right in other parks I've been too.

Burbling brook 

A little bridge

Exiting the woods was just as interesting as entering. I wondered what I would come across next.

Milk thistle?

So pretty 

Intense

I suppose I shouldn't have been shocked to come across a massive field complete with stadium lighting. It was a utilitarian county park after all. Couldn't have too much woods or eco-amenities.

After making a loop around the field and trying to figure out where to go next, I went back the same way I came. Signage here wouldn't have been a bad idea.

Back in

Wild daisy

Field of daisies, yarrow, and others

Yarrow

My little buddy, Tyger

All in all, I have to say that Saddle River County Park was a nice experience. It's large scale allows suburbanites to reach out to "nature" while remaining in a tame setting. I could definitely see it being a prime jogging spot. Of the parks I have been to so far, it really did impress me in quite a few ways-- the size, range of activities available, and the paving. Though...how many people really get as excited as I do over nice paving?

Next up: Buttermilk Falls...Hopefully