Passaic Falls, better known as the Great Falls of the Passaic, is a 49-foot plunge waterfall on the Passaic River in Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey. The falls anchor Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, where the river's power drove the city Alexander Hamilton planned as an industrial center.
The falls
The river breaks into segmented plunges. Lidar analysis puts the height just under 50 feet; the 70-foot figure often quoted may measure from the footbridge over the gorge down to the pool. A height of 77 feet is also given, with water plunging into a chasm between dark basalt cliffs.
Getting there
The park is managed by the National Park Service and charges no fee. Its address is 72 McBride Avenue Extension, Paterson. Overlook Park has free two-hour parking and accessible spaces, but the lot is extremely limited on weekends and holidays; limited free street parking is on Maple Street, and nearby municipal garages charge. The grounds are open around the clock, while the lot closes after dark and reopens between 7:45 and 8:45 a.m. There is no visitor center while a new one awaits construction; portable toilets are open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. when staff allow.
When to go
Spring rain and snowmelt swell the falls; in summer the flow drops and more of the rock is exposed. In winter, parts of the park may close for ice, and it can close without notice in bad weather. Rangers lead tours Wednesday through Sunday, staffing permitting.
On site
The Bill Pascrell Pedestrian Bridge, a 100-foot span across the falls linking Overlook Park and Mary Ellen Kramer Park, reopened on February 19, 2026 after a three-year safety closure. Routes are paved, though some city sidewalks are narrow or steep and wheelchair users may need help. Walls and railings get slick with spray and ice, and river ice is thin over moving water; stay on paths and behind barriers. In July 2025 a Paterson officer waded in to pull back a woman who had climbed down the rocks and was slipping into the river. Dogs must be on a six-foot non-retractable leash, and drones are prohibited.
History and name
In 1792 Hamilton and the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures built a three-tiered raceway system here to power mills. A hydroelectric plant followed in 1912–1914; flood damage shut it in 1969, it became a National Historic Landmark in 1971 and was rededicated in 1987. It still produces about 30 million kilowatt-hours a year. The falls themselves are a National Natural Landmark. Other names include Paterson Great Falls and Totawa Falls.
Nearby
Maple Falls is about 14.1 miles away. Across the New York line are Peanut Leap Falls at 15.7 miles, Buttermilk Falls at 17.2 miles and Ramapo Falls at 19.7 miles.
Distances are straight-line.