Teatown Lake Reservation
Directions
Take the Taconic State Parkway; exit at Route 134/Ossining. Turn west onto Route 134. Drive for approximately ¼ mile and turn right onto Spring Valley Rd. To reach the Nature Center, drive for about 1 mile bearing left at the fork/Teatown sign. The Nature Center and parking will be on your right just over the crest of the hill.
To reach Cliffdale Farm, once on Spring Valley Rd, turn right at the fork/Teatown sign onto Blinn Rd. Follow Blinn Rd (which becomes Apple Bee Farm Rd.) to the end and turn left onto Quaker Ridge Rd. After approximately 1 mile take first left onto Teatown Rd. Travel past the farm buildings and past the red house. At approximately 0.8 mile, turn left into the Cliffdale Visitor’s Parking Area.
No public transportation
Park Overview
There are a wide variety of trail experiences at Teatown Lake Reservation: streams, hardwood swamps, mixed forests, meadows, hemlock forests, laurel groves, and a scenic gorge.
Trail Overview
Teatown maintains fourteen trails that traverse nearly 15 miles, over diverse terrain and habitats, including abundant fields, mixed hardwood forests, laurel groves, lakes, streams, swamps and farm land. The trails range from easy/novice to moderately difficult. The trails connect to the Briarcliff Peekskill Trailway and the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail.
The 2.4-mile Hidden Valley circuit is a particularly rewarding hike. The Lakeside Trail features a 600-foot boardwalk over the lake and access to a bird observation blind. A trail map (link above) is also available at the Nature Center.
Click for detailed descriptions of hikes in the Reservation (trailhead GPS coordinates are included).
Park Description
Teatown Lake Reservation is a nonprofit, environmental organization in a 1,000-acre nature preserve and education center located in Westchester County. Hikers will find a wide variety of natural areas to explore, including the 33-acre Teatown Lake, a scenic gorge, hardwood swamps, mixed forests, meadows, and hemlock and laurel groves.
Teatown's Nature Center features numerous natural history and live animal exhibits and a nature gift shop. Outdoor exhibits include a working maple sugar house and live birds of prey. The center offers weekend and after-school educational and outdoor programs for children and families. Guided tours of two-acre Wildflower Island with its over 230 native and endangered species of wildflowers are available as well.
The trails are open 365 days a year from dawn to dusk. The Nature Center is open daily, 9:00am to 5:00pm.