Hiking Pelham Bay Park, the NYC Park That’s Bigger Than Central Park

I know people who have lived in New York City their whole lives and never been to Pelham Bay Park. It’s at the end of the 6 train, which already feels like a commitment, and then to get into the heart of the park, it’s wise to take a bus.

The Bronx doesn’t get credit for its nature. But that’s exactly why this place is such a find.

Pelham Bay Park is more than three times the size of Central Park, and it has real trails, a real forest, a salt marsh, a lagoon, and a beach.

I went in late April, did the Twin Island and Hunter Island loops, and I’m convinced this is the best transit-accessible hike within New York City limits.

(I say “hike” loosely. These aren’t Adirondack-level trails. But they feel more like untouched nature than almost anywhere else inside the five boroughs.)

Quick Summary

• The two main trails are the Hunter Island Loop and the Twin Island Loop. You can do them both in one trip without any backtracking. Together, they take around two hours at a chill pace.
• There isn’t much elevation. For better or worse.
• Hunter Island feels like a real forest. Old trees, ostrich ferns, and we even saw deer.
• Twin Island is a salt marsh, with completely different scenery from Hunter Island, open and coastal, and very peaceful.
• Getting to the trailhead is a bit of a walk depending on the time of year, but just treat it as part of the hike. The approach through the park is perfectly pleasant.
• In the summer, you can take the Orchard Beach bus, but it’s better in the spring or fall. I went in late April with zero mosquitos, but summer near that salt marsh is probably a different story.
• This is beginner-friendly. Almost no elevation, well-marked trails, and the loops aren’t long.

How to Get There by Transit

In the spirit of adventure and the spirit of protecting nature (and because I like traveling by transit), we go there on public transportation.

You take the 6 train to the last stop, Pelham Bay Park. From Midtown it’s about 50 minutes.

From there, depending on the time of year, you have a few options.

In season (Memorial Day through Labor Day), some Bx12 buses continue from the subway station directly to Orchard Beach. That’s the easiest option. Orchard Beach is right next to the start of both loops, so you’re dropped off close to the trailhead. On the other side of the Orchard Beach parking lot, you’ll find the end of the Hunter Island loop. The Orchard Beach Nature Center is also right there, which is a useful landmark to put into maps.

I went in the off-season, and you have a couple of options.

We took the Bx29, the City Island bus. Get off at the first stop on City Island and then walk about 10 minutes to the park entrance. The entrance is on the north side of the bridge connecting City Island to the Bronx mainland.

It’s marked with a “Pelham Bay Park” sign.

This section isn’t the hike you’ll see listed in guidebooks, but it might as well be. We saw deer in this stretch before we even reached the official loops.

From that entrance, it’s roughly a 30-minute walk through the park and past Orchard Beach to the start of the Twin Islands loop. You can also go in the other direction and start with Hunter Island. Either works, and you won’t have to backtrack to complete both.

My mindset is the same as it was when I hiked in Van Cortlandt Park. Treat the walk to the trailhead as part of the experience. In the off-season, Orchard Beach is mostly empty. It’s probably the best time to walk the Orchard Beach boardwalk and gaze out at the sea.

Your other option is to rent a Veo electric bike, Lime scooter, or Bird scooter from the Pelham Bay Park subway station. I talk more about the scooter/e-bike network in my article on getting around the Bronx car-free.

You can ride these all the way to Orchard Beach and into the park, but not onto City Island. You can get close to the trailhead on them, but not all the way. That would be the fastest non-car option.

I would’ve considered this for the return trip, but there weren’t any nearby. Even if you take the scooter or e-bike in, there’s no guarantee it’ll be there when you come out. In the off-season, the odds are better since not many people are heading out that way, but I can’t promise it. As of when I’m writing this, you can buy 30 minutes for $8, which is a fair deal and kind of fun to ride through the park.

The Walk to the Trailhead

From the first stop on City Island, you walk across the bridge, then you see the park entrance. Once you’re in the park, even though you’re not on the trail, it’s a nice walk.

Twin Island, the Salt Marsh

After you walk passed Orchard Beach, the nature center, even the entrance to the Hunter Island trails, you’ll see signs for Twin Island.

Twin Island is a salt marsh.

I’m not a birder, but I heard and saw colorful birds. So if you are a birder, you’d enjoy this. You can smell the salt water, put your hand in it, pause and sit on rocks. There are parts that border on natural beaches. Although you could zip through this in about 30 minutes, we took our time and Twin Island took us over an hour. We even went over Two Trees Island, which is a quick 5-minute loop, named after Joe Two Trees, the last Algonquin who lived in the park.

The scenery is totally different from Hunter Island. Where Hunter Island is dense and forested, Twin Island is open, flat, and coastal.

Hunter Island, the Forest

The end of the Twin Island Loop is right next to a sign that says “Kazimiroff Nature Trail.”

