Daderot | Wikimedia Commons
Stroll through Westchester County’s scenic local parklands on March 30 — or any day this season — to enjoy fresh air and sunshine.
With spring’s arrival, so, too, comes National Take a Walk in the Park Day, which falls on March 30. Seeing as Westchester is a place that boasts lots of green in places other than its residents’ pockets, we thought we’d suggest some appropriate locales to commemorate the occasion.
Baxter Preserve
Baxter Road, North Salem
Let your inner Jane Austen character roam free in this open space of meadows, rock walls, horses, and (small) hilltops in North Salem. Its 114-acres offer a gorgeous, leisurely walk around a small lake (big pond?) and through fields that seem like they lead to Pemberley, Mr. Darcy’s estate.
Graff Sanctuary
Furnace Dock Rd, Croton-on-Hudson
Share your stroll with bald eagles and great horned owls at the Graff Sanctuary in Croton-on-Hudson. This 29-acre preserve offers a quick and easy walk with only 0.9 miles of trails, but glimpses of the Hudson River and, with luck, large birds of prey, make it worthwhile.
Kensico Dam Fitness Station Trail
1 Bronx River Parkway, Valhalla
Add a workout to your walk at the Kensico Dam Plaza’s 10-station fitness trail. Each stop provides instruction for a specific exercise, boosting the cardio-and-strengthening benefits of your outing but making it, perhaps, less of a “walk in the park.”
Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park
15 Walnut St, Dobbs Ferry
Walk and learn along the route of the old Croton Aqueduct, a 41-mile feat of 19th-century engineering designed to bring fresh water from the Croton River to New York City. Historic structures and gorgeous views of the Hudson highlight this unique and scenic trail.
Trail of Honor – Lasdon Park & Arboretum
2610 Amawalk Rd, Katonah
Stride with purpose along the Trail of Honor in Katonah’s Lasdon Park, a path leading past a series of stone monuments commemorating every major American conflict from the Revolutionary War through Desert Storm. Memorials at the end of the trail list Westchester residents who have served in the military.
Westchester Wilderness Walk
258-278 Upper Shad Rd, Pound Ridge
Princess Pine Grove, Trudeau’s Point of View, and Tulip Tree Heights are just a few of the landmarks you’ll pass along the Westchester Wilderness Walk in the Zofnass Family Preserve. Not quite wilderness, these serene 150 acres in Pound Ridge, with eight miles of trails, feel far away.
Additionally, Westchester’s parks will reopen for picnicking this year after being closed last season due to the COVID-9 pandemic. Reservations can be made at the following locations by calling the county park permit office at 914.231.4575 Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Blue Mountain Reservation, Peekskill
- Croton Gorge, Cortlandt
- Croton Point Park, Croton-on-Hudson
- George’s Island Park, Montrose
- Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla
- V.E. Macy Park, Irvington
- Ridge Road Park, Hartsdale
- Saxon Woods Park, White Plains
- Sprain Ridge Park, Yonkers
- Tibbetts Brook Park, Yonkers
- Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Cross River
- Willson’s Woods Park, Mount Vernon
