Croton Gorge Park

Croton Gorge Park located on Route 129 in Croton-on-Hudson, NY about 30 minutes up the Taconic State Parkway from White Plains might be an interesting place to visit.

For directions, go to http://www.mapquest.com/ and type in "new croton dam" in the "search for" box. Then you can click on "get directions" and enter your address.

The New Croton Dam, located in the park, was completed in 1906 to create the Croton Reservoir to supply drinking water to New York City.

The park is a nice place to visit any time of year. When there's snow on the ground, the hill next to the dam is a great place to go sledding. In the warmer months, many people enjoy picnicking, Frisbee and catch on the grassy area below the dam.

From April 1 to September 30 the river is a popular spot for trout fishing. You'll need a New York State fishing license if you're over 16 years old, but you do not need the DEP watershed access permit needed to fish upstream of the dam.

Anytime of year, but especially in the fall, joggers, hikers, mountain bikers and dog walkers take advantage of the trails through the woods and along the river. Our next blog entry will show you one of those trails.

Pedestrians are allowed to walk along the top of the dam to enjoy its views. "No Vehicular Access" means cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc. are not allowed, but if you are on foot, you are welcome to cross. 

 If you didn't know what "No Vehicular Access" meant, here's what you would have missed...

The quickest and simplest way to the top of the dam is to walk up the grassy hill to the right of the dam. This is the fastest way but it's a little steep. You could also walk along the wide gravel path that begins behind the restrooms near the far parking lot. This path snakes (v. to move like a snake) it's way back and forth up to the dam. If you have a map of the area or GPS you can drive to the "No Vehicular Access" dead end by getting back onto Route 129 heading southwest to Quaker Bridge Road, then left onto Quaker Ridge Road, then left at the dead end sign onto Croton Dam Road. Going by car is probably the easiest way to get lost, but getting lost sometimes leads to new adventures. Enjoy!