In a state filled with natural wonders, Paterson’s Great Falls is the most wonderful of all. So say our readers, who made Paterson Great Falls National Park the winner of the Natural Wonders poll, presented by the New Jersey Nature Conservancy. After four rounds of voting, the majestic spot emerged as the crystal clear victor, garnering 50 percent of the vote.
The 77-foot high waterfall is the second tallest east of the Mississippi River after Niagara Falls. Visitors can get a great view from Overlook Park, or stand over the raging Passaic River via the footbridge that is instantly recognizable to fans of The Sopranos.
Alexander Hamilton, who you may be familiar with thanks to a certain musical, once saw great economic potential in the falls. After the Revolutionary War, he founded the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures and planned to utilize the falls’ force to drive industrial growth in Paterson.
The poll ran for four weeks, starting with 24 contenders. Each week we dropped the lowest vote-getters until we got to the final four. The other three wonders in our final week were Island Beach State Park, the Delaware Water Gap and the Great Swamp.
