Summer is just about in full swing in New York State and because of that, it felt like the perfect time to explore some of the incredible beauty just a short trip away.
I decided to take a day trip to a nearby New York state park to explore a bit of our state’s park system—and really, this is just a small part of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s efforts. New York State Parks cares for over 335,000 acres of land, 2,000 miles of trails, and thousands of historic buildings across the state—I visited a mere 1,771 acres on my exploration.
Today I am heading to Rockefeller State Park Preserve in Pleasantville, New York in Westchester County. A Westchester native myself, I have never been to the park—shameful, I know—so I’m excited to see what kind of natural landscape has been right under my nose.
New York is experiencing a historic heatwave now, so I headed out to Moynihan Train Hall with sunscreen and plenty of ice water for my expedition. After a quick walk, I was already sweating profusely, so the cool interior of an Amtrak train car was incredibly welcome.
Leaving the city and entering the suburbs of New York State always brings with it beautiful views of the Hudson River and today was no different. Despite its unrelenting heat, you can’t help but be in awe of the sun as it shines down on the river, the water sparkling and glittering like a scene from a movie.
The ride to Croton-Harmon Station was just over 40 minutes from New York City, quick and easy but a welcome respite from the heat. Hopped up on the large, iced coffee I had with my morning bagel, I was ready for my adventure to begin!
A quick 15-minute Uber ride and I arrived at Rockefeller State Park Preserve. This vast landscape was gifted to NY State Parks by the Rockefeller family back in 1983 and has grown in acreage as more and more land was added to the preserve. Originally designed by John D. Rockefeller Jr. as an environment where one could escape to refresh their connection to nature (and spoiler alert, by the end of this blog you’ll see it did exactly that for me).
Today, the preserve is made up of woods, wetlands, meadows, a 22-acre lake and is home to more than 180 species of birds, insects, mammals, fish, amphibians and reptiles. The protected preserve serves as a welcome habitat to many species that may not be able to thrive outside of its borders.
Uniquely, the preserve includes 55 miles of crushed-stone carriage roads all with the purpose of leading visitors into nature. These trails came from the desire to give everyone, especially those who live in cities, easy access into the natural world and they’ve been open to the public since they were first created.
After getting dropped off, I opened up the Goosechase app. Part of my mission today is to take part in The New York State Parks Wellness Challenge. This initiative by New York State Parks was launched to educate visitors on the benefits of visiting state parks and historic sites and to encourage them to be more conscious of the things they are doing when there to improve their overall wellness. The challenge consists of 50 wellness-related missions you can accomplish during a state park or historic site visit, of course with certain ones varying depending on your park or historic site.
I scrolled through the app to familiarize myself with some of the challenges and set off.
Now, I’ll be honest, the most “hiking” I’ve ever done is around my local duck pond, a .5 mile loop with only one direction to go in. So, heading out into the Preserve, I was slightly intimidated thinking about the vast trail options. But, I didn’t need to worry because the Preserve’s map was presented right at the entrance with all the different trails listed and their respective mileage.
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I popped my AirPods in and started up a recent playlist and just like that, I had already completed my first challenge: March to Your Own Tune — stroll while listening to some music. However, I made sure to take off the noise-cancellation setting so the sounds of indie-pop were complimented by the various bird calls and swooshing winds.
At my first fork-in-the-road, I elected to take the Overlook Trail. The sun was shining brightly as I made my way up the slightly uphill, windy path. The trail crunched underneath my sneakers, announcing my presence to any nearby critters. As I walked, I couldn’t help but greedily gulp in the fresh air—it smelt like the sweetest bouquet of flowers. Apparently, the scent is due to the Preserve’s fragrant wildflowers. I wanted to bottle up the air and start using it as my own perfume.
After a bit, it became clear why this particular trail was named Overlook. As I crested the top, the beautiful waters of Swan Lake came into view. I paused at the top of the hill and took a breath. A ways a way, the trees opened up and the lake was in view, set like the perfect painting, surrounded by hues of green all around. I knew at some point today I needed to make my way to the lake’s shoreline.
