Ward Pound Ridge Reservation is 4,700 acres of rolling countryside and is Westchester County’s largest park. The terrain is extremely varied, ranging from deep hollows to ridges 800 feet high.

There are hemlock gorges, dry uplands, wetlands, ponds, and two rivers, all connected by 35 miles of trails. You can explore meadows, marshes and vernal pools.

Many of the old farm roads are now used as hiking and cross-country ski trails, and other signs of the old farms exist in the form of stone walls and foundations.

Among the types of land formations, there is a sandy hillside that is a recessional moraine, formed 12,000 years ago by the last glacier. The big boulders on top, glacial erratics, were transported by the force of the glacier.

Another formation, a blueberry-alder swamp, is one of the richest ecosystems in the park and supports a wide variety of flora and fauna including rare orchids and rare amphibians.

The trails are open for walking, cross-country skiing and horseback riding. The Deer Hollow trail connects to the Lewisboro Town Park.

Highlights

• It is a Biodiversity Reserve Area

• The county’s largest park

• 35 miles of trails

• Camping available

• The Trailside Nature Museum, which hosts programs every season.

• The Gallery in the park, where exhibitions are held throughout the year. 

Directions

The entrance to the Reservation is on Route 121 just south of Route 35. There is a parking fee. The park can also be accessed from the Lewisboro Town Park trail and by foot /bicycle from Route 124 just north of Boutonville Road.

Open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to dusk, year-round.

Parking fees: $5 with Park Pass, $10 without Park Pass -- daily May through mid-Oct; weekends only mid-Oct. through mid-May.