Authors Note: I went on this hike before the brush fires occurred across New Jersey this last week. Had I any idea what was coming, I would’ve posted this earlier, tbh. I’d like to extend a huge thank you to the countless firefighters that put their lives on the line to extinguish the fires that threaten our homes and lives, and do their best to keep us safe.
“What’s going on over here? Am I ok to go?” I questioned the fireman, peeking quizzically behind him as a small plume of smoke arose from below the cliff edge.
“Yeah, we’re just roasting marshmallows. Stay on the road, alright?” He chuckled and with a wave, let me continue.
I quickly found out they were NOT roasting marshmallows (the audacity, I know).
I honestly should have turned around then and there before I properly began my hike, but well, I was intrigued. And besides, if a fireman is busting about roasting marshmallows, it’s probably fine.
The Palisades Giant Stairs have been on my “to hike” list for quite some time now. I love rocks (as we’ve established), and the idea of rock scrambling along the water at the base of a 500-foot cliff face sounded lovely. March 20th, the first day of spring: beautiful clear blue skies and a day off from work. What more could I ask for? It was time to go for a hike.
This was also an exciting moment for me, because I knew I was going to do this hike solo. I’d only gone solo hiking once before, up Mount Tammany, so this was a momentous occasion.
Heading Out 🙂
After a leisurely morning of spending too much time scrolling through Instagram and making the most bomb breakfast sandwich, I piled me, myself, and I into my car and headed out.
The first sign that something was amiss should’ve been when I arrived at the road to pull off onto from the highway and it was closed off. Undeterred, I pulled up Google maps and was halfway into finding another parking spot when a helicopter flew right over me.
I managed to find another parking lot near the park and hiked in, coming first across a Women’s Federation Monument. Per the Palisades website, this monument was dedicated to “the role that the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs took in preserving the Palisades.” Without their work, the Palisades would not be the towering cliffs that we see today. Continuing on the trail, I then came across a fork in the road. Right or left? Curious as to why the initial road was closed, I went left, following the trail I knew would take me to the actual trailhead.
Just a few minutes into my decision, I was atop the Palisades’ Cliff, looking out at the Hudson River from 500 feet up. I spotted some Coast Guard boats below me, and my curiosity grew. What was happening today? I needed to know. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back and I have 8 lives left.
A short walk along the ridge later, I came across some firemen, which brings us back to roasting marshmallows.
Now that You’re Caught up…
Heeding the fireman’s advice, I swung left and followed the road, instead of the trail. Making it to the parking lot I was initially planning on parking at, I spotted more firetrucks and firemen.
I love winding up in spots I’m probably not supposed to be in.
The road veered back to the right, past a closed cafe, and back to a lookout station with some tower viewers (aka those coin-operated binocular things. I did have to Google what their official name was because I didn’t know either. Who calls them tower viewers? Anyway.). Peering down the cliff, I could see that plume of smoke a little better, and about 5 coastguard boats. Still could not see any fire though.
At that point, I got off the road and started the teal trail to properly begin the Giant Stairs Loop. It starts on the teal trail, or Long Path. I started thinking about the firemen and the smoke and I thought, “Maybe they’re doing some kind of training?” That was the only thing I could come up with with what I’d seen vs the callousness of how he responded to my question. Not too concerned about it, I continued on my hike, figuring I’d get an answer sooner or later.
The hike itself is incredible. You’re hiking along this beautiful ridge overlooking the Hudson River, with cliffs ranging from 200 feet to 500 feet. There’s a river, there’s a waterfall, there are ruins, and boy, are there boulders. And stairs. Lots of stairs. I took my time, embracing all the wonders of nature and the simple joy of skipping a rock across the water.
Now Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
The Giant Stairs
It wasn’t long before I made it to the actual Giant Stairs portion of the hike. I would definitely recommend coming well-prepared for this part. Hiking boots are a must, as well as plenty of daylight. At the start of it, there is a sign that says the Stairs sunset is 1-2 hours earlier than the rest of the area, presumably because the sun sets behind the other side of the cliff.
For someone who is well-accustomed to rock scrambling, and/or climbing rocks, it feels like more of a rocky hike. However, to those less accustomed to that kind of hiking, allow yourself plenty of time to scramble over the rocks.
About halfway through the Giant Stairs, I came across a couple going the opposite way as me. They had come from where the smoke was, and I had questions. They encouraged me to turn around, as they said they had hiked past a brush fire, and it looked like it was making its way towards the trail from the bottom of the cliff face. I thanked them, telling them I wanted to get a bit closer before turning around and that I’d see them soon enough.
Maybe Don’t Roast Marshmallows in a Brush Fire
I hiked on for another 5 minutes before realizing the stupidity of my decision. Smoke wafted towards me, getting thicker by the second, so I turned around and started back from where I came.
Still curious, I called the non-emergent police number for some information. The dispatcher told me the fire was certainly a brush fire, but he didn’t know if it was under control yet or not. He also “highly recommended not going closer to the fire” which I was not planning on doing anyway. I expressed my discontent that the fireman at the top didn’t communicate the full extent of the fire/they hadn’t made it known to hikers in the area the situation, and the trail was not safe to be on. At the same time, I understand that it was obvious that something was going on and that there was a fire. I just wish they’d been more transparent about the severity of the brush fire.
I hiked back the way I came, passing the couple again on the way back. By the time I reached the parking lot again, the smoke was even worse than before. The police officer on sight told me they’d been there since 11:30 AM- meaning they’d been there for over 5 hours at that point. He also said they didn’t know how the brush fire started, which makes sense but was wild to me. I thanked him and continued on my way back to my car.
This was my first time coming across a brush fire like that, and I’m glad I was in a safe enough position to safely skirt close to the fire, but then leave when I wanted to. As far as brush fires go, this was an incredibly mild one. In light of some of the massive wildfires that have hit the West Coast of the United States, including the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak fire in 2022 that burned over 341,000 acres, this was minor. One could say it was as minor as roasting marshmallows. Thank you to the emergency personnel on the scene that were able to get this fire under control.
Overall, this was such an exciting day. I felt like a proper journalist, happening across something and investigating as much as I could, talking to people on the scene to learn what happened. Who knows, maybe I’ll have more of an opportunity to do this more in the future one day 🙂 Thanks for reading, and if anyone finds out what caused that fire, let me know. I’m still curious.
Until next time,
Mac
