Philipsburg Manor is a historic site of great historical importance. Once the headquarters of a large Hudson Valley manor, the site vividly interprets aspects of the history of colonial New York and the system of racially-based slavery which helped keep the estate running in the 18th century. The visitor center at Philipsburg, located on Rt. 9 in the village of Sleepy Hollow, offers a wide range of services and changing exhibitions, and also serves as the visitor center for Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate.

Philipsburg Manor is a late 17th/early 18th-century milling, farming, and trading complex owned by an Anglo-Dutch family of merchants. Philipsburg Manor was tenanted by farmers of diverse European backgrounds, and operated by enslaved Africans. In 1693, Frederick Philipse, a carpenter who rose to become the richest man in the colony of New York, was granted a charter for 52,000 acres along the Hudson River by William and Mary of England. Historically, the site is of particular interest because of the size of the enslaved community and the highly developed nature of this 18th-century commercial property.

Featuring a stone manor house filled with a handsome collection of 17th-and 18th-century period furnishings, this famous house also includes a working water-powered gristmill and millpond, an 18th-century barn, a slave garden, and a reconstructed tenant farm house. The grounds are home to historic breeds of cattle, sheep, and chickens.

Points of Interest: Philipsburg Manor is a living history museum. Guides in 18th-century costume conduct tours of the site and numerous special events are held throughout the year. One of many fun things to do with children in the Hudson River Valley.

Things To Do
Birthday Parties at Philipsburg Manor
Greenhouse Cafe
Picnic grounds
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery located next to Philipsburg Manor
Tour Philipsburg Manor Historic Site
Tours of Kykuit that originate at the Philipsburg Manor Visitor Tourist Center

The natural pond, at one time known as Wampus Lake Reservoir, was once part of the New York City water supply. In 1963 the County bought Wampus pond and 93-acres from the City of New York.

Things To Do
Boating
Boat Rental (summer weekends)
Fishing
Ice-Skating
Nature Study
Picnicking

Nearby is an outdoor lecture area, a center for maple sugaring, old cemetery, wildlife garden and composting demonstration area. Located just outside the museum is the entrance to the Easy Loop Trail. This trailhead is the beginning of more than 7 miles of trails. The trails lead visitors past the many rocky cliffs, ponds and streams within the boundaries of Westmoreland. Please visit our KIOSK located in the parking area for your trail map.

Our primary focus is the great variety of programs which are offered each year. Westmoreland has over 30 programs for school and scouts during the week. These programs are mainly hands-on and participatory. Programs include Bluebird house building, bird banding with live native birds, insects, pond study and mammals. At various times each year, the staff of Westmoreland conducts a number of ongoing study programs. These studies include:

Management of Eastern Bluebird fields and nesting boxes
Wood Duck house monitoring
Turtle Monitoring Program

Press blue button for more about the trails and programs at Westmoreland.

Things To Do
7 miles of trails (rocky cliffs, ponds, streams)
Birding | Bird Watching
Hands-on programs
Hiking / Walking

Things To Do
Hiking and Walking Trails
Natural Areas

Nearby is an outdoor lecture area, a center for maple sugaring, old cemetery, wildlife garden and composting demonstration area. Located just outside the museum is the entrance to the Easy Loop Trail. This trailhead is the beginning of more than 7 miles of trails. The trails lead visitors past the many rocky cliffs, ponds and streams within the boundaries of Westmoreland. Please visit our KIOSK located in the parking area for your trail map.

Our primary focus is the great variety of programs which are offered each year. Westmoreland has over 30 programs for school and scouts during the week. These programs are mainly hands-on and participatory. Programs include Bluebird house building, bird banding with live native birds, insects, pond study and mammals. At various times each year, the staff of Westmoreland conducts a number of ongoing study programs. These studies include:

Management of Eastern Bluebird fields and nesting boxes
Wood Duck house monitoring
Turtle Monitoring Program

Press blue button for more about the trails and programs at Westmoreland.

Things To Do
7 miles of trails (rocky cliffs, ponds, streams)
Birding | Bird Watching
Hands-on programs
Hiking / Walking

The wetlands of Pinecliff Sanctuary improve water quality, prevent flooding and provide habitat for wildlife and plants. An additional short woodland trail connects to the boardwalk loop and circles the ridge between the sanctuary and the Saw Mill River Parkway. Enjoy strolling, birding, wildflowers and quiet views over the surrounding wetland.

