Now that spring has sprung it’s the perfect time to explore some of New York’s nearby natural wonders!
One of those is Croton Gorge Park, located in Croton-On-Hudson in the Hudson Valley, about an hour and a half drive from NYC. You could also take the train from Penn Station to Croton-Harmon (about 45 minutes) and then take a 10 minute cab ride to the park.
The public park takes up 97 acres located at the bottom of the Croton Dam, which was the first large masonry dam in the country in 1842 and was actually originally built to supply NYC with water–though the New Croton Dam replaced it in 1907 since it was no longer large enough to cater to the NYC population. It’s also the starting point for New York State’s Old Croton Aqueduct hiking trail.
Though more of a man-made “waterfall,” the dam is over 200 feet high and the Croton Reservoir has a capacity of about 34 billion gallons of water.
While you’re there you can also walk across the bridge over the Croton River (which begins at this point too), which reopened not too long ago after being closed for repairs, and boasts some of the best views of the gushing dam.
In the winter, the area is even used for cross-country skiing and sledding. Luckily we’ll have to wait a bit to enjoy this part!
Croton Gorge Park can be found at 35 Yorktown Rd, Croton-on-Hudson, NY. The Park is open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., all year long.
A park pass is not required for admission, though the parking is $5 with a park pass and $10 without a park pass (only on the weekends in May and September and each Saturday from Memorial Day through Labor Day.