Riverdale Park

Riverdale Park is a scenic green space located along the Hudson River in the Bronx, New York City. Spanning approximately 1.5 miles in length and one block in width, the park offers visitors a tranquil escape from urban life with its wooded areas and river views. The park's elevation, one of the highest in New York City, provides stunning vistas of the Empire State Building, George Washington Bridge, Hudson River, and New Jersey Palisades.

The park is divided into several sections, each with its own character. The North Woods area contains historic ruins, including a stone oven and a fruit storage shed built by Robert Colgate in 1877. The Fishing Trail, considered the most popular trail in the park, leads to a fishing area where visitors can catch various fish species including bluefish, eel, flounder, striped bass, and white perch.

Riverdale Park is home to diverse flora and fauna. The forest within the park includes five types of oak trees - red oak, black oak, white oak, pin oak, and chestnut oak - as well as black birch and hickory. Wildlife enthusiasts can spot numerous bird species, including ring-necked pheasants, blue jays, herring gulls, black-backed gulls, and double-crested cormorants.

The park's natural beauty is protected under its designation as a Special Natural Area District, which safeguards its high slopes, rock outcrops, ponds, mature trees, and marshes that support aquatic birds. This preservation ensures that Riverdale Park continues to offer a slice of nature within the urban landscape of New York City.