Page 27 - Westchester - 2024 Travel & Meeting Guide

CALLING ALL WEEKEND WARRIORS!
Almost every outdoor activity you can think of awaits
you in Westchester. Choose from miles of trails for hiking, biking, and running; chip and putt at myriad golf courses;
or make a splash with sailing, kayaking, or standup paddleboarding. For a low-key vibe, there are plenty of scenic vistas to enjoy as well as open spaces for picnicking or just relaxing and grounding yourself in nature.
PICK YOUR PARK
The County’s more than
50 parks and recreation areas offer myriad ways to enjoy the great outdoors. One of the most popular
is Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla, the “Central Park” of Westchester, renowned for its massive stone dam, sweeping top-of-the- reservoir views, iconic 9/11 memorial, “The Rising,” and yearly cultural festivals. Explore another spectacular dam, along with a cascading spillway plus hiking trails, fishing, and wintertime cross-country skiing at Croton Gorge Park in Cortlandt. The Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary
in Rye offers prime Long Island Sound views and 179 acres to explore, including marshlands, a lake, and forested walking trails. You’ll find a diverse array
of marine life and plentiful bird-watching opportunities, as well. For stunning Hudson River views, try Croton Point Park in Croton, where you can walk multiple paths along the river shore, enjoy swimming and sunning in the beach area, go canoeing, and
even stay overnight at the
options for all levels, including trails that scale the peaks of Mt Spitzenberg and Blue Mountain. For trails that wind through 1,000 acres of lakes, swamps, hemlock forests, and laurel groves, try Teatown Lake Reservation in Ossining, where you can also take a guided tour of Wildflower Island to view more than 230 species of native and endangered plants. Ward Pound Ridge Reservation
thrills visitors with 4,315 acres dotted with hiking and horseback riding trails as well as the Trailside Nature Museum, which offers bird walks and other special nature events. Westchester even has a “linear park”
— Bronx River Parkway Reservation — a paved path spread over more than 800 acres that takes bikers, joggers, and skaters from the northern tip of New York City up to the Kensico Dam.
Opposite page:
Croton Gorge Park; top: Ward Pound Ridge Reservation
campgrounds. In Katonah,
Lasdon Park, Arboretum
& Veterans Memorial
offers enough for a full
day’s adventure: a historic tree walk, lilac collection spanning more than 90 species, Chinese Friendship Garden and fountain, Fairy Hollow Trail, seasonal Dinosaur Garden, and a glass conservatory filled with tropical plants.
Mountain bikers and hikers can get their fix within Blue Mountain Reservation’s 1,538 acres, which features multiple
VisitWestchesterNY.com 25
Find Your Zen
Peace, wisdom, and nature unite at Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden in North Salem. The 3.5- acre Japanese-inspired garden offers an intimate oasis for contemplation
and appreciation of nature as well as a celebration of Japanese culture.
Trekking with Trackchairs
Individuals living with disabilities that restrict mobility can access Westchester’s bounty of nature trails through the county’s Trails Without Limits program. Currently offered at Saxon Woods Park (White Plains), Lenoir Preserve (Yonkers), and Muscoot Farm (Katonah), participants can borrow a free all-terrain trackchair to navigate the parks and immerse themselves in natural beauty. For more information or to register for an adaptive hike, call the Westchester Parks Foundation at 914-231-4600.
CROTON GORGE PARK PHOTO BY SAM FRIEDMAN PHOTOGRAPHY; ADAPTIVE TRAIL PROGRAM PHOTO COURTESY OF WESTCHESTER PARKS FOUNDATION; HAMMOND MUSEUM PHOTO COURTESY OF HAMMOND MUSEUM & JAPANESE STROLL GARDEN