When avid hikers and longtime county residents Jane and Walt Daniels realized there was no book advising where to walk and hike in Westchester County, they set out to write one. Eight years later, their guide has been published. Here, Jane offers her recommendations to the county’s leaf peepers (in order of increasing difficulty).
| 1) North County Trailway in Croton. “This offers the only view over the Croton Reservoir, and it’s one of the best vistas that’s accessible to everybody—people on bicycles, people in wheelchairs, and people with dogs on leashes.” Go south from Route 118, out to the railroad bridge over the Croton Reservoir (handicapped accessible), or, for a longer walk, pick up the trail going north from Route 134. |  |
| 2) Rockwood Hall in Sleepy Hollow, just north of Phelps Memorial Hospital on Route 9. “This is one of the best scenic spots that’s easily accessible by public transportation,” via Beeline Bus #13 at Rockwood Road. “It’s a romantic spot—you can see the Palisades.” |  |
| 3) Lakeside Trail at Teatown Lake Reservation in Ossining. “Foliage is best viewed over water, and there are many scenic views on the trail out over the lake. An abundance of tulip trees and maples adds to the color.” |  |
| 4) Silver Lake Preserve’s White Trail in Harrison. “This little-known county park was the site of American Revolutionary War action.” |  |
| 5) Camp Smith Trail in Peekskill. “The views are the best in Westchester. I’ve known at least two couples who have gotten engaged at Anthony’s Nose, a point along the trail, because the vistas are so utterly fantastic.” It is accessible from the Toll House Visitors Center, on Route 6/202, just north of Peekskill, at a parking area on the east side of the road, or from the Appalachian Trail just north of the Bear Mountain Bridge. |  |
