These Hidden Ruins In New Jersey Are All That Remain Of A Breathtaking Manor

You’ll find many marvelous things hiding along the Palisades, most notably a private wildlife sanctuary (Greenbrook Sanctuary) and a castle-like monument to the Women’s Federation. I recently came across something new that delighted my fancy. Near Alpine, there are ruins of a once splendid manor.

Flickr/nycscout

Cliff Dale Manor, the former estate of George A. Zabriskie, was once significantly larger, but the multi-story ruins are still quite imposing.

Flickr/nycscout

Zabriskie came from a wealthy family, though made his own money as a flour magnate, working for Pillsbury. While he lived near Central Park most of the year, Cliff Dale served as an elegant summer estate, overlooking the Hudson.

Flickr/nycscout

Built in 1911, the 15-room estate was purchased by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in the 1930s, as part of an effort to preserve the Palisades.

Flickr/nycscout

Rockefeller purchased several properties along the Palisades, donating them to the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. A stipulation of the gift was that the properties be torn down to retain the natural beauty of the area.

While the upper floors of Cliff Dale were bulldozed, significant portions of the massive manor (the largest home in the area at the time) were left behind.

Image courtesy of the Palisades Interstate Park Comission

If you think the ruins are spectacular, and you surely will, here's some perspective. This photo shows the beauty of Cliff Dale at its peak.

Image/Google Maps

The ruins are actually visible from the Palisades Interstate Parkway when the leaves have fallen from the trees, though you can see it all year by hiking the Long Path, about half a mile north of Alpine Lookout. 

This short hike is truly spectacular, and the ruins are incredible to see. Be sure to use caution and common sense, however. For more photos of the ruins, visit: www.scoutingny.com, and to learn more about the history of Cliff Dale, visit www.njpalisades.org. A special thank you goes to the Palisade Interstate Park Commission, for letting me use their photo of the manor. You’ll be right by the haunted Devil’s Tower in Alpine while you’re in the area, and it’s worth checking out as well.