Fort Washington Park is one of those low-key gems in NYC. Super chill vibe with beautiful views of the Hudson River and the George Washington Bridge. Perfect spot if you're looking to clear your head or just enjoy some fresh air. Great for walking, jogging, running, or riding bikes ‍‍‍. The paths are spacious, the scenery is on point, and it never feels overly crowded. Whether you're working out or just taking a relaxing stroll, this park definitely delivers. read more

Love this park! I have been here a few times and i always enjoy the peaceful vibes ,and beautiful views of the historic red little Lighthouse, the mighty GWB & the Hudson river. Access to this park can be tricky. My hubby always gets us there though~ sometimes starting our walk from Inwood Hill park going uptown. Othertimes from the 180's street in Washington Heights. Once you get there, view is worth it. Love the little red light house & its history. Clean bathrooms are also available. Be mindful of the bikers in this area. They're more inpatient & drive faster here compared to other parks in the city. read more

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It's always peaceful here. How close we live by, we don't take advantage of visiting here as often as we should. Fort Washington Park, right by the George Washington Bridge, has a park you can park your car, walk around, bike, picnic, explore, and be around beautiful scenery. The parking lot can get busy abd packed. If you do find a spot, stay and enjoy being outside. Often driving on the George Washington Bridge heading to New York, you don't stop to think there are options to be under the bridge and check out how beautiful it can be. No entrance fee, free to the public. Enjoy and relax these warm days ahead. It's good to come here even when it isn't warm - experience being here through different seasons. read more

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Not exactly easy to access but that's probably because Riverside Drive is in the way. The park is located along the Hudson River and because of that, it has amazing views of the New Jersey Palisades and you can peek south to see Midtown skyscrapers and of course the George Washington Bridge. The park is a huge 160 acre ribbon and has cliffs, meadows and wooded areas. Baseball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, soccer fields, handball courts, playgrounds, spraygrounds and restrooms. (Yes, thank you for the restroom!) We had a great walk through the park. A real gem to contrast with the concrete and steel jungles of Mahattan. [Review 15647 overall - 244 in New York - 1151 of 2021.] read more

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This park is awesome! There's such a closeup and beautiful view of the George Washington Bridge. I guess if you life in NY you go to whichever park is closest depending on if it has what you're looking for. Looking at NJ from NY isn't as nice as the other way around, but it's still cool. If your into history there's a lighthouse and some historical buildings. There's a walking and biking trail that you can get on over here and follow down the coast all the way down. It has everything you expect of a park; picnic/BBQ area, jungle gym, dog park, basketball/tennis/handball courts, baseball/soccer fields and more. read more

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My goal is to explore as many NYC parks I can on the weekends. I like this park because you can sit on the rocks. The view is picturesque. The sound of the waves is relaxing and soothing. The only downside is the bike path. If you are walking, you have to be conscientious of the riders passing you. Otherwise, I still recommend going to this park. read more

Fort Washington Park - GWB in the distance - Parks Near Me - New York, New York

I was raised on 172nd Street & Fort Washington Avenue, Manhattan, NY. At the bottom of our hilltop street were ancient steps leading down to the Henry Hudson Parkway, and beyond that, Fort Washington Park and the Hudson River. My cousins and I played down there as often as we could escape parental restrictions, because it was only a few blocks from the Geo. Washington Bridge and the Little Red Lighthouse made famous by a popular children's book by that name we had all read and nearly memorized. We heard stories how this place was once called Jeffrey's Hook, and about the local Lenape indians (Weckquaesgeek) who inhabited this area before the arrival of the Dutch and English. We learned of ship and bargewrecks in the shallows just off the riverbank caused by treacherous rapids over jagged rocks beneath the surface, leading to the construction of light poles over the water to warn ships away from these shoals; and ultimately the construction of the small lighthouse in 1921. Previously, Little Red had been located at Sandy Hook, NJ, before being disassembled and put into storage in 1917. The GWB was constructed in 1931, making it once again obsolete. It was permanently decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1948, and thereafter donated to the NYC Parks Department in 1951. These days this greenway runs from Dyckman Street in the northern reaches of Manhattan, down to 155st Street, and from Riverside Drive west to the Hudson. Although relatively small compared to other riverside parks in the City, it packs a beautiful punch in terms of viewscape. To the northwest are the baldfaced vertical Palisades in Jersey and the majestic Great Gray Bridge. North and south you can see the western skyline of Manhattan, from ship piers to The Cloisters and Spuyten Duyvil Creek, marking the northern end of the island. Then, there is the Mighty Hudson River, broad and strong, separating New York from Jersey. And, of course, the Little Red Lighthouse in the shadow of the bridge, where I played as a kid. Is this the finest park in New York? Probably not, given the competition throughout the City. Still, it remains relatively unknown to most residents other than locals in this Upper Upper West Side corner of the Apple, and thus retains a certain magic for those fortunate enough to know its charm and magnificence. Pro Question - Who was Hildegard Swift? read more

