Marsha P. Johnson State Park

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 New Jersey — New Jersey’s newest state park — named for the legendary trans activist and drag performer who helped lead the 1969 Stonewall uprising! Located along the Hudson River waterfront in Union City with views of the Manhattan skyline. First state park in U.S. history named for a transgender person.

Visitor Information

About Marsha P. Johnson

Marsha P. Johnson State Park in Hudson County — New Jersey’s newest state park — honors the transgender activist who was a key figure in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. The waterfront park provides stunning views of the Manhattan skyline across the Hudson River. Located in one of the most densely populated areas of the United States, the park provides essential green space and river access for communities in Weehawken and Union City.

Things to Do

Walking the waterfront promenade with Manhattan skyline views, picnicking, fishing in the Hudson River, and experiencing one of America’s newest and most symbolically significant state parks.

Plan Your Visit

The park provides waterfront walking paths with unobstructed Manhattan skyline views — one of the most dramatic urban vistas in America. The park connects to the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, which will eventually span 18.5 miles from Bayonne to the George Washington Bridge. NJ Transit buses and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail serve the area. Free admission; open dawn to dusk. The park hosts Pride events and cultural programming year-round.

Nature & Wildlife

The Hudson River waterfront supports migrating striped bass, bluefish, and blue crabs — a recovering estuary that was once severely polluted. The park’s plantings use native species adapted to the urban salt-air environment. Peregrine falcons nest on nearby high-rises and hunt over the river. The Hudson River Estuary — technically a tidal fjord carved by glaciers — is one of the most biologically productive waterways on the East Coast.

Insider Tips

LGBTQ+ history: Named for Marsha P. Johnson — a transgender activist and key figure in the 1969 Stonewall uprising in NYC. Pro tip: This is one of the first state parks in America named for a transgender person — it sits along the Hudson River waterfront. New Jersey: NJ has been a leader in LGBTQ+ rights legislation.

Best Time to Visit

Summer: Waterfront activities. Fall: River views. Spring: Park events. Year-round: Waterfront access.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Marsha P. Johnson?

Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992) was a Black transgender woman and activist in New York City — a prominent figure in the 1969 Stonewall uprising, which launched the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. She co-founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) with Sylvia Rivera, providing shelter for homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Johnson was a beloved figure in Greenwich Village. Her death in 1992 was initially ruled a suicide but was later reclassified and remains unsolved.