I trekked on and took in my surroundings. Bright yellow and orange butterflies seemed to follow in my path. I recognize Monarch Butterflies as they flutter by, mainly due to our lesson on them in second grade when we raised a batch of caterpillars. But, I feel good recognizing at least one species today. Pink flowers dot the trail line on all sides and others have fuzzy reddish bulbs on their ends. Bees buzzed all around looking to pollenate.
I made it to my next trail, the Ash Tree Loop. I hadn’t grabbed a map from the visitor’s center but a quick Google search brought it up on my phone through the New York State Parks’ website. Like the name suggested, the trail was a loop, so I knew eventually I’d make my way back to where I started.
Along the way I came across a fellow park enjoyer, an older woman getting her morning exercise in. I had been so engulfed in the serenity of my surroundings I was a bit spooked hearing the crunch of gravel coming from behind me—I forgot I wasn’t alone. We exchanged a brief smile, and she carried on, but her presence became a comfort that I had chosen a good path to follow.
The Ash Tree Loop was shaded for a good majority, offering a nice break from the strong sun. I took a pause under the shade of a large tree and grabbed my water bottle. Mission #2 complete! Reuse: bring your re-usable water bottle on a hike or walk. Within 10 seconds I had downed half my iced water. I think I might have underestimated this heat wave.
I carried on and was met with several new trails along the way. At every break in the path I debated if I should stray and start on a new trail or continue my way along. I ultimately stuck to each trail I was on religiously—perhaps for fear that my directionally-challenged-ness would pose an issue.
Like I said earlier, the Preserve is home to a whole host of animals—including coyotes—perhaps the one animal I had no desire of running into. Now, I know I’m in the coyotes’ territory, and that through the signage posted around that if I were to come across one, I would most likely be fine, but still, a rustling nearby caused me to rip my headphones from my ears and stop in my tracks.
But, instead of a coyote, I was met with the beautiful sight of a mother deer and her fawn. The mother looked at me curious and I paused, hoping to signal I was no threat to her baby who was busy rummaging through the tall grass and leaves for a bite to eat. I approached slowly and the pair crossed the path and disappeared into the woods.
It’s in those moments that the realization of how important the work of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation truly is. It’s in these state parks that we, the humans, are the odd ones out, and we are lucky enough to enter an environment and appreciate it at its most natural form.
I carried on and found my second person of the day walking along. As I passed, he asked if this was the right way back. I told him that I hoped so but wasn’t entirely sure. Seems we both decided we didn’t need that map from the Visitor’s Center. But, these trails are clearly marked and we were on something called the Ash Tree Loop, so how lost could one get?
Eventually, I crested a familiar hill and I was at the end of the Ash Tree Loop and began to retrace my steps on the Overlook Trail.
After a bit I found my target, a bench in the shade of a large tree with a beautiful view of the lake. It was here I set out to complete my next mission: 5-4-3-2-1: identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste. Within two minutes I’ve undergone a sensory adventure.
I can see the very tops of the tall trees swaying in the wind, patches of bright orange wildflowers growing among the tall grass, acorn shells scattered at my feet, nesting houses for the various bird species and big ants crawling on the dirt below. I feel sweat gathering at the back of my neck, the wood of the bench I’m sitting on, the blades of grass tickling my shins, and now one of those big ants crawling up my leg. I pause in my reflection to get him back on the ground where he belongs and not scaling my leg.
I hear bird calls I wish I was knowledgeable enough to recognize, the buzz of an insect as it flies toward my ear, and the wind rustling the leaves above me. I smell that intoxicating floral scent the preserve seems to carry with it and the sunscreen still sticky on my skin. I taste the ice-cold water as I take a sparing sip from my nearly empty bottle.
