Walked this trail just after New Year's and it's gorgeous! You walk along Sheldrake Lake with views…read moreof the backsides of mansions across the way. The sunlight, the wooden pathways, the boulders, the ducks, so nice. Our dog loved running around off-leash and meeting some other dogs! 5 stars!!!!

From the owner: Environmental Education Programs about Eco-friendly…read moreLifestyle Choices

Love this place! I have been here so many times…read more I love running, walking, hiking and sight seeing here. There are always great views and very picturesque paths ... I would highly recommend this place. During Covid, most people had masks. I would say that most people were social distancing, and it was still a safe place during quarantining. I'll definitely be back again soon.

Beautiful park with areas for picnics they also have grills installed. You can also hike or go for…read morea stroll with your dog.

I've been running on the OCA most every week for the past five years, and it's one of my favorite…read moreroutes in Westchester. I'm most familiar with the segments in Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, but I've also run south from Tarrytown to Hastings-on-Hudson as well as from the Croton Dam (which is the the northern endpoint). The OCA runs along the old aqueduct route that served New York City between 1842 and 1955, and is part of the Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park. The trail's past life is most visible in the old weirs and ventilators, which look like medieval battlements and are located at regular intervals along the path. There also is a keeper's house along the trail in Dobbs Ferry that's open to the public. The trail is well marked, and offers runners a flat grade and dirt surface. It's wide enough for two-way traffic at social distance along much of its length, but there are points at which it narrows to a single track. There also are points where you will suddenly find yourself crossing streets, running through downtown areas, and passing through neighbors' backyards. Note that the trail is broken by I-287 in Tarrytown. You can exit the trail and run along the sidewalk to pick it up on the other side. One of my favorite parts of the OCA is that it connects to other parks and sights along the Hudson. In Sleepy Hollow, you can run directly from the trail into Rockefeller Park (including the Rockwood Hall section, which takes you to the river) and the scenic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Just south of 287, the trail takes you directly through the grounds of Lyndhurst. You can enter/exit the trail at numerous points, and for the most part you can find street parking (or pay for a spot in one of many municipal lots, if that's your thing). One especially popular free lot is Sleepy Hollow High School. The trail passes right through the campus, and there are plenty of spaces when school is not in session. Farther to the north, you can park for free along Croton Dam Rd (which takes you to the trailhead). I'm not aware of any restroom facilities besides those in Croton Gorge Park, which is located below the trailhead at the foot of the dam), and the trail is not plowed in the winter.

My mechanic operates out of Dobbs Ferry and since I'm off today, I decided to have my car looked…read moreat, oil change, etc. I knew it would be a wait. We visit Dobbs Ferry often and noticed a park off of Cedar Street, the Croton Aqueduct Park. Last night I did some recon and saw that there is a trail that resides within the park and figured I'd take advantage of the free time I'd have and do a run today. I dropped off my car and proceeded to the park. The trail continues right at the entrance. It's not paved which is great. It's starts off as loose gravel, so not too rough on your tootsies, and then it is an all-dirt path which great on the knees. Although, there are many large rocks so you should be very careful and pay attention where you step. During my run, I passed people who dotted the trail but for the most part, I was alone. I wasn't concerned at all. The trail passes homes and civilization so you don't really feel alone. It's really quite a beautiful trail with different terrain and nature surrounding. The deer and rabbits make it quite tranquil. I enjoy running in silence or listening to my Zombies Run app which is like listening to an audio book. I hate listening to music whole I run because the tempo never meshes with my stride. During this run, I took advantage of the natural sounds and ran in silence. The birds, the rustling of squirrels and the sound of my foot hitting the ground was music, enough. I sound like a hippy but this year my husband and I have discovered so many nature paths in our backyard and I just wish I had more warm months left in the year to enjoy them all.

Sometimes, a quick look is all you need to know when something's good. Regrettably, we didn't have…read morea lot of time to spend at this nature center, but what we saw was memorable natural beauty. It's 47 acres of trails, and an education center, with all sorts of critters inside the center. We saw one social, white, ring necked dove, two adorable, sleepy chinchillas, a rabbit, two guinea pigs, one nipping hamster we were warned to keep our fingers away from and assorted lizards including a bearded dragon, a tortoise and large iguana--all participants in the education talks the rangers give to the children who visit. The animals are well cared for, and were donations from people who couldn't keep them any longer. Super describes the rangers here--super helpful, super friendly. and super enthusiastic about their jobs! One of the rangers was very well versed in his birds too. There are five trails, much better marked than the Edith Read Sanctuary we were heading too, and magnificent trees and bushes all around. Wear hiking boots or sturdy shoes. The main road is paved but the trails do have twigs, plant growth, rocks etc. The ruins of stone houses and structures along the trail are interesting enough and worth exploration. Unfortunately, Rye had a dry summer so the ponds there were all dried up, bad for the birds and us. We missed the migration of many of the birds and while we saw some woodpeckers, we didn't stay long. This wooded nature center isn't far from town, and well worth a stroll through, especially this time of the year when the foliage is starting to turn all glorious crimsons and gold. I'm surprised this place hasn't been reviewed. It's clean, safe, and a verdant retreat of tranquility, despite the many groups of happy, chattering school kids we saw. There's enough acreage to find a quiet spot! But maybe because so much of Rye is pretty, the denizens here probably just take these lovely woods for granted. I'd definitely return for a longer hike next time. Note that the main road is dual usage, so if you are birding, watch for the cars! Walking, this place is perhaps a 20 minute walk from the town center. A visit might not having you spouting evocative prose like Thoreau, but you will find much to cherish here.

This is my son's favorite after school activity. He learns so much there each week and I can't say…read moreenough great things about their program. They learn to use tools, build shelters, garden, hike, etc. The only negative would be that my son loves it so much, he doesn't understand why I can't enroll him in nature center rather than school :-)

Nice park. Punches…read moreabove its weight. Great trails that are as difficult as you want them to be. Much less crowded vibe than similar parks nearby. A great escape for experienced mountain bikers.

Visiting the area for the weekend, it was nice to have the opportunity to explore local hikes-…read more This hike was a wonderful easy access- easy to park, easy to start the trail, well-marked, and a yay it was a loop! Mainly a mountain biker trail, though we were hiking it was still a friendly trail- as we just made sure to stand aside giving the right away- the trail has a good mix of terrain in terms of hills, water views, mini rock climbing, making it a hearty hike without being too challenging. It provided very beautiful views, and a lot of switchback trails to explore-making each hike possible to have a different experience. A very nice visit! Would be great to use as a jogging trail!

This is a wonderful place to bring the whole family. They have about 12 different trails, all…read moreseparated in different levels of difficulty. The trails are free to enter but they do request for volunteer donation for non members. Different tiers of annul membership available to purchase at main office that comes with some wonderful perks, such as free access to trails and special events. The main office also has some of the exhibition items like insect box and turtle box. Outside the office there's also bird and butterfly cages. We went to the center for our daughter to participate in butterfly feeding event. Upon arrival we found out we had to buy the tickets for one of the two scheduled events. Luckily there were slots available to the second event on the day. The ticket was reasonably cheap, only $8. It also came with an additional bird's exhibition that took place right in front of office deck. All the stuff members were very friendly, informative and interactive. We spent wonderful couple of hours here on beautiful warm summer day.

This place is huge!!!! Visit and buy a membership and go often! The staff is kind, dedicated and…read moreknowledgeable! Sign up for a program or hike today!