Thielke Arboretum

Thielke Arboretum At A Glance...

• Sixteen acres of wetland forest with over a mile of trail, in the middle of suburban Bergen County.
• More than 250 kinds of tree and woody plant, a lot of them native.
• The pond is spring-fed and stocked every year. You can fish it, but everything goes back in.
• A nature play area means a visit here does not have to involve a hike.
• An antique gazebo sits in a young allee of native witch hazel and Atlantic white cedar.
• Todays Sunrise: 6:44 am,   Sunset: 6:51 pm  
• New Jersey Gateway Region Bergen County

• Activities:

  • Fishing
  • Hiking
  • Playing in the playground
  • Walking

  Amenities:

  • Restrooms/Bathrooms
  • Parking - Street Parking Available
  • Parking - Street Parking Only
  • Gardens
  • Nature / Environmental Center
  • Picnic / Sitting Area
  • Benches
  • Playground

  Trails:

  • Flat / Easy
  • Self Guided / Nature trail
  • Walking Paths

  Park Type:

  • Gardens / Arboretum
  • Municipal / City Park
  • Park (General)
  • Playground

  Rules/Regulations:

  • Alcohol Not Permitted
  • Must be Leashed
  • Swimming Not Permitted

Contact / Location

A Brief History

Dr. Frederick W. Morris, a doctor-chiropractor with an office in Ridgewood, bought land on Doremus Avenue in the early 1900s and planted a great many herbaceous species on it. He died in the early 1940s and the property changed hands several times after that.

In 1954 the Borough of Glen Rock bought the eleven acres for $44,000 and declared them a park the same year. A dedication ceremony in May 1963 named those eleven acres an arboretum.

It was renamed in 2009 for Carol Thielke, a long-time Glen Rock resident whose work drove the redevelopment of the site. The Vielbig/Scerbo Environmental Education Center now stands on the grounds, and the arboretum has grown to 16 acres.

Programs / Education

The Friends run programs through the year and most are open to the public. Nature journaling, fishing education, colonial medicinal botanicals, Pops in the Park and the StoryWalk are the regulars.

Volunteer docents lead guided tours for school groups, scouts and nature clubs, and there is a separate program of tours for adults. Classes from pre-school through high school use the site to study horticulture and wetland ecology.

Things to See & Do

The pond

Spring-fed, aerated and stocked once a year. Fishing is allowed and it is strictly catch and release, so whatever you land goes back. Swimming and ice skating are not permitted, and the ducks are not to be fed.

Birds and wildlife

The wetland canopy pulls in migrating birds, and the pond edges are good for turtles, butterflies and dragonflies.

The planting

Perennial pollinator gardens, fern gardens, shade gardens and azaleas, with reforestation areas marked on the trail map. Much of the collection is native, and a good deal of it was chosen off Rutgers' recommendations for New Jersey landscapes.

For younger children

A nature play area, and a StoryWalk that sets a picture book out page by page along the trail.

Best Time of Year to Visit

Spring brings the perennial pollinator gardens into bloom, and the Kousa dogwoods are worth the trip on their own.

Summer and early fall are for the shade. The wetland canopy stays cool when the rest of Bergen County does not, and the turning leaves reflect off the pond.

Tips and Tricks

Carry in, carry out. Trash receptacles are limited, so plan to take out whatever you bring with you.

Nothing leaves the grounds. There is a strict policy against foraging or removing plants, fungi, wood, stones, animals or anything else.

Bringing a group of ten or more? Get the Arboretum Use Permit first, and count on one supervising adult for every nine children aged 12 and under.

Admission & Guidelines

No entrance fees for general trail use. Groups of ten or more need an Arboretum Use Permit before using the trails, and one supervising adult is required for every nine children aged 12 and under.

Formal posed photography needs a permit: $20 an hour for portraits, $50 an hour for commercial work. Casual photography during a visit does not.

Dogs are welcome on a lead no longer than six feet, and you must clean up after them. No alcohol and no smoking anywhere on the property at any time. No fires and no barbecues. Nothing may be foraged, moved, removed or damaged. Carry your trash out with you.

Hours / Season of Operation

Open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year. There is no seasonal closure and no admission gate.

Facilities

The Vielbig/Scerbo Environmental Education Center is on site. It is used for classes and public meetings and can be rented for private functions.

A nature play area is set up for young children. The borough's sports fields and playground sit immediately next door on Doremus Avenue.

Parking

No public auto traffic is allowed directly on the arboretum grounds. Parking is available on the street along the west side of Doremus Avenue, or at the west end of the adjacent Municipal Pool parking lot.

The Friends of the Glen Rock Arboretum, Inc. is the 501(c)(3) volunteer organization that runs, maintains and programs the arboretum. Membership is open, and it is how most of the work gets paid for.

The land itself belongs to the Borough of Glen Rock, which bought it in 1954 and declared it a park the same year.

Bergen County's larger nature centers are both a short drive: the James A. McFaul Environmental Center in Wyckoff and Flat Rock Brook Nature Center in Englewood.

For something bigger to walk, Van Saun County Park is over in Paramus, and Memorial Park And Pool is just across the line in Fair Lawn.

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