As I’m finishing up, I hear that familiar crunch of gravel and my trail buddy from before asks if he can join me on the bench for some shade. I wave him over and we chat. Without realizing it, I had completed another mission: Bee Kind: Give someone a hand, spark up a conversation or just give a parkgoer a smile. He’s here all the way from St. Louis Missouri to dog sit for some friends up in Connecticut and decided to spend the day here. I tell him it’s my first time here too, despite my having grown up in Westchester. He and I agree that this won’t be my last time exploring these vast grounds. After taking a break in the shade, we part ways and continue down the trails.
For my last trek, I decided to head around Brothers’ Path as it brings you around the entirety of Swan Lake. Again, I wish I was a skilled ornithologist, or at least could recognize a species or two, as so many birds fly around me in bright hues, I want to know exactly what they are. Chipmunks skitter along aside me and I try to snag a few photos from a distance to complete Animal Planet. I take out my headphones and take in the sounds of the critters around the lake. There’s the croaking of a frog (I assume), the buzz of insects and the calls of these aforementioned birds. Blue moth-butterfly like insects stay low to the ground and I’m so enraptured by their coloring that I simply pause and stare.
The sun shines through the trees and bounces off the lake’s surface. Through their trunks, the blue of the water and sky peeks through. Desire paths have been formed through years of people walking close to the lake’s edge.
All along me, birds fly by and into bushes, squirrels scurry past, up into the trees lightning fast and the surface of the lake ripples as something below makes itself known.
I completed my trek around Brothers’ Path and begrudgingly made my way toward the park’s exit. By the end I had walked 3.9 miles and took over 8,000 steps. (We can check off One Step at a Time now!)
I order an Uber back to Croton-Harmon and catch my train back to New York City. On the way back, I reflected on my day and the utter contentment I felt at discovering this new place, something that felt like my own secret spot (and perhaps, now all of yours). Who knew this hidden gem of natural beauty was only 40 minutes from the urbanity of NYC?
I knew then that I’d surely be back to Rockefeller State Park Preserve.
And now that this blog is complete, I think I can cross off my final mission, Capture the Beauty: Take a snapshot of something beautiful you found on an adventure and write about it.
Explore More State Parks on Amtrak
Maybe you want to explore a different state park, here’s some other New York State Parks located near Amtrak stations:
1. Green Lakes State Park
13 miles from Syracuse Station
Popular for hiking, camping, swimming and more.
2. Bear Mountain State Park
14 miles from Croton-Harmon Station
Popular for hiking, picnicking, boating, and its historic inn.
3. Saratoga Spa State Park
2.2 miles from Saratoga Springs Station
Features mineral springs, walking trails, pools, and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).
4. Delta Lake State Park
7.8 miles from Rome Station
Enjoy the many picnic areas, or hiking and nature trails. Boating, fishing, and camping are also available.
5. Riverbank State Park
7.0 miles from Moynihan Train Hall
A unique rooftop park above the Hudson River with recreation facilities and views.
6. Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park
3.5 miles from Poughkeepsie Station
A scenic pedestrian bridge over the Hudson River, great for walking and biking.
7. Grafton Lakes State Park
23 miles from Albany – Rensselaer Station
Woodland trails, swimming, and boating in the foothills of the Taconic Mountains.
8. Cumberland Bay State Park
3.4 miles from Plattsburgh Station
Camp on the shores of Lake Champlain and enjoy the beach
9. Fort Ticonderoga State Historic Site
1.9 miles from Ticonderoga Station
A historic Revolutionary War site with beautiful lakeside grounds and views of the Adirondacks.
10. Niagara Falls State Park
1.9 miles from Niagara Falls Station America’s oldest state park, centered around the stunning falls.
Remember, lots of New York State Parks offer overnight experiences on their camping grounds if you want more than just a day trip! Make sure to research the park you plan to visit on the New York State Parks’ website to find all necessary booking information!
Take Amtrak to Rockefeller state park preserve
Experience the magic of this New York State Park via Amtrak to Croton-Harmon Station in Westchester. Don’t forget to use the See New York and Save 15% discount!