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Not as highly rated as Fivet Washington, but better than Threet Washington. Fort Washington Park. One of my favourite places in New York CIty, for obvious reasons. It has a gorgeous little red lighthouse, and truly amazing views of the water. It's one of the better parks in the whole city. And you can see Joy-see across the water - which is a good thing. Not a bad thing. It's green and lush and lovely and underrated. read more

This is a nice option to go for a stroll along the Hudson River. Enter through the pedestrian pathway located on 181st and make your way south parallel to the Henry Hudson Highway. You'll get great views of the George Washington Bridge and have access to tennis and volleyball courts. There are water fountains along the trail of you need a drink. There are no restrooms available unfortunately. Some areas are solitaire so you'll have to be aware of your surroundings at all times. The Parks Department needs a stronger presence because I observed dozens of people consuming alcohol and dumping the beer cans all over the grass. It's best to sit by the benches and take in the views of the Palisades across the river. read more

Fort Washington Park - Parks Near Me - New York, New York

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Fantastic park and trail along the Hudson in Manhattan. While and whenever I'm visiting New York City I indulge by addiction to running here. It is quiet and you would never know their is a huge and noisy city a stones throw away. People are allowed to plant flowers and veggies along the trail and my friends here say they are left alone. Love this park. read more

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Dude, c'mon. The views alone are worth five stars. Enjoy this exceptionally vertical portion of Manhattan from the biggest park in the vicinity. read more

Fort Washington Park - Parks Near Me - New York, New York

3.75 stars. The Little Red Lighthouse is surely the highlight of this green space overlooking the Hudson River, the George Washington Bridge and the Palisades in New Jersey. In the vicinity of the park you can enjoy baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts (my favorite). If you head to the tennis court early enough you won't even have to wait to play. Not every court is in good conditions, but it's still better than no courts at all. Getting in and out is not very easy, and if you want to cross the George Washington Bridge (which I totally recommend), you have to walk back quite a bit before finding the walkway that climbs along the bridge. It's a peaceful space that could receive more help from the city in terms of accessibility and cleanliness. read more

Inwood has a little treasured oasis that stretches between 155th and 158th Streets of public waterfront, Fort Washington Park provides continuous parkland along the Hudson River from 145th Street to Manhattan's northern tip. Beautiful view of George Washington Bridge, bike trails, open picnic tables, playground space with tennis courts, baseball field, basketball, handball courts and dog run areas. A small red Lighthouse under the GW Bridge. Lots of green. Small gem but BIG presence for Northern Manhattan. read more

Fort Washington Park - Parks Near Me - New York, New York

My boyfriend and I were both born and raised in the area, and neither one of us had ever been to Fort Washington Park. I always heard of the iconic little red lighthouse, but had never seen it in person. My boyfriend and I decided that we needed to come explore, HAHAHA! The entrance to Fort Washington Park was hard to find; we were trying to go in through the side on 181St, but it was closed. We finally found our way in, and this park has everything to make you feel relaxed; you have the best views, the smell of the water and nature, the sound of the water and people laughing and enjoying themselves... and then, the best, enjoying it all with my boyfriend :). read more

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All the years I lived in Harlem and the Heights and it was on a visit to the city that I found this place. Pathetic. Me, I mean, not the park. This park is dope once you survive the hike to get to it, which by the way, I don't recommend doing while lugging lots and lots of beer that you of course aren't planning to drink there because that would be illegal, right? Indeed, it is a hike, but once you arrive, you can have a BBQ sitting beneath the Gee Dubs while a nice river breeze hits you. Plus, you can go hang out on the rocks and watch people do stupid things on Jet-Skis. I never knew about the red lighthouse, so that's another nice discovery. All in all, a cool park. I did see courts for b-ball and all that too, but didn't partake so can't comment there. read more