Pinecliff Sanctuary is often visited by school and community groups. With advance notice, we may be able to provide your group with a guided tour. Even if your group wishes to visit without a guide, please contact us in advance.

The garden is within the four acre Pruyn Arboretum and meadow that has over 40 species of labeled trees and shrubs. A map and plant list of the arboretum is available. The Pruyn Garden is specially designed and maintained as a habitat to attract, nourish and shelter a variety of butterflies and moths, and ruby-throated hummingbirds. The plants are labeled and a plant list is available. The best time to view butterflies and hummingbirds is warm, sunny summer days during midday. Press blue button for more information about Pruyn Sanctuary Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden.

Things To Do
Birding (Butterflies, Hummingbirds)
Hiking
Nature Walks
Quiet Views

Through the work of dedicated members, board, staff, and visionary donors, Saw Mill River Audubon is recognized as a leader in environmental education and conservation in the region. Saw Mill River Audubon owns eight separate sanctuaries protecting over 300-acres of critical wildlife habitat in Westchester County. People appreciate our sanctuaries for their natural beauty and places "to get away from it all" right in their own communities.

From its inception, Saw Mill River Audubon has had a strong focus on environmental education. Each year, we bring our school-based education programs to 8,000 kindergarten through college students and offer free natural history programs and field trips to adults and families. You are invited to come to our free public programs and field trips, visit our sanctuaries and add your voice to ours to protect the natural world. Press blue button for more information about Saw Mill River Audubon.

This 352-acre park is one of the last large undeveloped land parcels in Westchester County.

Hudson Highlands Gateway Park, threatened twice by dense residential development, was protected in 1998 when a coalition of more than 35 groups representing homeowners, the community, government agencies and several environmental organizations united to preserve this 352-acre site. The Coalition to Preserve the Hudson Highlands Gateway raised $6 million to buy the parcel. In May 2000, The Scenic Hudson Land Trust, the Town of Cortlandt and Westchester County purchased the property.

Things To Do
The park features a network of 4 trails, totaling more than 4.9 miles, rambling through woodlands, meadows and around ponds and offers several options for scenic loop hikes including a one-mile loop that is partly handicap accessible.

Hiking / Walking Trails
Nature Study
Scenic Views

Directions
Off Route 9 in Annsville, take Highland Avenue and turn left on Sprout Brook Road.Two parking areas are available; one is temporarily shared with Sprout Brook Park, 0.3 miles from the intersection of Sprout Brook Road and Highland Avenue, just past and on the same side as the athletic fields. Cross road and enter park through the gap in guardrail. Universally accessible parking area is at the end or Doris Lee Drive. Park on gravel in front of fence.

After a day of hiking, walking, nature study, or relaxing in the park, dine at one of many excellent restaurants in Northern Westchester County, New York.

Teatown Lake Reservation is a nonprofit, environmental organization with an 834-acre nature preserve and education center located in the Lower Hudson Valley in the Towns of Yorktown, Cortlandt, and New Castle, New York.

Located in the heart of the Lower Hudson Valley’s Hudson Hills and Highlands bioregion, Teatown is the largest nonprofit nature preserve in Westchester County. About 28,000 people come each year to attend an education program, visit the Nature Center, hike our trails, or tour Wildflower Island, a two-acre island sanctuary located within Teatown Lake that is home to over 230 native and endangered species of wildflowers.

Teatown’s educators offer adult, family and children’s programs to over 18,000 participants annually, including nearly 9,000 school children and 700 summer campers. Annually, over 10,000 hikers traverse Teatown's 15 miles of scenic trails that span abundant fields, mixed forests, lakes, streams, swamps and farm land.

Things To Do
Children's Events
Diverse Habitats
Hiking Trails (15 miles)
Nature Center
Outdoor Animal Exhibits
Wildflower Island - over 230 native species of wildflowers

The Trailside Nature Museum, established in 1937, is one of the oldest of its kind in the United States. The museum is home to a large collection of mounted animals, American Indian artifacts, educational exhibits, child-friendly interactive displays, and nature-oriented artwork. The museum hosts thousands of school children and scouts each year for a variety of educational programs including stream study, American Indian culture, maple sugaring, and badge work. Family-oriented nature programs are scheduled for the general public on nearly every weekend.

