Fort Lee Historic Park

Preserved site of the November 1776 Continental Army fort on the Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. The park contains reconstructed earthworks, period artillery, and exhibits on the Palisades campaign. On November 20, 1776, Hessian and British forces under Lord Cornwallis scaled the cliffs and overran the position, forcing Washington's army into the desperate retreat across New Jersey that Tom Paine later called "the times that try men's souls." The overlook provides a direct line of sight to Fort Washington on the Manhattan side, explaining immediately why losing both forts simultaneously collapsed the Hudson River defense.