Pelham Bay Park

Easily one of the best parks in NYC. So much to do & so much to see. I was hiking here yesterday afternoon & could not get enough. The Bronx is always stereotyped as being gritty & not a welcoming place to visit. Then you have parks like Pelham Bay & you realize how uninformed you are. This park isn’t just the wide open space you can see from the Pelham Bay train station, theirs so much more if you’re willing explore. Be careful as you can easily get lost & travel with a friend if you’re adventuring out deep into the park as it can feel a bit uneasy seeing fellow hikers in such a isolated area. Nonetheless if you’re a Bronx resident looking to get away from the city lights & car engines take a trip here. It you’re an outer borough resident looking to expand your NYC horizons for some great sights & peace than also take a trip here.

Pelham Bay Park is huge. It’s probably most known for Orchard Beach which is overcrowded, dirty and disappointing during the heat of the summer. But there are other pretty special places in the park which we’ve discovered.
Yesterday we set off to hike Kazimiroff Trail, which winds through Hunter Island, about a 1 mile loop hike. In order to access this gem we parked in the general parking lot at Orchard Beach (which was free since it’s off season). The Kazimiroff Trail head starts right at the north of the lot. We entered the trail about mid lot, and exited the corner near the water. This allowed us to see the breadth of nature’s offerings.
There are several paths you can take off the trail, but we kept veering towards the water whenever it was an option. Our hike was easy on a well marked path though heavy woods and we didn’t see a single other person. Along the hike we saw a large variety of trees with spectacular color change, several different species of birds and a few squirrels. After hiking about 20 minutes the path opened up revealing a large salt marsh with a boardwalk snaking through reeds leading to the bay. It was as scenic as it gets with vivid contrasts between the yellow grasses, the bright blue sky and the rippling sea.
When we hit the coastline we found many large boulders which lead to great climbing and exploring. We saw lots of fish, ducks, mussels, a helmet crab and the skull of a small animal possibly a coyote.
After exploring for about 45 minutes we made our hike back to the car, this time taking the path closest to the water. It took us about 20 minutes and we enjoyed a few more pit stops to take in the views.
I really stumbled onto this gem. I read it was a hike to a salt marsh, but other than that there is little online about the remarkable hike. I imagine fall could be the nicest time of year to enjoy this little slice of nature, but we’ll probably check it out throughout the year, it’s only 20 minutes from northern manhattan. Plus, there is a large picnic area off the parking lot before you enter the woods, with tables and grills. And clean public bathrooms. Maybe we’ll make a day of it next time.
For more family fun outings check out:

I’m new to running so I’ve been trying to keep up with my weekly Sunday commitment to run with my friends at the park. Pelham Bay is big. There’s a track, kiddie parks, picnic areas with bbqs, plenty of wide open spaces for the kiddies and pups and a great path that leads into a few directions if you’re looking to have a long run or bike ride. There’s a new trail that leads from the park, along a cpl of highways, all the way to Orchard Beach, City Island, Pelham Parkway, Coop City and even New Rochelle, if you’re feeling up to that task.
I like the North Trail, which runs along the I 95 and Hutchinson River Pkwy. It’s new asphalt and gives during a jog which can be forgiving to your knees.
Tip: If you’re looking to BBQ, make sure to get your spot early. They fill up and the park gets pretty crowded, especially on warm summer weekends.

PARK NEEDS AN OVERHAUL
The Pelham Bay Park I am referring to here is the Bronx section, not the part that seeps into Westchester or near it.
SUMMER WEEKENDS ARE CHAOTIC:
Gang members congregate and smoke/​drink in the park, they also stand in and block walkways. People are blasting loud music which is disrespectful to neighbors in the park who don’t want to hear it. Littering is RAMPANT. People are trashing the park and refusing to use waste baskets or bring trash bags. I find that the park rangers do not enforce their rules possibly out of fear of community backlash.
WEEKDAYS ARE BETTER:
Much more quaint however I would like to see people pick up their trash and stop throwing it all over the grass.
Overall the park has great potential if rules were ever enforced here, which they probably won’t be. It would also be nice if the city would invest in some grass seeds. The grass looks terrible especially compared to Central Park. I know, I know, Central Park is for «The Rich» but why does Pelham Bay Park have to be neglected? The city seems to have enough money to maintain Central Park yet they don’t work on Pelham Bay Park. Doesn’t it seem a bit selfish for the 5^th Avenue and Central Park West communities to NOT contribute charity to parks outside their residential area?
MY ADVICE TO CITY OF NEW YORK PARKS DEPARTMENT
Minimize the barbecuing area. Since you have opened up a huge section of the park to allow it, barbecuing encourages activity that simply makes the park look bad such as excessive loud radio playing and incredible amounts of littering. The area around the World War 1 memorial has remained peaceful because you do not allow barbecuing it in that section.

