Travel Directions and Start Times

Meeting places and transit schedules are subject to change—always call (914) 835-2153 in advance to reserve a place and verify the time/place. And check the transit links to train or bus web sites, below, in case the schedule has changed.

This is especially important if you're taking the subway. The Transit Authority does track work on weekends. They cancel half the trains, and re-route the rest, so participants who don't check their website in advance often arrive very late, or miss the tours altogether!

Call to confirm (or cancel) the evening before the tour to rule out last-minute changes. Get to bus or train station 15 minutes early to buy tickests and find gate or track on time or you may miss the tour.

All New York City park tours usually run from 11 AM sharp to 3 PM unless I have another event earlier in the day. Pack your gear the night before, give yourself extra time in case of delays, and PLEASE BE ON TIME!

Meeting Locations:

ALLEY POND PARK — Meet at Northern Blvd. & Springfield Blvd. (219th St.), Douglaston, Queens

A. Best way from Manhattan: Penn Station 10:49-11:16 AM LIRR train to Bayside. Go to parking lot on Manhattan-bound side of the station and wait for car pickup. Return 3:57 to 4:25 PM.

B. F train to 169th St. or E train to Sutphin Blvd. & Archer Ave., #31 bus (30-min. ride), departing every 30 min., to Northern Blvd. Walk uptown along Northern Blvd. to 219th St. (Springfield Blvd.) and Northern Blvd.

C. #7 train (slow local) to Main St., Flushing. #12 bus (25-min. ride) on Roosevelt Ave. to Springfield Blvd. Bus departs every 25 min.

D. Grand Central Pkwy. to Cross Island Expy., north (toward Whitestone Bridge). Exit Northern Blvd. west, take Northern Blvd. several blocks to Springfield Blvd. (219th St.).

APPALACHIAN TRAIL — Meet at 11:45 AM at the Appalachian Trail Metro-North train stop (not the Pawling train stop), a few yards south of Native Landscapes, Inc., 991 Route 22, Pawling, NY.

A. Grand Central Station 9:48 to 11:38 AM train to the Appalachian Trail stop. Return 2:44 to 4:01 PM.

B. Saw Mill River Pkwy. north, Rte. 684 north to end, continue north on Rte. 22, left at small Appalachian Trail hiker's crossing sign, a few yards south of the Rte. 22 parking area (with a larger sign) north of Pawling and south of Wingdale.

BEDFORD POST INN — Meet at 11 AM in the upper parking lot at 954 Old Post Rd., Bedford, NY 

A. Metro-North 8:47 to 9:52 train to Bedford Hills, take a cab to The Inn. Return 2:32 to 3:45 PM.

B. Hutchinson River Parkway to Rte. 684 N, go 12.7 miles, exit 4, right on Rte 172, go 1.6 miles, turn left on Old Post Rd./Rte 22 (which becomes Rte. 121) 1.8 miles, to the destination on the left.

BELMONT LAKE STATE PARK — Meet at 11:30 AM at the benches alongside the parking lot off exit 38 of the Southern State Parkway in North Babylon, NY.

A. LIRR 9:12 AM to 10:19 AM train to Babylon. Depart at 9:22 AM from Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn, or 9:50 AM from Jamaica. Take a 10-minute cab ride to Belmont Park.

B. Southern State Parkway to Exit 38, follow the signs to Belmont Lake State Park.

BRONX RIVER PATHWAY — Meet at 12 PM on the street outside the Crestwood RR Station, adjacent to 290 and 291 Columbus Ave., Tuckahoe, NY (not at the Tuckahoe RR Station.)

A. Grand Central Station 11:25 to 12:05 PM train to Crestwood. Return 4:19 to 5:01 PM.

B. Triboro Bridge to Bronx, Bruckner Expy. east, Bronx River Pkwy. north (bear right to avoid Sprain River Pkwy.), exit Leewood Dr., go through tunnel, immediate right on Dale Rd. to Crestwood RR station.

CENTRAL PARK, Manhattan—Confirm alternate meeting places beforehand. Park cars in lot, street parking's usually impossible.

A. C train to West 72nd St. Meet Central Park West and West 72nd St.

B. C train to 103rd St. Meet Central Park West and West 103rd St.

C. #6 train to 110 St. Meet 5th Ave. and East 106 St.

CRAWBUCKIE PARK — Meet in the parking lot at the end of Beach Rd., Ossining, NY

CROTON AQUEDUCT — Meet at 2 PM at Main St. & Cedar St., Dobbs Ferry, NY

A. Grand Central Station 1:20 to 2:02 PM train to Dobbs Ferry. Walk north on Main St. to Cedar St. Return 4:25 to 5:07 PM.

B. Saw Mill River Pkwy. exit 17, go west on Ashford Ave. 1.5 miles, bear right onto Cedar St., go one block to Main St.

FOREST PARK — Meet at stone wall & stairs, near the Parks Dept.'s Overlook Building, Union Turnpike and Park Lane (not Park Lane South), Kew Gardens, Queens.

A. Middle of E or F train to Union Tpke.-Kew Gardens. Exit south side Queens Blvd. Walk uphill (south) along Union Turnpike for 3 blocks to Park Lane.

B. Grand Central Pkwy. to Queens Blvd., left onto Queens Blvd. service road, right on Union Tpke., left at 1st light on Park Ln. (if you reach Metropolitan Ave., you've gone too far), park on street.

FORT GREENE PARK — Meet at 11:45 AM at 200 Washington Park St., Brooklyn, NY

A. Take the B, D, N, Q, or R train to Dekalb Ave, or the G train to Fulton St.

B. Brooklyn Queens Expy. exit 31 toward Wythe Ave/Kent Ave. merge onto Williamsburg St W. and turn right onto Flushing Ave.. Go 0.26 miles and turn left onto Washington Ave. Go 0.56 miles, turn right onto Dekalb Ave., go 0.59 miles to 200 Washington Park.

