I Hiked in Van Cortlandt Park: Here’s What It’s Really Like

I love living in New York City. For too many reasons I can say here, but one of them is that it’s easy to live car-free. I love walking and biking around (and while the subway is chaotic, I do prefer reading a book on the train or bus compared to driving).

However, one thing I don’t like about New York City is how hard it is to access nature, especially using public transit.

Well, I think these trails in the Bronx’s Van Cortlandt Park are among the best transit-accessible “hikes” within New York City.

(I put hikes in quotations, because they are hikes, but they’re not the type of hikes you’ll get in Vermont or Upstate New York. “Nature trails” might be the better term.)

In this article, I’ll tell you everything to know about Van Courtlandt Park’s John Muir and Cass Gallagher trails, including how to get there on transit.

My girlfriend and I did both at once, and while you’ll see them listed as separate hikes, you can do both without doubling back at all.

Quick Summary of The Hikes

• The John Muir Trail goes east-west through the park between Woodlawn and Riverdale. It has some amazing parts, with true forest, wetland, and trails. But you also have to cross over or under three highways. This, as well as the golf course, put a damper on it and take you out of the otherwise beautiful forest and wetland
• The Cass Gallagher Trail is a loop on the Riverdale side of the park. It has more elevation and honestly feels more like a “hike,” but it’s not super long. If you wanted to start and finish in Riverdale, this is a great option. It’s an offshoot along the John Muir trail, so we did both at once.
• These are suitable for beginners. There’s not much elevation overall and they’re short, so they’re fine for beginners.
• Both sides of the John Muir Trail have doable, but not great public transit access. From the Woodlawn side, it’s a 20+ minute walk from the 4 train or the Metro North stop, and slightly longer from the 2/5 stop at 233rd St, but also doable. On the Riverdale side, It’s also a walk from the 1 train, although some local buses drop you right near the start.
• Both Riverdale and Woodlawn are NYC neighborhoods worth exploring if you haven’t. We wanted to “hike” even more, so we walked all the way to Wave Hill Garden in Riverdale.

The Woodlawn Side: Transit to Get There and Where to Start

We started on the Woodlawn side, but if you wanted to end your hike with Irish food, start in Riverdale and end in Woodlawn.

Woodlawn is famous for its Irish and Irish-American populations. You’ll see lots of “football” (soccer jerseys), pubs, and places to get Irish food.

Like a lot of the North Bronx, it has the feel of a mix between a semi-suburban town and New York City.

Transit Options: The 4, 2, and Metro-North Trains Are All in the Neighborhood, But Not Close.

The starting point of the John Muir Trail is right next to the Woodlawn Playground. That’s a good point to put in Google Maps.

Once you’re at the playground, just walk west down the block and you’ll see a Parks Department sign that said John Muir Trail.

The start of the trail is on the side of Woodlawn that’s not close to the trains.

The Woodlawn 4 and Metro-North stop are both more than a 20-minute walk to trailhead. The 233rd St 2 train just a tad further.

If you wanted to speed this transit excursion up a bit, the East Bronx has a scooter share, so you could take a scooter from the train station to the trailhead. Or, just enjoy the walk through the neighborhood.

My mindset for this is that we’re on a “hike” anyway, so just view that extra walking as part of it.

The Woodlawn Side of the John Muir Trail: Forests and Wetlands

The start of the John Muir Trail is one of the nicest parts. Immediately, it feels like a forest, especially once you make the first turn west. We did this hike in the early spring, so the leaves weren’t on the trees yet, but many early spring flowers were blooming.

Some of these trees clearly look hundreds of years old. I think that qualifies as “old-growth.” That this exists in New York City and is open to the public is something to dwell on. Unlike Central Park, which was landscaped and manicured in the mid 19th century, Van Cortlandt Park still reflects parts of the original environment.

The Highways, Underpasses, and Golf Course Dampen The Vibe

During the era of urban renewal and highway construction, Robert Moses and his cronies barreled three different highways or parkways through Van Cortlandt Park.

