This 196-acre oasis contains the last natural forest and salt marsh in Manhattan and evidence suggests the land was used by Native Americans in the 17th century. It’s a cool escape in summer and a great place to explore anytime, as you’ll find hilly paths for hiking and mellow, grassy patches and benches for quiet contemplation. It’s so bucolic that the treetops serve as frequent nesting sites for bald eagles. On summer weekends, join locals who barbecue at designated grills.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Dyckman Farmhouse Museum

0.32 MILES

Built in 1784 on a 28-acre farm, the Dyckman House is Manhattan’s lone surviving Dutch farmhouse. Excavations of the property have turned up valuable…

2. Met Cloisters

0.59 MILES

On a hilltop overlooking the Hudson River, the Cloisters is a curious architectural jigsaw, its many parts made up of various European monasteries and…

3. Edgar Allan Poe Cottage

1.67 MILES

The renovated Poe Cottage is where author Edgar Allan Poe (1809–49) lived for three years at the end of his life. It’s here that he penned his famous…

4. Belmont

2.26 MILES

This Bronx neighborhood is where you’ll find the real Little Italy, with Italian delis and eateries dotting bustling stretches of Arthur and E 187th Aves…

5. Arthur Avenue Retail Market

2.26 MILES

For an authentic slice of Italian-American vita (life), dive into this earthy indoor market, where banter-loving vendors flog everything from olives and…

6. New York Botanical Garden

2.42 MILES

Founded back in 1891, this welcome expanse of green takes in 50 acres of old-growth forest, alongside lush gardens, ornate greenhouses and water features …

7. 10–18 Jumel Terrace

2.64 MILES

Along 10 to 18 Jumel Terrace stands a row of town houses, designed in the 1890s by the renowned architect Henri Fouchaux. At No 16 lived prolific…

8. Sylvan Terrace

2.65 MILES

The wooden houses on storybook Sylvan Terrace – resplendent with their high narrow stoops, dentiled canopies and boldly paneled wooden doors – constitute…