Woodland Park is a borough of about three square miles in Passaic County, with 13,484 residents as of the 2020 Census. Until January 1, 2009, it was known as West Paterson, the name it carried from its incorporation in 1914, when it was formed from part of Little Falls. Garret Mountain forms its eastern edge and the Passaic River its western edge, and a large share of the land in between is open space, including two Passaic County parks. Here's what to know before you buy, sell, rent or invest in Woodland Park.

Why People Choose Woodland Park

The first draw is the mountain. Garret Mountain Reservation and Rifle Camp Park, both run by Passaic County, sit largely inside the borough. Garret Mountain's ridge rises about 500 feet above sea level, and overlooks along its Yellow Trail look out over northern New Jersey to the New York City skyline. Rifle Camp Park, at 387 Rifle Camp Road, covers about 169 acres and includes marked hiking trails, an amphitheater, picnic areas and the John J. Crowley Nature Center and Astronomical Observatory.

The second draw is location. Woodland Park borders Paterson, Clifton, Little Falls and Totowa, and Interstate 80 crosses its northwestern corner. The borough is also a local job center: Berkeley College's Woodland Park campus sits on Rifle Camp Road, and the Squirrelwood Road office park known as Garret Mountain Plaza draws workers from across the region.

Getting Around: Commuting from Woodland Park

• Car: I-80 Exit 56 connects to Squirrelwood Road (County Route 636). U.S. Route 46 runs just south of the border in Little Falls and is reached by Notch Road and Lower Notch Road. McBride Avenue, Lackawanna Avenue and Browertown Road are the main county roads through town.
• Bus: NJ Transit's 704 route runs between Paterson and Willowbrook Mall, with stops along McBride Avenue and Browertown Road.
• Train: Woodland Park has no rail station of its own, but there are stations in neighboring towns. Little Falls and Montclair State University are on the Montclair-Boonton Line, and Clifton and Paterson are on the Main Line.
• Walking and biking: The Morris Canal Greenway runs roughly parallel to Browertown Road and is part of the county's network of bike and pedestrian routes.

Housing in Woodland Park

The borough is mostly residential, and its master plan describes a mix of single-family homes, two-family homes, townhomes and multifamily buildings. Census estimates put the owner-occupied rate at about 63 percent, so roughly a third of homes are rentals.

The borough's master plan also points to change over time. It recommends turning the McBride Avenue corridor, from Route 46 to Browertown Road, into a mixed-use downtown district, and the borough's housing plan identifies sites for new inclusionary housing, where a share of units is reserved for low- and moderate-income households. We track what's approved and what actually reaches the market.

Buying a Home in Woodland Park

A few checks matter more here than in some neighboring towns:

• Flood risk: The Peckman River has a history of flooding in Woodland Park and Little Falls. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Peckman River Basin study recommended flood-control measures for both towns, including a flood diversion culvert, and Congress authorized the project in 2020. For any home near the river, we check FEMA maps, elevation certificates and flood insurance needs before you make an offer.
• Two-family homes: A two-family lets you live in one unit and rent the other to help with the mortgage. With an FHA loan, you can buy a two-to-four family property with a low down payment as long as you live in one of the units.
• Townhomes and condos: For any unit in an association, we review monthly fees, reserves, rental rules and any upcoming special assessments. For newer inclusionary units, we also check any income or resale restrictions.
• Property taxes: We pull the current tax figure for every home you're considering so your monthly budget is accurate from the start.
• Hillside lots: Homes near Garret Mountain can sit on sloped lots. A thorough inspection should cover drainage, retaining walls and driveways.

Need financing? We can connect you with a lender for pre-approval before you start touring.

Selling Your Woodland Park Home

Woodland Park sellers compete for buyers who are also looking in Little Falls, Totowa, Clifton and Wayne, so pricing has to reflect each home's details: lot, layout, distance to I-80, and whether it sits in a mapped flood area. Having an elevation certificate and flood insurance history ready can keep a deal on track. Some online searches still use the old West Paterson name, and we make sure your listing reaches buyers using either one. We'll prepare a free comparative market analysis using recent sales of homes like yours, then market your home across the MLS and every major online channel.

Renting and Investing in Woodland Park

With about a third of the borough's homes renter-occupied, Woodland Park has a steady rental market made up of apartments, townhomes and units in two-family houses. Landlords should know the borough has a rent control ordinance that limits rent increases; the version on the borough's website exempts two-unit homes where the landlord lives in one of the units. We check the current rules for any property before you buy or set a rent. For investors, we'll walk through realistic rents, taxes, flood insurance and condition so the numbers work from day one.

Local Landmarks and Amenities

• Garret Mountain Reservation, including Barbour Pond, with Lambert Castle and the Lambert Observation Tower on the reservation's Paterson side
• Rifle Camp Park and the John J. Crowley Nature Center and Astronomical Observatory
• Morris Canal Greenway along the Browertown Road corridor
• Berkeley College, Woodland Park campus, at 44 Rifle Camp Road
• Garret Mountain Plaza office park on Squirrelwood Road
• Borough Hall at 5 Brophy Lane
• Public schools: Woodland Park School District, with grades 9 through 12 attending Passaic Valley Regional High School in Little Falls

Talk to a Local Broker

The Thompson Realty Group is a licensed New Jersey real estate brokerage based at 20 MacArthur Ave in Garfield, serving buyers, sellers, renters and investors across Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic counties. Whether you're a first-time FHA buyer, a cash investor, or a homeowner wondering what your place is worth, we'll give you straight answers about Woodland Park.

Call or text 201-928-5562 or book a free 15-minute consultation. You can also search every active New Jersey listing on our website.

Information on this page is provided for general guidance and is believed accurate as of October 2026. Programs, ordinances, taxes and transit schedules change, so please verify details for any specific property. Equal Housing Opportunity.