HUNTINGTON STATE PARK — Meet at 1 PM at the park parking lot on Sunset Hill Rd.* just off Sunnyview Dr., Redding, CT.

A. Grand Central Station 11:07-12:37 AM train to Branchville. Take cab to the park (order in advance—15 minute drive). Return 5:02 to 6:38 PM.

B1. From the south: From the South: Merritt to exit 44 (Toward CT-58, Fairfield/Redding). Turn left off the exit onto Congress Street, and take the next left on CT-58, headed North. Follow Rt. 58 for approximately 10 miles to Sunset Hill Road* (on the right), and turn right. (Slow for hairpin turn) Go about 1 mile to the park entrance, on the right.

*Note: Sunset Hill Road is about 1 mile past a 4-way stop at Cross Highway (on left) and Church Hill Road (on the right)

B2. From the north (Danbury): Rte. 302 (Greenwood Ave. in Bethel), Rte. 58 south 1-1/4 mile, left on Sunset Hill Rd. 2-1/2 miles, park entrance on left.

A. A train to Dyckeman St. (200 St.) Cross Broadway and enter playground.

B. Henry Hudson Pkwy., east on Dyckeman St. (or Harlem River Dr., west on Dyckeman St.) to Broadway.

MARINE PARK — Meet at the SE corner of Ave. U and Burnett St., Brooklyn, NY

A. Q or F train to Ave. U, B3 bus (10-min. wait, 15-min. ride) east along Ave. U toward Kings Plaza. Get off at Burnett St. Don't miss your stop!

B. Belt Pkwy., Flatbush Ave. north, left on Ave. U, go west 1/4 mile to Burnett St.

PENNYPACK TRUST — Meet at 1 PM or 4 PM at 2955 Edge Hill Rd., Huntingdon Valley, PA

PRIVATE WOODLANDS — Meet at 12:45 PM at the Branchville RR Station, 787 Branchville Road. Ridgefield, CT before carpooling 10 minutes to the woodlands in Redding, CT.

A. Grand Central Station 10:07 AM to 12:38 AM train to Branchville. Return 5:02 to 6:44 PM.

B. Henry Hudson Pkwy. north, Saw Mill River Pkwy. north, Hutchinson River Pkwy. north (or Whitestone Bridge to Hutch.), Merritt Pkwy. north, exit 39B, follow signs onto Rte. 7 north, 15 feet before sign "Jct. 102," turn right into RR station. If you miss turn, turn right at traffic light at Rte. 102 and make another immediate right into RR station.

PROSPECT PARK — Meet at stone benches in front of the park entrance and across from the library, not under the traffic circle, at Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn.

A. #2 train to Grand Army Plaza or Q train to 7th Ave., Brooklyn, walk south past the traffic circle to the park entrance.

B. Manhattan Bridge, or Brooklyn-Queens Expy.'s Tillary St. exit, south on Flatbush Ave. to Grand Army Plaza.

ROCKAWAY WATERFRONT ALLIANCE — Meet at 10 AM at 5803 Rockaway Beach Blvd. and Beach 59th St, Far Rockaway, NY.

A. "A" Train to Beach 60 St., walk NE to Beach 56th St., turn right on Rockaway Beach Blvd.

B. Van Wyck Expwy. exit 1, Nassau Expwy. east 4.2 miles, right on Burnside Ave. 0.5 mile, left on Rockaway Fwy. 2.2 miles, left on Beach 56th St. 1.4 miles, right on Rockaway Beach Blvd. 75 feet.

SAXON WOODS — Meet at 10 AM across the street from 1800 Mamaroneck Ave, in the parking lot off Mamaroneck Ave. adjacent to the swimming pool, White Plains, NY, north of the Hutchinson Pkwy., not in the parking lot south of the Hutch.

A. Grand Central Station 8:37 to 9:16 AM train to Mamaroneck, exit rear of platform. Take the #60 bus toward White Plains 10 minutes to the Saxon Woods Pool stop, or walk north along Mamaroneck Ave 30 for minutes. Return 12:36 to 1:19 PM.

SCIENCE MUSEUM OF LONG ISLAND — Meet in the parking lot at 12 PM at 1526 North Blandome Rd., Manhasset, NY

SUNKEN MEADOW STATE PARK — Meet at 12:30 PM or 1 PM at the benches between parking field #1 and the bathhouse, in King's Park, L.

A. LIRR 10:25 to 11:54 AM from Penn Station, 10:12 AM from Flatbush Ave., 10:48 AM from Jamaica, to Kings Park. Return 4:37 PM to 6:09 PM to Penn Station, 6:12 to Flatbush Ave., to 5:45 PM Jamaica. Take 10-minute cab ride to Sunken Meadow Park.

B. Northern State Pkwy. exit 45, Sunken Meadow State Pkwy., north on Sunken Meadow Parkway to Sunken Meadow Park.

TARRYWILE PARK — Meet at 1 PM at 70 Southern Blvd., Danbury, CT, in the lower parking lot, just to the right of the park's main entrance.

A. Grand Central Station 10:07 AM-1:02 PM train to Danbury. Take a cab to Tarrywile (5 minutes). Return 4:43-6:44 PM.

B. By car

TEATOWN LAKE RESERVATION — Meet at 1 PM at the nature center, 1600 Spring Valley Rd., Ossining, NY

A. Grand Central Station 10:43 AM-11:25 PM train to Ossining. Take a cab to Teatown (15 minutes). Return 3:35-4:30 PM.

B. By car