Walk a Loop Through the North Woods of Central Park

Image above: The Pool located on the west side near 102nd Street Crossing

Follow a walking trail to waterfalls and birdwatching through the North Woods of Central Park.

With a total of around 58 miles of trails throughout Central Park, choosing where to begin may be daunting. A walk through the North Woods is a great choice for exploring nature, bird watching and discovering some hidden treasures of the Park.

This loop is approximately 1 mile in length and meandering it can take about 60 minutes. Begin on the east end of The Pool, a small body of water in the north west section of the Park. Already the stress will begin melting away as the Pool is a beautifully landscaped quiet area with willows along the duck filled pond and a great spot to begin and end your walk. 

Follow the stone staircase down towards the stream and head to the Glen Span Arch. Follow the path that runs along the stream and whenever you have a choice in direction, just keep to the right of the stream, also known as the Loch. While walking along the Loch, you'll see a few short paths that are quick diversions to get a little closer view of the stream. Flower & fauna await you, soak it all in! By now, you're like Broadway who? 

Following this Central Park trail will then bring you to the North Woods Loch mini waterfall, a beautiful and serene spot to ponder about life's mysteries or what to have for dinner. You could choose to exit through Huddlestone Arch here or backtrack a few steps and continue walking north on the North Woods walking path. Keep aware that some paths close to the location of the future Harlem Meer Center will be closed off, but signs and detours will be posted.

Above: a path in the North Woods

A good destination would be to head as far as the Blockhouse, this area is the original terrain and you'll find steep hills and large rock outcrops, even though you are only blocks away from civilization.

Follow the path heading back down in a southern direction leading to Great Hill and back to the Pool.

Interesting tips:

  • The Huddlestone Arch was constructed out of boulders found near the site and without the use of any mortar.
  • The Blockhouse is the 2nd oldest structure in the Park. Cleopatra's Needle is indeed the oldest.
  • The Blockhouse fort was constructed as part of a series of fortifications during the War of 1812. It is the only remaining building from these defenses and Olmstead and Vaux liked it enough to leave it where it stood.
  • Great Hill is a large open meadow and one of the highest points in Central Park which makes it great for its views. The area has several picnic tables which are rather scarce in Central Park and plenty of people sunbathing, playing frisbee and the occasional concert.

Image above: the suggested route through the North Woods