.About two years ago I had an epiphany and started taking interest in parks, nature and the arts. I believe it had a lot to with my international traveling when I said to myself I pay all this money to go to another country and check out their parks, museums and I live in one of the famous and popular cities in the world and don’t take advantage of what’s in my own backyard. A friend and I joined a few meet up groups that hike or walk throughout different parks, bridges and neighborhoods in the city and surrounding areas and it has been an amazing experience.
During this particular trip we walked from Pelham Bay Park to Orchard Beach and City Island. It was a long walk and day but we saw so much that it made up for my aching feet at the end of the day. We saw people walking, jogging in workout classes or just relaxing and BBQing. We passed the stable for horse bike riding and took a few pic of the horses. We stopped by the golf course and took advantage of their restroom facilities. The park is huge with several entry/​exit areas. There were a few times during our nature trail work I was shocked I was in NYC because of all the greenery, woods and nature feel.
This is definitely a place to check out and see as much or little as you want depending on your mood.

Last night I was overcome by a sudden sense of nostalgia while trying to fall asleep; I got lost in a memory of coming late at some hours of dusk to meet my friends, who have just finished playing a game of football and the girls cheering them on. Arriving just in time to lay abreast my tired friends on makeshift pillows of bookbags and pullover hoodies (because that’s what teenagers wear) and stare through a translucent sky where anywhere else in NY it would be impossible to see the stars vividly. A luxury I realize I can’t afford as an adult. My days of spontaneous games of Ninja Tag and riding to Orchard Beach on their bike trails are numbered and probably in the single digits.
Retrospectively, I realized this is a perfect park for growing up. Being NYC’s largest park (fun fact), there’s a multitude of activities to enjoy. Adjacent to each other are 3 baseball fields, 2 jungle gyms (1 for children and the other… for slightly bigger children? tiny adults), 8 tennis courts, and a full sized track field. All of which are constantly renovated and well maintained. As a park, there are stations set for picnics and barbecues, and a lot of the terrain is unmanaged, granting the more adventurous to set off on hours long explorations. Some trails might lead you to a desolate area of the beach that’s popular for midnight bonfires and others might lead you to what a lot of people believe to be a magical tree… that is alive and wants to kill you.
The majesty of the park is only possible because of the lax security of the parks and rec department. Unlike Central Park, nobody’s going to yell at me for pogo-​ing around the tennis courts, and nobody will kick you out if you want to watch the sunset on the football field with your girlfriend. But like everywhere else, there are going to be kids laughing at you when you try to learn to ride a bike. Something that my kids will have to endure… because I will also be laughing at them.

Walking from Pelham Bay train station to section five, is it better to walk on the new bike track or on the outskirts of the highway when walking alone?

I came here on an early Saturday morning for a boot camp class and I was shocked how nice this park is. Yes I’m a Queens snob that doesn’t really like to travel to the BX for a park. The park was full of people working out and playing some sort of sport. The grounds were kept really clean and they have parking lots.
There is a lot of things to do here but I didn’t get to explore but will do next time.

I went to this beach for the first time on Saturday. We live about 15 minutes away so it was pretty convenient.
Pros:
— lots of stuff to do there it seems: basketball courts, playground, boArdwalk, etc.
— nice view. It’s different from your typical «nothing but ocean» view of a coastal beach because it’s the Long Island sound and the view consists of what I think is city island and maybe even queens? I’m not sure but it was nice to look at islands and some sort of trees and terrain instead of endless ocean.
— free to get on the beach and free bike parking (but cars are $ 9 weekends and $ 7 weekdays)
Cons:
— definitely not peaceful once the afternoon crowd rolls in. They were having a basketball tournament or something while we were there and although it wasn’t super annoying, the music was loud and I can see how some may be bothered by it.
— beach is dirty. It’s very much like the Coney Island or Brighton beach of the Bronx.
— costs money to park the car.
Overall, it’s def worth it since it’s so close to us but not a place to travel far for.

New York City’s largest park, there are plenty of ecosystems, recreation opportunities, golf courses, multiple access points, different cities. It truly is a wonder that could take years to fully appreciate.

I grew up by the park in the 40’s and 50’s. I recall pheasants and rabbits in the park and a real safe place. What moron in the city thought this would be a great place to put in a land fill should be strung up. I know everything changes but a land fill in such a pristine area? Don’t go in the summer that’s when the hordes of people invade the park from other parts of the city.

I love this park because its close and theres lots to do here. I usually go to the track and run while my sister and nephew go to the playground. Theres also a softball field, tennis courts, dog run, nature trails, golf course, orchard beach, and plenty of greens to just lay on the grass to relax. Theres a little wildlife like geese, and rabbits but those geese leave poop everywhere. The last stop on the 6 train goes to the park, and some buses go there too. Its a family oriented park and not touristy like central park and perfect for anyones park needs.

Recently I was in the park with my girlfriend and we decided to stop and rest for a while. 10 minutes later, a man aged 50 – 65 years passed by us. 5 minutes later I heard a whisper that repeatedly. I turned around and found the same man who had been watching us and hid behind a tree. Even after we noticed he kept watching us. Be very careful — it is not a safe place and you do not know who he is.