This is one of the trails on Hunter Island, and if you do the full loop, you’ll be on this trail for a lot of it. I read a book by Kazimiroff called The Last Algonquin, which follows the true story of an Algonquin who lived in Pelham Bay Park, separate from modern society, until his death at an old age in the 1920s. Kazimiroff’s father knew the man, Joe Two Trees, and relayed it to his son. Kazimiroff held save the parkland from development in the 60s.

While Twin Island had many people on it taking in the views, we saw only one other hiker in Hunter Island. It’s a real forest. I breathed in the fresh air that lost the hint of salt and took in the feeling of extra oxygen.

I saw ostrich ferns everywhere, which I love. Ostrich ferns are one of those plants that make a place feel ancient and lush, and they were covering the forest floor.

We also saw deer, which shouldn’t be surprising given that this is a nearly 3,000-acre park, but still catches you off guard when you’re inside New York City. These deer let us get close and had no fear of humans, it seems.

The trees on Hunter Island were not quite as big as the old-growth forest trees you’ll see in parts of Van Cortlandt Park. However, they’re older and more impressive than Central Park.

Exiting at Orchard Beach

After less than an hour, we popped out at the Orchard Beach parking lot, which is an abrupt but satisfying return to civilization.

We saw people tailgating in the mostly empty parking lot, grilling, playing music, dancing salsa or bachata (it’s definitely the Bronx).

There are picnic tables there. It’s not a bad idea to end with a little picnic or a snack.

At this point, after walking for many hours and with no scooters around, we called a rideshare back to another place in the Bronx to eat lunch, but we could’ve walked back and eaten at City Island or caught the Bx29 back the subway.

What to Know Before You Go

Mosquitos. I went in late April, and there were zero, but this place has all the conditions for a brutal summer mosquito situation, especially around the salt marsh. I’d bring bug spray from June through September and not expect a peaceful hike without it.

The trails are well-marked and easy to follow. There aren’t many places to make “wrong turns” and both islands are small enough that you maintain your sense of direction.

Restrooms are available at the Orchard Beach Nature Center, right near the trailhead. They were open, even in the offseason.

Bring water and snacks. There’s nothing to buy once you’re in the park, outside of Orchard Beach in summer.

Consider combining this with City Island. If you’re taking the Bx29 option, you’re already getting off in City Island, which is this wonderfully strange little fishing village in the Bronx. It’s on my list of fun things to do in the Bronx. In our case, we took a Lyft to Little Yemen, which was also a great choice.

Cities Are Better With Nature In Them

Most New Yorkers will never make it out to Pelham Bay Park. Some of that is distance and transit time. But a lot of it is the story we’ve been telling ourselves about cities and nature for a hundred years, which is that they’re fundamentally separate things, that if you want real nature, you have to leave.

Pelham Bay Park is evidence against that story. Three times the size of Central Park, with forest, wetland, wildlife, and a beach, all sitting at the end of a subway line.

The Bronx has had to fight for its green spaces and fresh air. Robert Moses and the era of urban renewal ran highways through people’s homes and parks like Van Cortlandt Park alike, cut off neighborhoods from waterfronts, and designed a borough around car movement first and everything else second. Pelham Bay Park survived largely intact thanks to people like Dr. Kazimiroff who pushed back.

Spaces like Pelham Bay Park don’t get protected like magic, and it’s up to us to fight for more green spaces in the city, so that connection to nature is more much accessible to many more people, not just those who live close to major parks.

FAQ

How Long Does It Take to Do Both Loops?

I’d budget a full half-day, especially if you’re adding City Island. Both loops themselves are easy to do in under two hours, but including walking and transit, the whole trip will take more.

Do I Need Hiking Boots?

Not really. The trails are not technical terrain. Just wear something you don’t mind getting a little muddy after rain.

Is This Good for Kids?

Yes, with some planning. There’s almost no elevation, the trails are peaceful, and the wildlife sightings make it genuinely fun for kids. The main thing to think about is the mosquito situation in summer, and the long walk to the trailhead if you’re going off season.

Are There Public Restrooms?

Yes, at the Orchard Beach Nature Center near the trailhead. [Are these open year-round or only in the warmer months?]

Is There Anywhere to Eat?

City Island, right at the start of the trip if you’re taking the Bx29, has seafood restaurants and a handful of other spots. Inside the park, there’s nothing in the off season but has probably mediocre food at OrchardBeach when it’s open.

What’s the Best Time of Year to Go?

I think spring or fall. You avoid the worst of the mosquitoes and the summer crowds at Orchard Beach.

Are There Closer Hikes in Pelham Bay Park?

I haven’t done it and it’s on my list, but if you don’t want to take an additional bus, the Butler-Huntington Woods are a short walk from the 6 train.

What About Parking and Driving?

This article is focused on getting there by transit, because that’s how I do it and because the subway and bus options are pretty solid. If you’re driving, there’s a large parking lot at Orchard Beach, which puts you right at the trailhead.