The Best Place to “Hike” in Central Park Is the North Woods

Most people, even New Yorkers, walk through Central Park without going to the part where you can feel like you’re in a forest: The North Woods.

The North Woods is, well, actually woods. Or maybe “woodland” is the right term because it has been curated to simulate the woods. But it still feels like the woods.

It has dirt trails that wind in and out, streams, native vegetation that lives on forest floors.

If you want to do something that resembles a real hike in Central Park, this is where you should go.

The Most Accessible “Hike” In New York City

“Hike” may be a strong term, but in terms of transit-accessible hikes, this the by far the best in the city. Sure, if you want longer hikes, you should head up to The Bronx and hike Van Cortlandt or explore Pelham Bay Park (I’ve written about both). But if you want hiking experience that’s literally in the middle of the city, well, head to the North Woods.

The North Woods is close to half a dozen subway lines and Citi Bike docks. It’s, well, in the center of the city.

For the combination of actual nature and being easy to reach, it’s hard to match.

There are Lots of Hills

One aspect I really like about the North Woods is that there’s lots of elevation, if you’re looking for it. It has more elevation than most of the Pelham Bay Park trails.

I Like to Enter at Adam Clayton Powell Blvd

Most visitors approach the North Woods from the south, through the Ravine or near the Loch, because those spots show up on the park map and in every “hidden gems of Central Park” article that has ever been published.

The better entrance, if what you want is to feel like you’re in the woods immediately, is the one near Adam Clayton Powell Blvd and West 110th Street. At least, in my opinion.

You’re in the trees as soon as you cross the main bike path.

There Are No Set Trails

There is no official loop through the North Woods. The Central Park Conservancy has a self-guided tour, and All Trails has a route, but neither of those is how I experience the North Woods, and I think, how most locals experience it.

If you follow the AllTrails route, it will take you in and out of the woods. If you follow the Central Park Conservancy’s route, you will miss a lot of the small trails that feel the most like woods.

There are dozens of dirt trails where you’ll see few people, unmarked even on Google Maps.

On my second and third visits, I saw plath I missed before. Over time, I’ve learned the trails. This is a long way of saying that I think the North Woods are great to just wander around.

Instead of following a set trail, stay within the boundaries of the woods. Here’s the screenshot, but the rule is if you’re crossing the main bike trails, you’ve left the North Woods.

The main paved cycling routes that cut through Central Park are the clearest landmark to watch for. If you cross one of them, you’ve left the North Woods.

It’s worth knowing because the AllTrails route for the North Woods crosses this several times, taking you out of the woods and back in again. That makes it a longer, pleasant walk, but it’s not a North Woods hike. Stay inside the boundary and stay in the trees.

The Tourist Version and the Local Version

The North Woods has a tourist version and a local version.

The tourist version is the Loch and the Ravine, especially the small waterfall in the Ravine. It’s beautiful, and it’s worth seeing and even strolling through as part of your hike through the woods. It also shows up on every Central Park list ever written. On a nice weekend afternoon, it’s not a hidden gem. It’s just a popular spot. The good news is that this far north in Central Park, it’s rarely overflowing with people.

The local version is the sections away from the Ravine, toward the interior and northern parts of the North Woods. You may be the only person there who isn’t walking a dog. The noise of the city drops off faster, although you can still hear ambulance sirens. The terrain gets hillier. There are rock outcrops to scramble around on if you want them.

What This Place Says About Cities

Central Park is 843 acres in the middle of Manhattan. That it exists is the result of a 19th-century decision to take an enormous piece of valuable land and not build on it.

The history of how it was created is complicated, including the displacement of thousands of people who had been living there. None of that should be glossed over.

But what the park created, including 40 acres of real woodland in the most visited urban park in the country, is I think, proof that nature and cities should co-exist. In fact, both are better when we do, I think one of the fatal mistakes of 20th century city planning was treating cities and nature as separate.

The North Woods exists because, at some point, someone decided it should exist and fought to keep it that way. That’s the story of almost every urban green space, down to the smallest community garden.

We should be making more of those decisions, in more cities, all the time, fighting the tough political fights to turn surface parking lots and excessive car lanes into green spaces.

The Best Time to Visit The North Woods

There’s no wrong season. Spring and fall are the obvious picks for color. Summer isn’t so bad, because you’re under tree cover it’s noticeably cooler than on the city streets. Winter, with the leaves down, you can see the rock formations and the topography of the terrain much more clearly, and the trails are almost entirely locals.

More NYC Nature

Check out my guides on hiking in Van Cortlandt Park and hiking in Pelham Bay Park.

Oh, and if you want something to pair with the North Woods, check out the Museum of the City of New York.