The opening of Prospect Park’s Fallkill Trail has come at the perfect time to catch NYC’s beautiful fall foliage! Park goers are now encouraged to walk the scenic route that has been fenced off since 1995.
However, the most incredible feature of the trail is definitely the Fallkill Waterfall. In the years that the Fallkill area was unaccessible to the public, fence-jumpers often trespassed, leaving litter and graffiti over the trampled woodland. Now, with an official public mulch trail Prospect Park hopes to promote “stronger stewardship around Fallkill Falls.”
“We have monitored how people are engaging with the park and we adapt our uses to meet them where they are,” said Morgan Monaco, President of Prospect Park Alliance. “This new trail will invite visitors to explore a previously fenced area of the park and enjoy the beautifully restored landscape. The long-term health of our natural areas requires us to be champions and strong stewards of the park and I urge all who come to experience the park’s woodlands to stay on the designated trails, carry out all trash that you bring in, and always keep dogs on-leash to protect these delicate habitats.”
Fallkill Falls’ surrounding landscape was originally restored in 1990 to Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision, the designer of Prospect Park. Fencing was put in place around the area to prevent damage from foot traffic.
Staff and volunteers of the Prospect Park Alliance had worked on the new trail for the past year to remove invasive plants, haul logs, grade paths and beyond to make it what it is today.
Prospect Park is home to 350 acres of forest, meadow and lake—a sight not too often seen in the middle of Brooklyn! Therefore, the Alliance’s Landscape Management ensures the maintenance of the park in order to preserve its beauty for generations ahead.
Find out more about Fallkill Trail and the Propsect Park Alliance here.