The Old Croton Aqueduct, Yonkers
Laminator posted about a Sunday long run with his club, NY Flyers, at Van Cortlandt. It appears he did the XC course to start and to finish, which is pretty tough long-run stuff. In the middle he mentions heading up a trail to Westchester.
- As to the latter, I assume he did all or a portion of the Old Croton Aqueduct/Putnam Rail trail loop.
- Meanwhile, my Club is heading up for a long-run at the Rockies this coming week-end.
Bronx/Westchester Border on the OCA
My Westchester Trails site describes trails good for running in southern Westchester. As we head into fall-marathon training, perhaps some thought to heading up north once in a while makes sense. The Rockies and the Old Croton Aqueduct from Yonkers to Tarrytown are readily accessible from Metro-North’s Hudson Line. The Old Croton Aqueduct and Putnam Rail trails in the Bronx and into Westchester can be reached from the final stops on the 1 and 4 trains.
Each trail is unique, each worth a trip. There are directions on the site.
Now these photos, one taken in the fall, the other in winter, don’t do the trails justice. At this time of year, they are all filled-in with greenery. They are cooler than the surrounding area.
I should add that Julie posted something on a brand new audio/visual tour of the Bronx River, which basically goes along the path on which she and I run frequently, in my case for some 38 years. It’s narrated by Dan Rather. The “Bronxville Lake” is what I ran around when I posted some pictures earlier. According to LoHud, you can access the spots (there are signs on the path) via cellphone.
The path — it’s paved — essentially runs along the Bronx River Parkway (which is the border between most communities along the way, such as Tuckahoe and Yonkers) and therefore largely goes from station to station on Metro North’s Harlem Line. So it is very easy to get to. A quick stop at Bronxville, head west a tiny bit and you’ll be on the path. It can be a nice change of pace, followed by a light meal.
RunWestchester 
4 comments
Comments feed for this article
July 20, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Robert
I’m going to try to make the 5K next Thursday up in Van Cortland. It looks like a lot of fun.
I headed up to a town up called Brewster on Saturday to visit one of my best high school friends and it was so beautiful. I’d never really been into that part of the region before, but I can now see why you all deal with the commute.
July 21, 2009 at 11:06 am
Liz
The book Fun on Foot in New York has a ton of trails all mapped out in the boroughs, Long Island, the major centers of upstate New York and regional NJ, and the NJ side of the Hudson. There are even maps, directions and commentary and assessment for all the routes. It’s a great resource — in fact, one of the authors is training for the NYC Marathon and is using his own trail recommendations for inspiration.
July 21, 2009 at 11:31 am
joegarland
Robert,
Brewster is way north, in Putnam County. It’s much more country-ish than down in the southern part of Westchester. WestchesterTrails is designed to showcase local trails close to the City.
Liz,
I have looked at “Fun on Foot” and it covers all of the trails about which I’ve written. It is a good resource, including runs in New York City.
July 22, 2009 at 10:41 pm
The Laminator
I enjoyed my run on the Westchester Trails. Hopefully I’ll make it back soon to check up the parts further north!