Fort Washington Park - Parks Near Me - New York, New York

Excellent park. 1) The Little Red Lighthouse is the main attraction. Must visit. 2) The view of the GW Bridge is fantastic. 3) Great place to walk around. read more

Fort Washington Park - Parks Near Me - New York, New York

Fun park to ride around, stroll around, and climb up onto the little red lighthouse (when it's open, otherwise just have a sweet picnic next to it and take some cute photos). You can also see the GW bridge and just have yourself a nice, relaxing day while walking around and frolicking along the park. read more

Yeah, there really ain't much here. But I gotta give 5 stars because: I bike through here all the time It's free read more

My rating is actually 4 and a half stars. Stumbled upon this gem while on a run. It's a nice park with beautiful views of the hudson river. It's not crowded so bring the kids along but the downside of that is it's a little bit of a hike going down to this place. We came in at 181st. There seems to be a sprinkler so I guess it's a sprayground during the summer. There are picnic tables with barbecue grills. This is a nice route to include in your training runs because of the uphill/downhill course you get going to the park. read more

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Coming from the north, it's a pain to get to the river. There is a series of zigzags that involve a pedestrian bridge over a major highway. It's steep and going up can do a number on your glutes and calves. Once you get down to the park, you will get a great view of the underbelly of the GW bridge. Immediately under the bridge is a hidden secret. A red lighthouse that was going to be torn down, but was instead renovated after protests and a book being written about it. It's worth seeing. If you look south from the park near the red lighthouse, you can see the buildings of midtown and even downtown. It's pretty amazing. read more

A true gem that I don't think many people in Washington Heights even realize is here. I'm hesitant to even write this review because I don't want the park to become more crowded (its always FULL of bikers that want to run me over). There are fields, picnic tables with bbqs, playgrounds, and tons of space to just stretch out and enjoy just being outside when the weather is nice. I've started to jog here and its great for that too. Tip: The easiest entrances are on 158th and 181st. Avoid the weirdo 165 entrance/exit. read more

Beautiful park to run the trail on! I love the views of the river and the bridge. Plus people are always around, barbecuing or playing, which makes it feel safe and like a real community park read more

A new place for me, never imagine there exists such a big park along the river. It's really a good place for weekends, and you can visit the cloisters afterwards. *The only pity is that we cannot walk on the bridge.* read more

Imagine 30, 000 British and Hessian troops marching at you with bayonets at the ready......... It happened here in 1776..... Check out the following website for many great colonial places in NYC http://www.nyfreedom.com/ read more

Take the entrance on 181st for a steep hike/bike ride up or down. Either way, the view from right below the bridge is unbeatable around sunset. There are park benches and picnic tables as well as large grassy areas to lay out on as soon as the trail levels off. The Hudson is right there, but knowing the Hudson it probably shouldn't be touched. The Little Red Lighthouse is also in immediate proximity. This park is great for gatherings or to start a run or bike ride. read more

Fort Washington Park - Near the 181st entrance at sunset. - Parks Near Me - New York, New York

If you've been recently inspired by Federer's return to the top, then you may want to go play some tennis. As an avid tennis player, I can't stand trying to play in the city. Permits. Full courts. Sign up sheets. Waits. No thank you. I come up to Fort Washington Park and march my butt down to the water's edge to play with a coach once a week. Sometimes, if I can get him to make the trek, my boyfriend comes. Sometimes, I don't want him to come because how in the world does he pick up a racquet for the first time in 8 years and in less than five minutes return my hardest serves and shots and... I digress... If you're looking for lessons, try Russell Cormier, but don't book him up because I found him first. The only drawback to these courts is that they are really far away, unless you live by Columbia. read more

Fort Washington Park is a wonderful Park away from all the tourist and full of local flavor . Its a perfect resting stop before crossing the GW on the bike or foot. Its also a excellent party atmosphere loud music can be heard as you near the park. As a cyclist you must slow down small children love to run thru the bike paths without notice. and views read more

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I was amazed and impressed by everything this park had to offer. It's not only home to a historical landmark but also has great views of the city and river alike. It has running trails, tennis courts and paved walkway for bikes and roller blading alike. Great area to run, walk or bike and it stretches down alongside the river. Looking forward to visiting this amazing place over and over again. read more

I was on top of GWB riding my bike, I love the view of this.. it's always nice to stop there and overlook the beautiful park, Manhattan and Jersey view.. read more

