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Welcome to Hikinglite.com
Old Croton Aqueduct
This page was last updated October 2006.
The Old Croton Aqueduct supplied water to New York City from 1842 to 1955. The
Aqueduct began at the original Croton Dam and terminated 41 miles away at the site
of today's Great Lawn in Central Park and The New York Public Library at 42nd St.
Today, the Westchester portion is The Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park.
Since the Aqueduct has a gentle slope of 13 inches per mile, it is especially great for
bike riding. The trail is a well maintained packed dirt path, with a few rough sections
and as far as riding: Mountain Bikes are best, Hybrids OK, but you will have a tough
time and a lot of flats with a Road Bike. This is not a good trail for riding when it is
muddy. I usually ride heading south to take advantage of the gentle slope toward NYC.
In October 2005 I rode from the New Croton Dam to the High Bridge Water Tower in
Manhattan in about 7 hours.
MetroNorth makes access to the trail in Westchester County easy for those without a
car, and the NYC Subway provides for easy access in the city. Even if you have a car,
you may want to do long one way trips on the trail and use the train to return to your car.
Most stations between Croton-Harmon and Yonkers are just a short bike ride from the
trail. Just head west at any major road crossing and you are bound to end up at a
station. You must have an MTA Bike Pass to bring your bike on MetroNorth. Board
the north end of the train at a door with a Handicapped Decal.
To bike The Old Croton Aqueduct you need a map. You can use a Hagstrom Upper
Westchester County map for the northern section, a Hagstrom Lower Westchester
County map for the southern section, or better yet, get a trail map from the Friends of
the Old Croton Aqueduct . For the NYC section, the best map is the map of the trail in
NYC also published by the Friends of The Old Croton Aqueduct (FOCA). My
descriptions of the confusing areas are not designed to replace a map.
Northern Section (Croton Dam to Sleepy Hollow):
The northern section is my favorite section of the trail. It is very diverse, with urban and
suburban areas, as well as the most wooded sections on the trail. The section thru the
Rockefeller Preserve is especially beautiful and rustic, and with the installation of the
Archville Bridge in 1998, the dreaded gap in the trail has been eliminated. There are
just a few confusing turns, but it is mostly easy to follow.
The trail starts at the New Croton Dam, which is just a short bike ride from the
Croton-Harmon MetroNorth train station. Biking from the station, make a right on
Croton Point Ave, left on Riverside and then a right on Benedict. Just keep biking till
you eventually come to a wide dirt path thru the woods. At the other end of the path turn
left on the paved road and then right on Jacoby, then right on Route 129. Continue to
Croton Gorge Park on the right. The park is located at the base of the dam, and the
view is awesome, and this is definitely a place to spend some time. To get to the top
of the dam, either take 129 or head out the other end of the park with the dam on your
left and find a trail up the hill. The section of the Croton Dam Road on top of the dam is
open to pedestrians and bikes only. The trail starts at the road, on the east side of the
dam. Take the Croton Dam Road east to connect with the North County Trail.
Here is some information to help you navigate the confusing areas of this section.
About 3 miles south of the dam, GE managed to place an office park right on the
Aqueduct. The trail skirts the western side of the GE property along a chain link fence.
This detour is not in good condition and doesn't make you think too highly of GE; it
ends at Shady Farm Rd. Make a right and a quick left under Route 9A on Albany Post
Rd. From here you can turn left onto Ogden Rd and then make a right back on the trail
(this involves some steep climbs), or continue to the traffic light, turn left and look for the
trail in about a 1/2 mile on the right. (north bounders: if you come upon Route 9A, go
back one block, down Ogden, right on Albany Post Rd, take your first right after
passing under 9A and then look for an unmarked path on your left)
In Ossining, the trail is hard to find where it crosses Highland Ave on the south side of
town. The trail is reached from the upper parking lot of No. 123-127.
Between Scarborough Rd/Long Hill Rd and Albany Post Rd in Briarcliff Manor, the
Aqueduct is on private property. One property owner has even placed a black wrought
iron fence across his side yard to dissuade lost trail finders. You will need to use the
roads for this section. Albany Post is heavily traveled and has no shoulder!!
Lunch Spots: There are places to buy lunch in downtown Ossining and Sleepy Hollow.
Southern Section (Sleepy Hollow to Yonkers)
The southern section is more urban than the northern section, but still has plenty of
natural beauty. Some areas have fantastic views of the Hudson and in some other
places you are literally biking in what appears to be someones back yard. My favorite
block on the southern section of the trail is the block between Neperan Rd and
Elizabeth St. Don't be timid, it's part of the trail!! The Yonkers section of the trail has
some areas of broken glass and debris; but recently there has been one major
improvement. Heading south on the trail past Palisade Ave, there used to be a very
steep overgrown slope down, complete with mattresses and broken beer bottles. but
in the fall of 2005, the City of Yonkers upgraded this section to a gently sloped gravel
path. On my last trip out there, it seemed to be a bit eroded. There was also a huge
parcel of land just north of the trail that was being cleared for development.