This park makes you feel as if you have left the hustle/​bustle of the city. It’s very quite scenic and there are a ton of places to picnic, grill, lounge, play, or just cuddle with that special someone. There are tennis courts, trails, ect. I really enjoyed this park (enough to stay there for 8 hrs…)

I love this park because it’s in my neighborhood and walking distance to enjoy the track, open green spaces, bike paths, and just get away from the congestion of The Bronx. My dog loves coming to this park, and the dog run is always full of dogs.
It’s almost too big, and is so spread out that it is really like 3 huge parks. The softball fields and tennis courts are great, and are conveniently located close to the subway/​neighborhood.
I wish the Parks Department would put a little more money into the park, tho, because during the summer months, a lot of people who do not have so much respect for the park use it as their backyards and treat it as the visitors they are.
Pelham Bay Park is very safe, very family oriented, and is a good place to see how diverse NYC is, and see everyone do their own thing.

All parks thrive by striking a balance between preserving nature and landscaping nature to better serve the community. Some parks are major tourist attractions that are regularly written up in guidebooks and are known throughout the world. (I’m looking at you, Central). Others are less famous but still serve local communities with open green space.
Pelham Bay Park falls in the latter category where it is joined by Forest Park in Queens.
You can take the 6 all the way to the end and just arrive at the cusp of this massive park, the largest in NYC. You’ll need to hop on a bus to continue the journey throughout the breadth and width of this 2,700 acre space.
And there may well be hundreds of acres of woods here too, with nature trails, a beach (Orchard Beach), horseback riding, kayaking, marshlands, a historical home, a golf course, basketball, tennis, a nature center and more.
Driving from Queens on a Sunday morning was a quick 25 minute commute compared to the mass transit way of getting there from Queens. I suspect mass transit from all points except in the Bronx will take some time.
The history buff in me is intrigued to know that Anne Hutchinson (who lent her name to the river parkway) had founded one of her dissident colonies in the park back in the day of the 1640’s. (Idea for Occupy Wall Street perhaps?)
130 years later this land was the border between loyalist NYC and rebel controlled Westchester County during the American Revolution.
And that master builder and power broker whose handprint is on all parts of this city, one Robert Moses, designed Orchard Beach, a man made crescent of sand in the park that was meant to be the riviera of the long island sound. You can now sunbathe on landfill thanks to Mr. Moses. (Technically the sand is from Sandy Hook, NJ and the Rockaways. It’s the lower levels that are landfill).
The sheer size of this park makes it a bit intimidating. Segments are separated by water!
It’s well worth a visit, however. Unlike the more easily accessible parks, Pelham Bay will be a trek from the non-​Bronx boros. You will certainly experience the wonders of nature, a throwback to the primordial forests that once made up the whole of Gotham.

I’ve never actually stopped in here, but driven through it many times either going to or coming from work, in order to bypass traffic on the Hutch or I-​95.
it seems there’s horse riding, picnic areas, parks, and more. even on the areas closer to the main roads you’ll see deer and many types of birds just hanging out.
one day I’ll stop and actually check it out more… when I’m not trying to run down obstinate bikers.

3.5 stars…
Pelham Bay Park is a great example where bigger isn’t necessarily better. The park boasts the title of being NYC’s largest park, although it’s far from the best. Everything in the park that’s man made is either abandoned or in complete disrepair and it isn’t the cleanest or well maintained park I’ve ever been to either.
The park is sort of split into three sections. The lower section of the park is often packed with families (mostly latin) having picnics and parties (the park has picnic tables and allows grilling in this area). This section also has the very nice Bronx Victory Column topped with a golden figure of Victory. The upper section is dominated by two golf courses but also has the historic Bartlow Pell Mansion. The other section has Orchard beach, a decent sized beach on the Long Island Sound. This section also has a number of paths and trails.
This is where the park stands out. This is the closest place to hike through the woods with no sounds of cars or people. Harriman State Park is much better for hiking but that’s 35−40miles north and obviously doesn’t have a subway stop right by it. The bike paths here are decent but somewhat limiting. Overall it’s an ok park but if you have a car, there are better places to go and if you’re taking public transportation, there are only a select few things worth coming here for.

An awesome place to spend a spring or summer day, very beautiful and relaxing. You can do pretty much anything here, hiking, bike riding, or just laying around on the grass and reading a book.
Aside from that, there are all sorts of places in the vicinity to explore like the Pell mansion and Hunter’s Island, etc. If you have access to a boat, David’s island, slightly to the north east is an amazing place. It’s a former Army base and Civil War prison. I think it’s forbidden to land there, but from the water you should be able to see all sorts of ruins, if the city hasn’t ripped it to shreds yet. Cool stuff.
I should probably note that there is a minor «hood» element at times, so just be smart about what you do and where you are. Regardless, NYPD and Parks Dept. makes their presence known and there are usually tons of people out in the nicer weather, so it’s pretty safe.

One of the best places ever. To me, anyway. There isn’t anything like getting off the bus or train, crossing the overpass, and just wandering around aimlessly. It’s fun to go hunting for a quiet nook where you can just sit and meditate.
If you’re feeling more active, it’s fun to go hiking, or exploring some of the woods, or the playgrounds.
It’s the perfect ratio of nature to civilization.