The Trailside Nature Museum is also the home of the Delaware Indian Research Center, a vast collection of books and artifacts concerning American Indians, especially the Delaware. The Research Center is well utilized by both students and educators and has assisted several authors in researching their publications. The Research Center is open to the public by appointment.

Point of Interest: Directly outside the Trailside Nature Museum, there is a one-half acre wildflower garden containing more than 80 different kinds of labeled wildflowers.

Things To Do
Birding | Bird Watching
Camping
Fishing
Hiking / Walking
Nature Programs
Picnicking
Self Guided Nature Trails

Winter Activities
Cross-Country Skiing
Snow-Shoeing

Brinton Brook is our largest sanctuary and was the first managed by Saw Mill River Audubon. Management rights to an additional 27-acres were obtained from the Village of Croton-on-Hudson in 1998 raising the total area to 156 acres. Press blue button for trail maps and more about Brinton Brook Sanctuary.

Things To Do
Birding | Bird Watching
Guided Tours
Hiking
Nature Walks

The Croton Point Nature Center located on the northwest tip of the park, displays exhibits about the Hudson River, local history, flora and fauna, and archeology. The center hosts weekly programs, including nature walks, presentation on area history, and arts and crafts workshops. The center is also the headquarters for the Material Archives and Laboratory for Archaeology.

There are four miles of Hudson River shoreline to explore. The park, which also winter Bald Eagles, is an Important Bird Area (IBA). A capped landfill is now a vast meadow abundant in species of birds and butterflies. The park's historical structures are designated as a historic district.

Special Interest: Treaty Oak Monument, Meadow, Brickyard Excavation, Teller's Point and English Yews, Croton Bay, The Wine Cellars, Conifer Forest

Things To Do
Birding | Bird Watching
Cultural History Programs
Hiking / Walking
Historic District
Nature Study

Winter Activities
Cross-Country Skiing

Graff Sanctuary is a good place to enjoy hiking, birding, and scenic views over the surrounding woodland. Graff Sanctuary is a protected woodland ridge overlooking the Hudson River. Press blue button for trail maps and more about Graff Sanctuary.

Things To Do
Birding | Bird Watching
Nature walks
Walking / Hiking

A National Historic Landmark, the 18th-century stone manor house is the centerpiece of the property. It features a fine collection of Georgian and Federal period furnishings, many original to Van Cortlandt Manor. Of particular note is an extraordinary kitchen on the ground floor, with original hearth, beehive oven, and extensive collection of cooking equipment and utensils. Also on the grounds is an 18th-century tavern situated on the historic Albany Post Road at the site of a ferry crossing over the Croton River. The tavern showcases an extraordinary collection of vernacular Hudson River Valley furnishings and evokes fascinating tales of travel and transport in the post-revolutionary period. Press blue button for photos and more information about Van Cortlandt Manor.

Attractions
Gardens
Guided tours of the house and grounds
Stone manor house
Tenant farmer's house and tavern

The word is Great fun for the kids and children of all ages, as costumed guides demonstrate and invite visitors to try blacksmithing, brick making, open-hearth cooking and more from the past.

To find Oscawana Island: Take Route 9 to the Montrose/Bucannan exit. Furnace Dock Road is just south of the exit on Route 9A. Take Furnace Dock Road 1.1 miles to the parking area. Listen for Least bittern near the parking area. A trail leads to the island. The main trail leads over the railroad tracks to the Hudson River.

Things To Do
Equestrian Trails
Fishing
Hiking / Walking
Nature Study
Stables

Winter Activities
Cross-country Skiing
Ice Skating

Things To Do
Birding | Bird Watching
Hiking
Nature Center
Scenic Views

Point of Interest: A special park feature is "Willson's Waves" where you can body surf on 3-foot waves in the county's first-ever wave pool. Splash downward on an 18-foot-high water slide, wander through cascades and fountains in the water playground or just cool off on the spray deck.

Things To Do
Birthday Parties at Willson's Waves Pool
Fishing
Hiking Trails
Nature Study
Picnicking
Playground
Refreshments
Willson's Waves

Winter Activities
Ice Skating


Birthday Parties for Kids
At Willson's Waves, you can body surf on three-foot waves, splash down on an 18-foot-high water slide, or wander through cascades and fountains in the water playground. For more information or to book a birthday party, call Willson's Waves at (914) 813-6990.