Here is some information to help you navigate the confusing areas of this section.
Some genius placed Sleepy Hollow High School, on both sides of the Aqueduct with a
connector hallway running right across the top of the Aqueduct, thus blocking all trail
traffic. The trick is to hook left around the buildings, down the stairs and then right up
the hill back to the Aqueduct. (north bounders: at the HS, go right down the hill, past the
building, and up the stairs to your left)
In Yonkers, heading south, the trail merges with Yonkers Ave. As you pass the Yonkers
Gateway Motel on the right, the overpass is the South County Trail. Continue on
Yonkers Ave to Midland Ave, to the north east corner of Tibbett's Brook Park where the
Aqueduct will soon be visible again. Tibbetts Brook Park is a very interesting park.
On the east side there is the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail and on the west side is the
South County Trail.
Lunch Spots: Tarrytown Deli in the Shopping Center at White Plains Road. There is a
picnic table across White Plains Road. Also Irvington, Dobbs Ferry,
Hastings-on-Hudson have places to get lunch.
New York City Section
The Bronx section of the trail is the most diverse of all the sections. The northern
portion goes thru a heavily wooded area of Van Cortland Park, while the rest of the trail
is in an urban setting. The Aqueduct is a raised viaduct through University Heights, but
travels beneath city streets thru Morris Heights. Highbridge Park in the Bronx has a
great view of the High Bridge Water Tower. A new water filtration plant is being built in
the southern section of Van Cortland Park, so use the 'Alternate Walking Route' from
the FOCA map to cross the Major Deegan Expressway.
Highbridge Park in Manhattan has an especially broad view of the High Bridge and the
river basin. Use the Washington Bridge (not to be confused with the George
Washington Bridge) to cross the Harlem River. The rest of the Manhattan section is
best done on foot, or by the M101 Bus and/or buses along Fifth Ave, since the trail is
just on city streets and evidence of the Aqueduct is not that apparent; however, there
are some interesting structures and architecture along the route for any Aqueduct fan.
Links
http://www.aqueduct.org/index.html
http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/virtual_tour/croton_aqueduct/
http://nysparks.state.ny.us/sites/info.asp?siteID=34
The Old Croton Aqueduct supplied water to New York City from 1842 to 1955. The
Aqueduct began at the original Croton Dam and terminated 41 miles away at the site
of today's Great Lawn in Central Park and The New York Public Library at 42nd St.
Today, the Westchester portion is The Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park.
Since the Aqueduct has a gentle slope of 13 inches per mile, it is especially great for
bike riding. The trail is a well maintained packed dirt path, with a few rough sections
and as far as riding: Mountain Bikes are best, Hybrids OK, but you will have a tough
time and a lot of flats with a Road Bike. This is not a good trail for riding when it is
muddy. I usually ride heading south to take advantage of the gentle slope toward NYC.
In October 2005 I rode from the New Croton Dam to the High Bridge Water Tower in
Manhattan in about 7 hours.
MetroNorth makes access to the trail in Westchester County easy for those without a
car, and the NYC Subway provides for easy access in the city. Even if you have a car,
you may want to do long one way trips on the trail and use the train to return to your car.
Most stations between Croton-Harmon and Yonkers are just a short bike ride from the
trail. Just head west at any major road crossing and you are bound to end up at a
station. You must have an MTA Bike Pass to bring your bike on MetroNorth. Board
the north end of the train at a door with a Handicapped Decal.
To bike The Old Croton Aqueduct you need a map. You can use a Hagstrom Upper
Westchester County map for the northern section, a Hagstrom Lower Westchester
County map for the southern section, or better yet, get a trail map from the Friends of
the Old Croton Aqueduct . For the NYC section, the best map is the map of the trail in
NYC also published by the Friends of The Old Croton Aqueduct (FOCA). My
descriptions of the confusing areas are not designed to replace a map.
Northern Section (Croton Dam to Sleepy Hollow):
The northern section is my favorite section of the trail. It is very diverse, with urban and
suburban areas, as well as the most wooded sections on the trail. The section thru the
Rockefeller Preserve is especially beautiful and rustic, and with the installation of the
Archville Bridge in 1998, the dreaded gap in the trail has been eliminated. There are
just a few confusing turns, but it is mostly easy to follow.
