Waterfalls in New Jersey
5 waterfalls in New Jersey across 5 counties, from the USGS dataset; 4 with a measured height. The tallest is Tillman Falls at 60 ft. All US waterfalls.
State: New Jersey 47
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- Under 1 mi from Paterson
New Jersey's five waterfalls: a glacial ravine and the Piedmont fall line
Glacial meltwater carved the state's one true gorge waterfall out of the Kittatinny Ridge in the far northwest, while the rest of New Jersey's five listed falls drop off the Piedmont at the foot of the Highlands, farther south and east.
Where the waterfalls are
Sussex County holds Tillman Falls, inside Tillman Ravine — a 525-acre stand of old-growth hemlock and hardwood in 16,447-acre Stokes State Forest, cut by glacial meltwater through Shawangunk conglomerate as the Wisconsin ice sheet retreated, roughly 21,000 to 13,000 BC. Warren County, on the same ridge, holds Bass Lake Falls.
Three more listings sit on the Piedmont, where rivers drop off harder rock at the base of the Highlands: Passaic County holds Passaic Falls at the fall line in Paterson, Morris County holds Pottersville Falls, and Essex County holds Maple Falls in Millburn.
Waterfalls worth the trip
- Passaic Falls, 49 feet on the Passaic River, drops over dark basalt cliffs inside free-to-enter Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park; the National Park Service's own materials put the drop at 77 feet, and a new pedestrian bridge across the gorge reopened in February 2026 after three years of closure.
- Tillman Falls drops inside Tillman Ravine's shaded, old-growth hemlock gorge, reached on marked trails through Stokes State Forest.
Access
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park charges no entrance fee and stays open around the clock, though its McBride Avenue Extension lot closes overnight and reopens between roughly 7:45 and 8:45 a.m. Flow over Passaic Falls runs strongest in spring, from rain and snowmelt, and thins by late summer as more rock shows through.
Safety
Posted rules at Passaic Falls ask visitors to stay on marked paths and behind barriers, since walls and railings turn slippery with spray or ice, and warn that river ice can be dangerously thin in winter. In July 2025, police pulled back a woman who had slipped toward the falls.
Waterfalls in New Jersey on the map
Numbers show how many sit in that area; zoom in or click to split them, click a marker for details.
Tallest waterfalls in New Jersey
- Tillman Falls60 ftSussex County
- Passaic Falls49 ftPassaic County
- Bass Lake Falls25 ftWarren County
- Maple Falls25 ftEssex County
Waterfalls by county
New Jersey has named waterfalls in 5 counties. The most are in Warren County (1), Essex County (1), Passaic County (1), Morris County (1), Sussex County (1). Every county has its own page with a map and the tallest falls:
Types of waterfalls in New Jersey
dam (1). What the types mean is explained in the guide to waterfall types.
About the data
Of the 5 waterfalls in New Jersey, 4 have a measured height, 1 have coordinates verified against aerial imagery and 0 have photos. Heights are the total drop as recorded by the source; falls without a measurement are listed without one. Every page has the stream, the nearest town and distance, a map with directions and a review form for photos and notes.