Back home around lower-Westchester, NY I have lots of natural gems that I grew up observing and walking about. These are places I would walk around to get in some fresh air, exercise, maybe see some interesting birds in a beautiful setting. One of them is Glenwood Lake. I can walk right from my childhood home here. This spot has a simple wooded trail around the lake. Watch for mallards, wood ducks, swans, turtles, and frogs. These turtles were soaking up the November sun.
On my last visit home the foliage was stunning.
There is a particular rock I love to stand upon and look out across the lake.
Over the summer I saw one of the largest frogs I’ve ever witnessed before!
Sometimes you get lucky and this place is utterly desolate, sometimes it is filled with high school kids or other locals, either way it gets the job done and is a great close to home nature fix.
A drive to close by the lake at New Rochelle High School called Hugenot Park is sometimes in order. Here is a great place for birding and it’s a bit of a larger lake to walk around.
If you have kids there is also a playground and children’s library. This is a populated area right off the main road, but it is sometimes nice to change up routine.
Glen Island (off season) is a pretty magical and eclectic place.
There are castles to view reminiscent of the days when the area was an amusement park.
There are trails to walk through trees and by water. The long island sound provides a great environment for birding.
When the tide is out there is a large rock formation you can climb up and check out a cannon.
http://parks.westchestergov.com/glen-island-park
Larchmont Manor Park is small and quiet, but surely has some beautiful views of the sound.
You can walk around taking in the sights stopping at a gazebo or sitting on a stone bench.
http://www.larchmontmanorpark.org/
Other notables include: Five Islands Park (off season), Orchard Beach (off season), and Shore Park.
I know these places in Westchester from years of exploration in my youth when I wasn’t able of getting too far away from home. I wonder if anyone growing up in the city or suburbs of the Capital Region knows about similar local hidden gems or lesser-known parks. Please feel free to share any spots you enjoy taking a short walk in nature, relatively close to the city.