The trail starts at the New Croton Dam, which is just a short bike ride from the
Croton-Harmon MetroNorth train station. Biking from the station, make a right on
Croton Point Ave, left on Riverside and then a right on Benedict. Just keep biking till
you eventually come to a wide dirt path thru the woods. At the other end of the path turn
left on the paved road and then right on Jacoby, then right on Route 129. Continue to
Croton Gorge Park on the right. The park is located at the base of the dam, and the
view is awesome, and this is definitely a place to spend some time. To get to the top
of the dam, either take 129 or head out the other end of the park with the dam on your
left and find a trail up the hill. The section of the Croton Dam Road on top of the dam is
open to pedestrians and bikes only. The trail starts at the road, on the east side of the
dam. Take the Croton Dam Road east to connect with the North County Trail.
Here is some information to help you navigate the confusing areas of this section.
About 3 miles south of the dam, GE managed to place an office park right on the
Aqueduct. The trail skirts the western side of the GE property along a chain link fence.
This detour is not in good condition and doesn't make you think too highly of GE; it
ends at Shady Farm Rd. Make a right and a quick left under Route 9A on Albany Post
Rd. From here you can turn left onto Ogden Rd and then make a right back on the trail
(this involves some steep climbs), or continue to the traffic light, turn left and look for the
trail in about a 1/2 mile on the right. (north bounders: if you come upon Route 9A, go
back one block, down Ogden, right on Albany Post Rd, take your first right after
passing under 9A and then look for an unmarked path on your left)
In Ossining, the trail is hard to find where it crosses Highland Ave on the south side of
town. The trail is reached from the upper parking lot of No. 123-127.
Between Scarborough Rd/Long Hill Rd and Albany Post Rd in Briarcliff Manor, the
Aqueduct is on private property. One property owner has even placed a black wrought
iron fence across his side yard to dissuade lost trail finders. You will need to use the
roads for this section. Albany Post is heavily traveled and has no shoulder!!
Lunch Spots: There are places to buy lunch in downtown Ossining and Sleepy Hollow.
Southern Section (Sleepy Hollow to Yonkers)
The southern section is more urban than the northern section, but still has plenty of
natural beauty. Some areas have fantastic views of the Hudson and in some other
places you are literally biking in what appears to be someones back yard. My favorite
block on the southern section of the trail is the block between Neperan Rd and
Elizabeth St. Don't be timid, it's part of the trail!! The Yonkers section of the trail has
some areas of broken glass and debris; but recently there has been one major
improvement. Heading south on the trail past Palisade Ave, there used to be a very
steep overgrown slope down, complete with mattresses and broken beer bottles. but
in the fall of 2005, the City of Yonkers upgraded this section to a gently sloped gravel
path. On my last trip out there, it seemed to be a bit eroded. There was also a huge
parcel of land just north of the trail that was being cleared for development.
Here is some information to help you navigate the confusing areas of this section.
Some genius placed Sleepy Hollow High School, on both sides of the Aqueduct with a
connector hallway running right across the top of the Aqueduct, thus blocking all trail
traffic. The trick is to hook left around the buildings, down the stairs and then right up
the hill back to the Aqueduct. (north bounders: at the HS, go right down the hill, past the
building, and up the stairs to your left)
In Yonkers, heading south, the trail merges with Yonkers Ave. As you pass the Yonkers
Gateway Motel on the right, the overpass is the South County Trail. Continue on
Yonkers Ave to Midland Ave, to the north east corner of Tibbett's Brook Park where the
Aqueduct will soon be visible again. Tibbetts Brook Park is a very interesting park.
On the east side there is the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail and on the west side is the
South County Trail.
Lunch Spots: Tarrytown Deli in the Shopping Center at White Plains Road. There is a
picnic table across White Plains Road. Also Irvington, Dobbs Ferry,
Hastings-on-Hudson have places to get lunch.
New York City Section
The Bronx section of the trail is the most diverse of all the sections. The northern
portion goes thru a heavily wooded area of Van Cortland Park, while the rest of the trail
is in an urban setting. The Aqueduct is a raised viaduct through University Heights, but
travels beneath city streets thru Morris Heights. Highbridge Park in the Bronx has a
great view of the High Bridge Water Tower. A new water filtration plant is being built in
the southern section of Van Cortland Park, so use the 'Alternate Walking Route' from
the FOCA map to cross the Major Deegan Expressway.
Highbridge Park in Manhattan has an especially broad view of the High Bridge and the
river basin. Use the Washington Bridge (not to be confused with the George
Washington Bridge) to cross the Harlem River. The rest of the Manhattan section is
best done on foot, or by the M101 Bus and/or buses along Fifth Ave, since the trail is
just on city streets and evidence of the Aqueduct is not that apparent; however, there
are some interesting structures and architecture along the route for any Aqueduct fan.
Links
http://www.aqueduct.org/index.html
http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/virtual_tour/croton_aqueduct/
http://nysparks.state.ny.us/sites/info.asp?siteID=34