Things To Do
Birding | Bird Watching
Nature walks
Tulip and Sugar Maple Trees

Teatown Lake Reservation is a nonprofit, environmental organization with an 834-acre nature preserve and education center located in the Lower Hudson Valley in the Towns of Yorktown, Cortlandt, and New Castle, New York.

Located in the heart of the Lower Hudson Valley’s Hudson Hills and Highlands bioregion, Teatown is the largest nonprofit nature preserve in Westchester County. About 28,000 people come each year to attend an education program, visit the Nature Center, hike our trails, or tour Wildflower Island, a two-acre island sanctuary located within Teatown Lake that is home to over 230 native and endangered species of wildflowers.

Teatown’s educators offer adult, family and children’s programs to over 18,000 participants annually, including nearly 9,000 school children and 700 summer campers. Annually, over 10,000 hikers traverse Teatown's 15 miles of scenic trails that span abundant fields, mixed forests, lakes, streams, swamps and farm land.

Things To Do
Children's Events
Diverse Habitats
Hiking Trails (15 miles)
Nature Center
Outdoor Animal Exhibits
Wildflower Island - over 230 native species of wildflowers

Things To Do
Seasonal Sled Riding
Scenic Views
Sunbathing
Walking

Things To Do
Benches
Flower Garden
Playground
Walking Path

Things To Do
Amphitheater Outdoors
Fishing on Dock
Horseshoe Courts
Large grassy area
Nature walks
Pavilion
Picnicking
Playground
Shuffleboard
Sunbather's Beach

Things To Do
Basketball Court
Benches
Flower Garden
Playground
Walking Path

"To please the eye, there are the textures of stone scrolled with the delicate designs of lichen, the patterns of tree trunks and clusters of foliage, the play of light and shadow, the varying shades of green as well as the seasonal colors of great beauty. To please the ear, there are the songs of native birds, the hum of insects the chorale of frogs and the occasional splash of carp in the lake, the crunch of pebbles underfoot, the whisper of wind through the pines. To please the sense of scent, there are dry pine needles in the sun, the fragrance of flowering shrubs, a breeze through mimosa or the pungency of loam after a night rain."

Things To Do
Birding | Bird Watching
Brush Painting
Children's Workshops
Educational Tours
Restaurant
Stroll Garden

Things To Do
Boating
Camping
Fishing
Hiking Trails
Mt. Bailey (Westchester's Highest Point)
Nature Study

Winter Activities
Cross-country Skiing
Ice Skating

Golf Course Attractions
Country Club
18-hole regulation length course
Blue tees = 6400 yards / par 71
Course rating / slope = 70.4 / 133
Greens = Bent grass
Guests = closed
_____________________

Club rental
Caddies
Dress code
Driving range
Golf carts
Lessons
Locker rooms
Manicured chipping and putting greens
Pro shop
Practice hole
Restaurant

Completed in 1913 for John D. Rockefeller by architects Delano and Aldrich, Kykuit has been home to four generations of the Rockefeller family. Kykuit commands a breathtaking view of the Hudson River and occupies a landscape of extensive stone terraces, formal gardens, and glorious fountains designed by landscape architect William Welles Bosworth. The gardens include Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller's extraordinary collection of 20th-century sculpture. The house itself contains fascinating collections of art, fine furniture, and Chinese ceramics. Horse-drawn vehicles and classic automobiles from the family's collection fill the coach barn.

Tours include an introduction to each part of Kykuit, the main floor of the house, the art galleries, terraced gardens with classical and 20th-century sculpture, and the Coach Barn with antique carriages and classic cars. The sculpture collection, sited throughout the grounds, includes works by Pablo Picasso, Aristide Maillol, Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, Isamu Noguchi, Louise Nevelson, and many others.

In season, licensed anglers enjoy fishing for bass in the 22-acre Swan Lake and for brown trout in the Pocantico River. In addition the beauty of the Preserve inspires many artists and photographers to memorialize its scenic vistas. While in the park, stop in the Preserve's Gallery across from the Visitor Center. Its rotating exhibits feature the art of local artists.

