From a height of about 600 feet above sea level at its source outside of Mendham, the Passaic River winds its way through seven counties, 45 municipalities and 90 miles into Newark Bay. It flows through a 935-acre watershed supporting three million people.

In Paterson, the Passaic River makes an intricate contortion to form the Passaic, or Great Passaic Falls, a 77-foot drop into a rocky gorge. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington's aide de camp,Alexander Hamilton, observed the spectacular Falls, and prophetically envisioned a city at its base utilizing its waterpower. Today, a statue of Alexander Hamilton at nearby Haines Overlook Park gazes upon the plunging Falls as a tribute to the accuracy of Hamilton's vision.