East to west, you have to go under the Major Deegan, make a loop underneath the Mosholu Parkway, and then take the overpass across the Henry Hudson.

Between the Deegan and Mosholu, you also go around the golf course. So instead of beautiful old-growth forests, you see people in golf carts and feel the heat and lack of tree cover (if it’s a warm day).

The two underpasses are the worst part. They smelled like pee, had lots of trash nearby, and lots of scattered clothing. (Likely, they’re used as encampments. Not judging here, just relaying the facts.)

There are still nice parts in this middle section, but it definitely made me think, “Why the hell did we think it was a good idea to barrel highways through cities?”

The Cass Gallagher Nature Trail in Riverdale

After we crossed the Henry Hudson, there’s a concrete walking path, a big circular garden bed, and public restrooms.

This is basically the end of the John Muir Trail (technically, it continues to the end of this path). It’s also where the Cass Gallagher trail entrance is. It’s a loop, but there are two entrances close to each other. You could do either.

We went in on the east entrance, because it’s what we saw first and is closer to the bathrooms.

I would 100% do the Cass Gallagher Trail on a regular basis if I lived closer. It’s one of those, “Oh, I see why Riverdale is so nice to live in” moments.

It’s about a 30-minute loop, with the biggest trees we saw the whole time in the park. There are a few uphills too.

There are no highways to cross here.

The Riverdale Side: Transit to Get There and Where to Start

After exiting the Cass Gallagher Trail and the other entrance to the John Muir Trail, the road continues and becomes Mosholu Avenue.

Right there, there’s a local bus, the Bx9, that stops right there. This bus goes between Riverdale and West Farms, the southern portion of Bronx Park. It intersects with various subway lines, so you can get close by transit, but taking the subway plus a bus will be a long transit trek.

The more direct option is to take the 1 train up to 242nd St. From there, it’s about 20-minute walk up Broadway (or cutting through the park if you want) to the start of the trail

If you’re not sure where the trail starts, you can put “Stables Area Public Restrooms” into maps.

Cities Need More Green Spaces and Nature

Van Cortlandt Park is a gem, but it’s way up in the northern edge of the Bronx, where most city residents don’t have easy access. Three highways barrel through it, and each underpass smelled like pee. Even our best green spaces haven’t fully escaped the 20th century’s priorities.

Those priorities were, bluntly, cars. Wide roads. Parking lots. Concrete. The dominant narrative became “escape the city for nature,” which became a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more we designed cities around cars, the less livable they became, and the more nature felt like something you had to drive to. This is one reason I’m so passionate about living without a car, and why we really need to reckon with the hidden costs of our car-dependent society.

Cities and nature are not opposites. This is the kind of stuff I think about while enjoying this wonderful hike: How can we have more nature and green space like this that our children can enjoy, steps from where they live?

For another Bronx green space excursion, I recommend checking out Pelham Bay Park and Starlight Park.

If you want something more transit-accessible, you can check out Central Park’s North Woods.

FAQ

Are There Public Restrooms Along These Trails?

On the Riverdale side, there’s a public restroom at the start of the Cass Gallagher loop. It’s the “Stables Area Public Restrooms.” On the Woodlawn side, the Woodlawn Playground restroom is currently closed for renovation.

Are These Trails Child-Friendly?

The Cass Gallagher trail for sure, as long as your child can handle some moderate uphill. The John Muir Trail is manageable too, but the highway underpasses are a bit grim. It’s not exactly the nature immersion you’re going for with kids.

How Long Does It Take to Do Both Trails?

The John Muir Trail takes roughly 1.5–2 hours end to end, depending on your pace. The Cass Gallagher loop adds another 30 minutes. Factor in the walk from the train and you’re looking at a solid half-day outing.

Is There Anywhere to Eat Nearby?

Yes, both Woodlawn and Riverdale have clusters of food spots as well as bodegas a few minutes from the park entrances.

Do I Need Hiking Boots?

No. Trail runners or even sturdy sneakers are fine. It’s not technical terrain.