5 Standout Destinations for Outdoor Recreation

Open space in Westchester totals more than 104,000 acres and has a diversity of terrain and bodies of water that includes wildlife sanctuaries, preserves, marshlands, parks, farms, trailways, ponds, rivers, and lakes. Get out and enjoy every season, exploring and playing in Westchester’s great outdoors.

 

Croton Point Park

Surrounded by water on three sides, Croton Point juts out into the Hudson’s widest span, making it an ideal spot for riverside picnicking, camping, soccer playing, and dog walking. There’s a beach for swimming, plus a nature center, two playgrounds, and great fishing spots.

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1A Croton Point Ave, Croton-on-Hudson 
914.862.5290
parks.westchestergov.com/croton-point-park

 

Glen Island Park


Photo by Sammie Finch

Glen Island is the second-most widely used park in Westchester, after Playland. There is a beach, the Glen Island Harbour Club (formerly the Glen Island Casino), a boat ramp that handles around 70 launches per weekend on average, picnic pavilions, and a bathhouse.

Weyman Ave, New Rochelle
914.813.6720
parks.westchestergov.com/glen-island-park

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Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture


Photo by Ben Hider

The Center is a nonprofit collaborative farming organization designed to promote sustainable, farm-to-table food practices in Westchester and beyond. Visitors, welcome Wednesday through Sunday, can take a self-guided tour of the grounds, which feature greenhouses, live animals, pastures, and woodland trails. Sign up for a family tour for a guided go-around. The annual Harvest Fest in October is always a sold-out event.

630 Bedford Rd, Pocantico Hills;
914.366.6200
www.stonebarnscenter.org

 

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Cranberry Lake Preserve

Lily-pad-laden Cranberry Lake, wetlands, hiking trails, an active bird population, and a small man-made stone “cave” are the main attractions at the preserve, situated just northeast of the Kensico Dam. Visitors can trek to 19th-century ruins scattered throughout the park, including those of an old farmhouse and an abandoned quarry from a 20th-century stone-mining operation. 
1609 Old Orchard St, White Plains
914.428.1005
parks.westchestergov.com/cranberry-lake

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park


Photo courtesy NYS Parks Dept.

Water recreation is the attraction here, with a mammoth pool that accommodates 3,500 swimmers, along with two bodies of fresh water: Mohansic Lake and Crom Pond. Both are ideal for fishing (bass, perch, and sunfish are popular catches; fishing license required) and boating (rent a pedal boat or rowboat, or launch your own with a regional permit). There’s plenty to do on land, as well, with picnic areas, basketball and volleyball courts, and softball and soccer fields.

2957 Crompond Rd, Yorktown Heights
914.245.4434

www.nysparks.com/parks/148

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