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A popular trail at a New Jersey park has been closed after a rockslide tossed chunks of debris from a cliff, offering scenic views of the Hudson River and New York City.

According to Palisades Interstate Park officials, a rockslide was triggered along the park’s “Giant Stairs” around 8:15 a.m. on Friday.

The rockslide impacted about 50 yards, closing the Shore Trail, famed for its panoramic views overlooking the Hudson River from the steep Palisades Cliffs.

Hikers have been urged to avoid the area, as park staff continues to assess the situation.

Rockslides are abrupt movements of masses of geologic material, including rocks or boulders, which become detached from slopes or cliffs and, like from the Palisades Cliffs, dangerously fall to the ground below.

Due to the unpredictability, rockslides can be very dangerous. Thankfully, no hikers were harmed in the fall, officials said.

Separation occurs along discontinuities such as fractures, joints and bedding planes, and movement occurs by free-fall, bouncing and rolling, according to the U.S. Geological Service.

Falls are strongly influenced by gravity, mechanical weathering and the presence of interstitial water.

The popular park with 2,500 acres of forested land within 12 miles of the Hudson Riverfront and clifftops just outside New York City, has a history of notable rockslides.

Evan London was across the Hudson River in Yonkers, New York, when he heard what he thought were military jets.

“I heard it and thought it was one of the military jets that fly the Hudson routinely and went to look, and recorded the aftermath of the slide,” London said, adding that this is the second rockslide that has occurred in that spot in the last 15 years.

According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, a worker was crushed to death by a rockslide in the park in November 1936 while working on a road project.

In December 2005, a rockslide above the Alpine Boat Basin in the park caused an estimated $100,000 in damage after destroying a large portion of the alpine area and a cinderblock shed.

Officials plan to provide updates on the most recent rockslide as they become available.

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — After a "major" rock slide closed a popular hiking area of a Bergen County park last Friday, a park official has some bad news for nature lovers.

On Friday, the Palisades Parks Conservatory posted on social media that the "Giant Stairs" area of Palisades Interstate Park — a popular destination in the park, which stretches from New Jersey to New York — was closed due to a rock slide and rockfall.

On Wednesday, Steve Shallop, the superintendent of the New Jersey side of the park, gave Patch an update, saying the spot may remain closed for several months.

Shallop said that because of the falling rocks, the damage to the area and the stability of the stairs must be assessed.

The Great Stairs may remain closed until spring, he said.

Section Of Boulders

The 4.3-mile Giant Stairs area, located in Alpine, is "a long section of huge boulders that have tumbled from the Palisades," notes a hiking website. The area offers views of the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed the Giant Stairs in order to properly assess both the damage and the stability of the terrain following the slide," Shallop said Wednesday. "It is highly likely that we will consider keeping the Giant Stairs closed until springtime and allow the winter thaw to take place before opening the trail."

He said the trail has grown in popularity in recent years, and that he'll provide an update when the assessment is complete. But he didn't have a more specific timeline.

"The trail attracts hikers from across the region who come to challenge themselves on the four to five mile loop," he noted. "The Giant Stairs are widely regarded as a very popular destination."

A notice on the park website said the stairs are closed and guidance will be updated when there's a change. The park posts alerts on closures and repairs here.

The park stretches for 12 miles along both sides of the Hudson River.

ALPINE, N.J. – A popular trail at a New Jersey park has been closed after a rockslide tossed chunks of debris from a cliff, offering scenic views of the Hudson River and New York City.

According to Palisades Interstate Park officials, a rockslide was triggered along the park's "Giant Stairs" around 8:15 a.m. on Friday.

The rockslide impacted about 50 yards, closing the Shore Trail, famed for its panoramic views overlooking the Hudson River from the steep Palisades Cliffs.

Hikers have been urged to avoid the area, as park staff continues to assess the situation.

(Jesse King / Palisades Park Commission / FOX Weather)

Rockslides are abrupt movements of masses of geologic material, including rocks or boulders, which become detached from slopes or cliffs and, like from the Palisades Cliffs, dangerously fall to the ground below.

Due to the unpredictability, rockslides can be very dangerous. Thankfully, no hikers were harmed in the fall, officials said.

Separation occurs along discontinuities such as fractures, joints and bedding planes, and movement occurs by free-fall, bouncing and rolling, according to the U.S. Geological Service.

Falls are strongly influenced by gravity, mechanical weathering and the presence of interstitial water.

The popular park with 2,500 acres of forested land within 12 miles of the Hudson Riverfront and clifftops just outside New York City, has a history of notable rockslides.

(Evan M. London / FOX Weather)

Evan London was across the Hudson River in Yonkers, New York, when he heard what he thought were military jets.

"I heard it and thought it was one of the military jets that fly the Hudson routinely and went to look, and recorded the aftermath of the slide," London said, adding that this is the second rockslide that has occurred in that spot in the last 15 years.

According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, a worker was crushed to death by a rockslide in the park in November 1936 while working on a road project.

In December 2005, a rockslide above the Alpine Boat Basin in the park caused an estimated $100,000 in damage after destroying a large portion of the alpine area and a cinderblock shed.

Officials plan to provide updates on the most recent rockslide as they become available.

TEANECK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Police have arrested a man after they say he threw a rock into a school bus and left a third-grade girl with a fractured skull in New Jersey.

The 8-year-old girl was in the hospital on Friday after someone on the street threw a rock the size of a baseball into the bus.

The bus was transporting students from a local Jewish day school Wednesday in the northbound lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike in Teaneck Township just after 2 p.m.

The bus was heading back to Yeshivat Noam from a field trip to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City when it happened.

Police say Hernando Garciamorales, 40, from Palisades Park threw a rock at the vehicle just before the Teaneck Road exit.

He has been charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal mischief, resisting arrest by flight, and hindering.

Police said he was arrested at a self-made campsite within Old Croaker County Park in Bergen County.

During the investigation, police were able to link Garciamorales to multiple rock-throwing incidents in Bogota Borough, Bergen County.

The rock shattered the glass and struck the 8-year-old girl in the head.

Authorities say no one else on the bus was injured.

The Jewish Federation put out a statement that said in part it is aware of the incident and closely monitoring the situation.

Officials say there were no markings on the bus identifying it as a Jewish school bus, so the exact motive is still under investigation.

The young girl had surgery and is expected to be OK.

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