Spring Walk in Central Park with a Detour to the Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue

The walk is On, with a slightly adjusted plan due to the weather

Meet: Sunday, April 5, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., total distance about 7 miles
Location: Maine Monument, Columbus Circle
Bring: Water, lunch/snacks, sunscreen, a fancy hat, if you have one

Restrooms: Use the restrooms inside the park near the Columbus Circle entrance before the walk. During the walk (after our detour to the Easter Parade), we will stop at the restrooms at the Arsenal near the Central Park Zoo, if the line isn’t too long. If it is, we’ll skip that stop and head to the restrooms at Bethesda Fountain instead. Another restroom stop is at the tennis courts in the northern part of the park. There are additional restrooms along the way if we need them.

Details
Join us for a walk in Central Park on Easter Sunday, with a detour to the Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue — a NYC tradition since the 1870s.

We will begin by exploring the Hallett Nature Sanctuary in the southern part of Central Park and the area around the Pond before heading over to Fifth Avenue and down toward St. Patrick’s Cathedral to get a glimpse of the famous Easter Bonnets worn by parade participants (which is really just a crowd of people strolling around in elaborate hats). Time Out calls it the city’s best parade that is not really a parade. After about 30–40 minutes of people‑watching, we will make our way back into Central Park to visit the Ramble, Shakespeare Garden, and the Reservoir. We’ll enjoy the warmer weather after the rough winter and look for early blossoms along the way.

We’ll find a nice spot for a brief lunch break in the northern part of the park and then continue to the Loch and Ravine in the North Woods before heading back south to the 86th Street Transverse and Central Park West, where our walk will end. There will be several drop‑out points along the route.

We will cover about 7 miles, mostly on flat, paved paths, with some uneven terrain and some stairs. The pace will be moderate, except on Fifth Avenue, where we will need to go with the flow — or simply hang out and watch people and their hats go by.

Hike leader:
Brigitte, 646-651-3911 on the day of the walk only.