ROCKEFELLER PRESERVE WALK (Strenuous)

Rescheduled from Saturday Oct. 7 to Sunday Oct. 8. Same time, same train, same route.

A 20-mile, fast-paced walk through Rockefeller State Park Preserve, beginning and ending at the Tarrytown train station. The walk is rated as strenuous.

All walkers are required to complete the AMC online registration form to join the walk. You must sign up by completing the online registration form at https://activities.outdoors.org/search/index.cfm/action/details/id/146581
- If you do not have an account on outdoors.org you will have to create one in order to sign up for the walk
- When you submit the registration form I will receive an email
- Then I will confirm your registration
- Then you will receive an email confirming your registration
- Then you can sign up on Meetup if you want.
You do not have to sign up on Meetup to attend the walk, but you do have to complete the AMC online registration. The walk is limited to 25 people, there is a waitlist also on the online registration form.

Leader: Tom Bergen tom.bergen@yahoo.com 917-727-5507

Take the 8:45 local or 8:50 express Metro North train from Grand Central to Tarrytown. Meet 9:30 on the river side of the Tarrytown train station by the tennis courts. I will be wearing an orange cap. Potential return trains are 6:04 express or 6:17 local.

From the train station we will walk north on the Riverwalk along the Hudson River to Kingsland Park, then east on steep streets to Gory Brook Road, then counterclockwise through Rockefeller Preserve, including steep Cedar Hill, Stone Barn, steep Buttermilk Hill, the visitor center, a portion of the 13 Bridges Trail, the Pocantico River Trail, and the Old Croton Aqueduct trail to Rockwood Hall, then south on streets along the Hudson River back to Kingsland Park and the Riverwalk and to the Tarrytown train station.

Elevation gain is 1,424 feet, elevation loss is the same. Some of the hills are long and steep. Hiking boots are not required but the carriage paths can be rocky; wear something with a solid sole. There are no dropout points except to walk back to Tarrytown or call an Uber or get at train at Philipse Manor station at about 17 miles.

Bring water, snacks and lunch. We will take a short break at Stone Barns at 6 miles and a lunch break at the visitor center at 10 miles. There are restrooms in Pierson Park near the train station, at Kingsland Park at 2 miles, at Stone Barns, at the visitor center, at Kingsland Park at 18 miles and Pierson Park near the train station.

Maps of the walk:
Strava: https://www.strava.com/routes/3134289669348965906
All Trails: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/rockefeller-preserve-walk-a96b65a
Google Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1PMuHntsZiZSqJdID21RaMdUKMRC5Nos&usp=sharing

Strava shows 19.78 miles and 1,424 feet elevation gain, when I uploaded that map to All Trails it shows 18.78 miles and 1,375 feet elevation gain; they are the exact same route, I don't know why the two apps show different numbers; the final walked distance will be just over 20 miles,

There is a free state park pdf of the Rockefeller trails at https://parks.ny.gov/parks/rockefeller/details.aspx, which is also available as a free download on the Avenza app. The New York/New Jersey Trail Conference has a much better Rockefeller trail map as part of its 4-map Westchester bundle, you can buy paper copies for $11.95 from the trail conference web site, https://www.nynjtc.org/maps/westchester-trails-map; or buy a $10.99 download on the Avenza app.