You’ve probably driven past the rug mill a thousand times without thinking twice about the rocks beneath it. Little Falls is a weird place. I don’t mean "weird" in a bad way, but it’s geographically and historically quirky in a way that most Passaic County suburbs just aren't. While everyone else is focused on the Great Falls in Paterson, the rare Little Falls NJ landscape is quietly sitting there with some of the most unique basalt formations in the Eastern United States.
It's easy to overlook.
Most people see a town with a nice downtown and a train station. But if you actually get down by the river—specifically near the Morris Canal entrance or the old Beattie Mill—you start to see why this tiny footprint of land was so vital to the industrialization of New Jersey. It wasn't just about water power. It was about the "Little Falls" themselves, a natural trap in the Passaic River that created a specific kind of sandstone and basalt shelf that you won't find replicated exactly like this anywhere else in the Piedmont region.
Honestly, the geology here is the real star.
Why the Geology of Rare Little Falls NJ is Actually a Big Deal
Geologists come here for the basalt. Specifically, the Second Watchung Mountain ridge cuts right through the heart of the township. This isn't just "dirt." We're talking about 200-million-year-old volcanic activity. When the Atlantic Ocean started to pull apart during the Jurassic period, magma pushed up through the earth’s crust. In Little Falls, this cooled into incredibly dense, "trap rock" formations.
What makes it rare?
The way the river interacts with the basalt. Most waterfalls in the region are either massive, like Paterson, or just tiny trickles. Little Falls has a "stepped" progression. This created a natural damming effect that colonial settlers exploited almost immediately. But beyond the utility, there’s the Preakness Basalt. This specific layer of rock is exposed in very few places, and Little Falls offers one of the clearest windows into this volcanic past.
If you walk along the Passaic River near the dam, look at the vertical fractures in the rock. Those are cooling joints. They formed as the lava cooled and contracted, almost like the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, just on a much more suburban, Jersey-sized scale. It’s a rare sight for anyone who actually stops to look down instead of just looking at their phone while crossing the bridge.
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The Sandstone That Built the Classics
While the basalt is the "rare" geological feature, the Brownstone is what put the town on the map. The Little Falls quarries provided the stone for some of the most famous architecture in New York City. We're talking about Trinity Church at the foot of Wall Street.
Imagine that for a second.
A massive, iconic Gothic Revival cathedral in the heart of Manhattan was literally dug out of the ground in this small New Jersey town. The "rare" aspect here is the quality of the stone. It was known for being remarkably durable compared to the softer sandstones found further south. Most people think of Brownstones as a Brooklyn thing, but the DNA of those buildings often leads back to the banks of the Passaic.
The Morris Canal’s "Hidden" Infrastructure
Everyone knows about the Morris Canal. It was the "mountain climbing" canal of the 19th century. But in Little Falls, the canal had to do something pretty spectacular to deal with the uneven terrain.
They built an aqueduct.
A massive stone bridge that carried the canal over the Passaic River. This wasn't just a wooden trough; it was a feat of engineering that utilized the local stone we were just talking about. While much of the canal was filled in during the 1920s, you can still find remnants of this infrastructure if you know where to look. The Little Falls Historical Society has done a decent job of marking these spots, but it still feels like a secret.
Finding these ruins is part of the rare Little Falls NJ experience. You’re standing in a spot where, 150 years ago, mule-drawn boats were floating 50 feet in the air over a rushing river. It’s wild.
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The Beattie Carpet Mill Legacy
You can’t talk about this town without mentioning the Beattie family. They basically owned the place. The Beattie Carpet Mill was a massive employer, and the family’s influence is everywhere. The architecture of the mill itself—which has since been converted into those high-end condos—is a prime example of 19th-century industrial design.
What’s truly rare is how the mill integrated with the river. Unlike other towns that built away from their industrial scars, Little Falls grew around them. The mill race, the tunnels, and the way the water was diverted through the building's basement to turn the turbines is still visible in the site's layout.
Misconceptions About the "Falls"
I hear this a lot: "Where are the actual falls?"
People show up expecting Niagara. Or even a mini-Paterson. Then they see the dam near the Eagle Rock Avenue bridge and feel cheated.
Here’s the reality. The "Little Falls" are largely submerged or modified by the dam built for the Beattie Mill. Before the dam, the river dropped about 10 to 12 feet over a series of jagged basalt ledges. It wasn't one big drop; it was a chaotic, beautiful rush of white water. Even though the dam has changed the visual, the energy of the river is still there. During a heavy rain, you can see the power that once drove the entire local economy.
Why the "Rare" Label Still Fits
In 2026, finding a town that hasn't been completely sanitized by modern strip-mall culture is getting harder. Little Falls has its share of development, sure. But the core—the geography, the river, the weird rocky outcroppings—remains stubborn.
It’s rare because it’s a transition zone.
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You’ve got the flatlands of the Passaic Valley hitting the hard wall of the Watchung Mountains. This creates micro-climates and specific habitats for local flora and fauna that you don’t see five miles East. If you’re a bird watcher, the river corridor in Little Falls is a goldmine. Because of the rocky shallows and the oxygenated water from the falls, it’s a prime spot for herons and even the occasional bald eagle looking for a snack.
How to Actually Experience This
Don't just drive through.
If you want to see the rare Little Falls NJ that geologists and historians nerd out over, you have to get your boots on the ground. There are a few specific spots that give you the "real" view of the town's bones.
- The Morris Canal Greenway: This isn't just a trail; it's a history lesson. Look for the markers near the high school. You can follow the old towpath and see the depressions in the earth where the canal once flowed.
- The River’s Edge near the Mill: Head toward the condo complex (the old Beattie Mill). There are public access points where you can see the massive basalt foundations. Look at the water level. Notice how the rock has been carved over millennia.
- The High Street View: For a sense of the "Watchung" elevation, drive up toward the higher points of town. You get a perspective of the valley that explains why the Native Americans and later the Dutch settlers found this spot so strategically important.
Actionable Insights for the Local Explorer
If you're planning to visit or if you live here and want to appreciate it more, here is the "insider" list of things to actually do.
- Check the Water Levels: Visit after a solid rain (but stay safe). The "Falls" part of Little Falls only truly reveals its power when the Passaic is running high. The sound is transformative.
- Study the Stone: Go to a building like the Second Reformed Church. Look at the texture of the stone. That’s the local sandstone. It has a specific grain and color that identifies it as "Little Falls Brownstone."
- Visit the Historical Society: They are located in the old Morris Canal lock tender's house. It's a tiny building, but it's packed with maps that show exactly where the "rare" geological features were before the town was built up.
- Look for the Basalt Outcrops: Behind some of the local businesses on Main Street, the mountain literally pokes through the pavement. It’s a reminder that the town is built on a volcano’s leftovers.
The charm of Little Falls isn't in some flashy tourist attraction. It’s in the layers. It’s in the fact that Trinity Church started here, that the Morris Canal flew through the air here, and that the ground beneath your feet is a 200-million-year-old volcanic ridge. That’s a lot for one small town to carry.
When you stop looking for a "big" waterfall and start looking for the "rare" details, the town opens up. It’s not just another stop on the NJ Transit line. It’s a geological anomaly that shaped the face of the tri-state area.
Next time you're stuck in traffic on Route 46, remember that just a few hundred yards away, the Passaic is still cutting through that ancient basalt, doing the same thing it’s been doing since before the first human ever stepped foot in Jersey. That’s a perspective worth having.