Fort Washington Park - From the top of gwb - Parks Near Me - New York, New York

"This is the closest I've ever been to the George Washington Bridge without driving on it," said a family member of ours when we walked him down West 181st Street to take in the gorgeous hillside view that Washington Heights has of the Hudson River, the GW bridge, & Jersey over yonder. Wanna know how to get even closer to the bridge...? Then head over to Fort Washington Park which, according to nycgovparks.org, technically runs from West 155th to 179th Streets. But we access it from the end of 181st St., crossing the pedestrian overpass over the Henry Hudson parkway (past the site of the infamous April '07 wall-collapse - now built up again!)... After a few turns in the path, you find yourself right off of the Hudson River in Fort Washington Park. Not well-known to most people outside of Washington Hts/Inwood, Fort Washington Park offers cyclists & pedestrian a lovely trail alongside the river. Picnic tables, tennis courts & basketball courts too. And you get an UNBELIEVABLE view of the George Washington Bridge (& its underbelly) as you walk by it. In its shadow is the Little Red Lighthouse, Manhattan's lone lighthouse. Its official name is the Jeffreys Hook Lighthouse; I've seen online that the lighthouse is supposedly open "regularly" during spring through fall for public exploration but after living nearby for 3 years now, I can tell you that I've only known it to be open an elusive weekend or 2 per year it seems. But for the rest of the year, it's just so cool to see it there next to the bridge. Both of these are the subject of the children's book "The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Grey Bridge" (supposedly the book's popularity saved the lighthouse from demolition). Soo if you'd like to go off the beaten path, you're not in the mood for Ft. Tryon, Inwood Hill or Central Parks, you want to see a perspective of the GW Bridge that isn't widely-seen, or want to see the Little Red Lighthouse, &/or all any or all of the above, take some time to explore this park. It doesn't take long to walk its entire length (for a treat, tag on 20 blocks more & walk to Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem for lunch!), the bathrooms are decently maintained & it's just one of those unexpected, excellent & worthwhile NYC finds. read more

I spent a good part of my life, teens to 50's, hanging out and playing tennis in this park. Best thing about it is the difficulty in getting to it. That means no crowds, no noise, and the folks who DO find it are serious park lovers. Friendly, outgoing, and respectfully keep the area clean. read more

8 tennis courts, can be hard to find pick up games but their there! beautiful view of the GWB and the little red lighthouse is in this park! read more

Fort Washington Park - Parks Near Me - New York, New York

Freedom from the city. I love this park. It's full of open air running and biking trails. There is also room to picnic barbecue and enjoy yourself with a good Frisbee or football match. read more

Mainly fields, there ain't much here, but the GW is cloooosee and it's no city street, that's for sure. Respite from the commotion = "Park" moniker in this city; the lighthouse is coo' and the water is relaxing. read more

My go-to for free public tennis space, although there are starting to be some glaring cracks already in the recently renovated surfaces.

A lovely, quiet park with great views, tennis court and a cute red lighthouse. It's a great place to ride your bike, or enjoy a scenic run. I've seen people fishing there (not sure if I would want to do that), and doing yoga (ditto). Since it is big, I guess the park is your oyster! read more

I'm not going to lie. I hate crowds. So when i finally went down to the fort washington park i fell in absolute LOVE at how quiet and peaceful it is down there. Its not desolate or creepy as there are scattered families here and there picnicking and bicyclists. But there is just so much breathing room! Not to mention a beautiful view of the river where you can just walk down to touch the water, go fishing etc. Its easily accessible but i don't think many of the upper west side new yorkers even know it exists. Such a gem. Beware, the bicyclists who use those roads are RUDE. The rules are that those paths are for pedestrians and bikes. Keep to the right so traffic can flow. The bicyclists however think its perfectly ok them to zoom past you at full speed being an inch away from ramming into you and then will scream for you to move. One even had the nerve to yell "ITS A BIKE PATH" So watch out. I guess road rage in the city transfers to bikes as well. Take your kids down there for picnics, kite flying on windy days, to see the little red light house or if you want to play tennis in the many tennis courts. I really do hope it stays the way it is and never becomes to overcrowded like everything else in this city. Edit: do NOT go there for the fourth of july...or even a day before..it was filled to capacity with the local families picnicking. There was street vendors, litter everywhere on the grass and small children running around without any parental supervision, loud ear shattering music...i swear i even saw a couple having what i assumed was open door tent sex...I guess these people stop by a couple times a year to do this, .avoid! read more