The most notable feature of the Preserve is the system of carriage roads built by John D. Rockefeller Sr. and John D. Rockefeller Jr. Designed to complement the landscape, the carriage roads, many of which are handicapped accessible, allow visitors to experience and enjoy the natural wonders of the area. These scenic paths wind through wetlands, woodlands, meadows, and fields and past streams, rivers, and lakes. They traverse wood and stone bridges, including the first triple arch bridge in America.

Strictly Prohibited
Hunting, swimming, biking, snowmobiling, camping, and open fires are strictly prohibited.

Things To Do
Birding - designated an IBA (Important Bird Area)
Bridle Path
Fishing
Hiking
Nature Trail
Picnic Tables
Scenic Views

Winter Activities
Cross-country Skiing
Sledding
Snowshoeing

Trail maps (with distance and grade descriptions) of all the carriage roads and equestrian permits are available at the Preserve Office.

With its varied terrain, landscapes and miles of wooded trails, the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation provides a variety of activities in all seasons. There are areas for picnicking, lean-to camping, fishing and cross-country skiing. The park is home to the Trailside Nature Museum, which hosts weekend nature interpretive programs year-round.

Things To Do
Camping
Equestrian Trails & Horseback Riding
Fishing
Gardens
Hiking & Walking Trails
Museum
Nature Study
Picnicking
Play equipment is available in two areas of the park

Winter Activities
Cross-Country Skiing

The sculpture gardens feature 45 sculptures by some of the best-known artists of the 20th century. Capricorn,” Max Ernst’s largest freestanding sculpture is among the inspiring works. The grounds themselves are 168-acres of green lawns, trees, ponds, fountains, and landscaped gardens with a topiary, well-tended hedges, flower beds and water-lily ponds. These spectacular grounds were conceived as an integration of architecture, landscape, and sculpture. It is a landscape exhibiting superior thought and attention, a thorough knowledge of plants, a respect for what has come before, and a working effort to remain true to a vision.

Things To Do
Visit the beautiful 168-acre Sculpture Gardens

Ponds
Fountains
Landscaped gardens
Topiary
Water-lily ponds

Map is available from the security guard at the headquarters entrance.
Admission is free.

To View Site: The site is at the Edith G. Read Natural Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in the City of Rye. To get to the sanctuary, enter through Playland Park and follow the signs to the sanctuary.

Things To Do
Birding | Bird Watching
Hiking / Walking
Nature Study Programs

Winter Activities
Cross-country Skiing

Things To Do
Birding | Bird Watching
Hiking / Walking
Nature Study Programs

Winter Activities
Cross-country Skiing

Parties, Programs and Special Events
The Nature Center hosts birthday parties and special programs for groups of all ages on a wide range of environmental topics. We offer numerous outreach and on-site environmental education programs for children, adults, and families. Bring the children; kids of all ages enjoy learning about nature. Press blue button to learn more about the Greenburgh Nature Center.

Things To Do
Botanical Exhibits
Greenhouse
Hands-on Discovery Room
Live Animal Museum
Maple Sugaring Site

Philipsburg Manor is a historic site of great historical importance. Once the headquarters of a large Hudson Valley manor, the site vividly interprets aspects of the history of colonial New York and the system of racially-based slavery which helped keep the estate running in the 18th century. The visitor center at Philipsburg, located on Rt. 9 in the village of Sleepy Hollow, offers a wide range of services and changing exhibitions, and also serves as the visitor center for Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate.

Philipsburg Manor is a late 17th/early 18th-century milling, farming, and trading complex owned by an Anglo-Dutch family of merchants. Philipsburg Manor was tenanted by farmers of diverse European backgrounds, and operated by enslaved Africans. In 1693, Frederick Philipse, a carpenter who rose to become the richest man in the colony of New York, was granted a charter for 52,000 acres along the Hudson River by William and Mary of England. Historically, the site is of particular interest because of the size of the enslaved community and the highly developed nature of this 18th-century commercial property.

Featuring a stone manor house filled with a handsome collection of 17th-and 18th-century period furnishings, this famous house also includes a working water-powered gristmill and millpond, an 18th-century barn, a slave garden, and a reconstructed tenant farm house. The grounds are home to historic breeds of cattle, sheep, and chickens.

Points of Interest: Philipsburg Manor is a living history museum. Guides in 18th-century costume conduct tours of the site and numerous special events are held throughout the year. One of many fun things to do with children in the Hudson River Valley.

