One of the largest hand-hewn stone structures in the world, Croton Dam is an engineering marvel. The 200-foot-tall structure creates Croton Reservoir, which has provided water for New York City for well over a century. Spend an afternoon at 97-acre Croton Gorge Park, where you can stroll across the steel arch bridge that offers unobstructed views of the reservoir’s mirror-smooth surface. There are numerous other trails through the park, most of them not too taxing.
Covering 156 acres, the pristine Brinton Brook Sanctuary includes four miles of hiking trails through a variety of terrains. One of our favorite routes through this preserve is the Brinton Brook Pond Loop, a relatively easy trail that winds through meadows on its way past a pretty pond.
One of the area’s jewels. Graff Sanctuary is a nesting spot for Great Horned Owls. You can often hear their low, throaty hooting late in the afternoon or early in the morning. The River View Trail has dazzling views of the Hudson through the trees.