Things To Do
Birthday Parties at Philipsburg Manor
Greenhouse Cafe
Picnic grounds
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery located next to Philipsburg Manor
Tour Philipsburg Manor Historic Site
Tours of Kykuit that originate at the Philipsburg Manor Visitor Tourist Center

The house that presently stands on this property was built in 1933 by Dr. Voislawsky after the original Van Cortlandt dwelling was destroyed by a fire. This three-story Colonial style mansion was modeled after George Washington’s Virginia home, Mount Vernon . . .

Enjoy the wonderful Midsummer Night Music Series featuring varied fare of classical, show tunes and more. Spend a magical evening under the stars and listen to the “Midsummer Night Music” concerts featuring the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra on four Saturdays this summer at Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veterans Memorial in Somers. Each concert will feature varied and exciting musical fare to appeal to music aficionados of all kinds, so pack a picnic supper, sit back and enjoy the music.

Things To Do
Botanical Specimens
Chinese Friendship Pavilion
Formal Gardens
Open Grass Meadow

Midsummer Night Music concerts at Lasdon Park

Gates open at 5 pm for picnicking; the music begins at 6 pm. Tickets will be sold at the gate on the evening of the performance. In case of rain, concerts will be cancelled. Call for tickets prices.

Circa 1838. Lyndhurst, a historic site of the National Trust, is a preeminent architectural landmark. It resides on a 67-acre park representing 19th century architecture, decorative arts, and landscape. Overlooking the Hudson River in Tarrytown, NY, Lyndhurst is one of America's finest Gothic Revival mansions. The architectural brilliance of the residence is complemented by a park-like landscape and a comprehensive collection of original decorative arts. Its noteworthy occupants included: former New York City mayor William Paulding, merchant George Merritt, and the railroad magnate and Wall Street tycoon Jay Gould.

In the late 1830s, William Paulding acquired property high above the Hudson River overlooking the Tappan Zee. Lyndhurst was first conceived in the minds of architects A. J. Davis and William Paulding who constructed the country villa in 1838 and called it "Knoll". In 1864 Lyndhurst was acquired by George Merritt who hired Davis to more than double its size. In 1870, they also built one of the largest private greenhouses in the world.

In 1880, Jay Gould purchased the estate and renamed it Lyndhurst. The 1870 greenhouse that burned was replaced in the Gothic Revival style. The Goulds redecorated the house and embellished the spectacular art gallery with works by Corot, Courbet, Bouguereau, and others.

The important "gardenesque" landscape is the work of Ferdinand Mangold, a master gardener who worked at Lyndhurst for forty years. Many of the landscape features created by Mangold, his predecessors, and successors, are preserved. The spectacular specimen trees are of special interest.

The romantic Gothic Revival design immediately drew attention to the building. Critics called it "Paulding's Folly" because its fanciful turrets and asymmetrical outline were unlike most homes constructed in the post-colonial era. Fascination with the property continued for decades and, as ideas of wealth and status changed with the growing nation, so did the estate, reflecting the tastes and interests of wealthy New York.

Point of Interest:
Lyndhurst is adjacent to Washington Irving's Sunnyside. The ability to walk between these two historic sites has a special appeal. At present, visitors may walk along the publicly maintained Croton Aqueduct Trail from Lyndhurst to West Sunnyside Lane. A pathway connecting Lyndhurst and Sunnyside along the riverfront will shortly be open. If you are a tourist or local resident exploring the Hudson River Valley, be sure to include this landmark in your list of sights.

Washington Irving was born in New York City on April 3, 1783 (1783 - 1859) as the youngest of 11 children. His father was a wealthy merchant, and his mother, an English woman, was the granddaughter of a clergyman. Early in his life Irving developed a passion for books. He studied law privately but practiced only briefly. From 1804 to 1806 he travelled widely in Europe. After returning to the United States, Irving was admitted to the New York bar in 1806.

Washington Irving was a short story writer, essayist, poet, travel book writer, biographer, and columnist. He is best known for the short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". Washington Irving also held diplomatic posts in Great Britain and Spain.

Sunnyside is one of the most famous historic landmarks in the Hudson Valley. This important house and landscape enjoys a quiet and unspoiled riverside setting in Tarrytown, New York. Sunnyside is adjacent to Lyndhurst, a historic landmark of distinction open to the public, to which it is possible to walk via the Croton Aqueduct Trail.

Sunnyside and its Romantic landscape are presented to visitors by guides dressed in the costume of the mid-Victorian period. You may take a guided tour of the house and grounds, or purchase a grounds-only ticket for a self-guided experience.

Point of Interest: For children, Sunnyside offers "Irving's Traveling Totes" that come stuffed with five to seven engaging family activities, a brief guide, a Talk Back card for feedback related to the activities, and a blank book for visitor responses. Visitors can learn about Washington Irving by reading The Legend of Sleepy Hollow picture book and It Looks Like Spilt Milk, which, though not written by Irving, celebrates the life of the imagination, something Irving aspired to do. Children can play the Sunnyside Matching Card game and join in for a Scavenger Hunt. Dominoes, a 19th-century game, rounds out the experience. If you are a tourist or local resident exploring the Hudson River Valley, be sure to include this landmark in your list of places to see.

Attractions include: Seasonal Café, Sunnyside Tours, Museum Shop, Picnic Grounds.

Things To Do
Fishing
Hiking Trails / Walking
Ice skating
Nature study
Recreational Trail

Winter Activities
Ice Skating

Things To Do
Birding | Bird Watching
Children's Summer Ecology Program
Hiking / Walking
Nature Hikes
Nature Interpretive Programs

Winter Activities
Cross-country Skiing

Every spring and autumn, bird watchers gather to observe major hawk migrations. Nature enthusiasts can learn about raptor identification markings, such as flight patterns and silhouettes, and can take part in official tracking counts of raptors. In summer, the butterfly garden is at its height, visited by a wide variety of butterflies. Nearby, a dragonfly pond provides the necessary habitat for numerous aquatic insects and attracts birds and other wildlife. An organic community gardening area and composting exhibit instruct visitors on environmentally- friendly practices. The butterfly and hummingbird garden is maintained entirely by volunteers from Hudson River Audubon Society.

Things To Do
Birding | Bird Watching
Gardening
Hiking / Walking
Nature Study Programs

Winter Activities
Cross-country Skiing

The five miles of mountain bike trails at Sprain Ridge offer challenges to cyclists at every level of ability. The trails wind their way through 278-acres of varied terrain that offers challenges for beginner, intermediate and advanced cyclists. The beginner trail provides cyclists with challenging curves but a relatively level topography.

The intermediate and advanced trails provide experienced cyclists with more of a challenge with trails of increasing grades and challenging topography. There are picnic areas available near all three parking lots and a snack bar is open in season near the swimming pool

The five miles of mountain bike trails at Sprain Ridge offer challenges to cyclists at every level of ability. The trails wind their way through 278-acres of varied terrain that offers challenges for beginner, intermediate and advanced cyclists. The beginner trail provides cyclists with challenging curves but a relatively level topography. The intermediate and advanced trails provide experienced cyclists with more of a challenge with trails of increasing grades and challenging topography.

There are picnic areas available near all three parking lots and a snack bar is open in season near the swimming pool area.

Things To Do
Birthday Parties at Sprain Ridge Pool
Hiking Paths / Walking
Mountain Biking
Nature Study
Picnicking
Playground
Refreshments
Swimming

Teatown Lake Reservation is a nonprofit, environmental organization with an 834-acre nature preserve and education center located in the Lower Hudson Valley in the Towns of Yorktown, Cortlandt, and New Castle, New York.

Located in the heart of the Lower Hudson Valley’s Hudson Hills and Highlands bioregion, Teatown is the largest nonprofit nature preserve in Westchester County. About 28,000 people come each year to attend an education program, visit the Nature Center, hike our trails, or tour Wildflower Island, a two-acre island sanctuary located within Teatown Lake that is home to over 230 native and endangered species of wildflowers.

Teatown’s educators offer adult, family and children’s programs to over 18,000 participants annually, including nearly 9,000 school children and 700 summer campers. Annually, over 10,000 hikers traverse Teatown's 15 miles of scenic trails that span abundant fields, mixed forests, lakes, streams, swamps and farm land.

Things To Do
Children's Events
Diverse Habitats
Hiking Trails (15 miles)
Nature Center
Outdoor Animal Exhibits
Wildflower Island - over 230 native species of wildflowers