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Overview - The Colonial GreenLoops are 20 miles of trails that loop through wooded areas in numerous communities in southeast Westchester, just north of New York City. It comprises several major park systems – including the Leatherstocking Trail, Saxon Woods County Park, Hutchinson River Trail, Twin Lakes and Nature Study Woods, and one smaller park, the Weinberg Nature Center. There is one paved section that runs for about a mile, and a smaller half-mile paved section that connects two parks.
As of May 16, 2005, there is no official map of the loops, though one is currently being worked on, and will hopefully be available soon. This website cobbles together various maps and information for the hiker or runner.
The trails run through, and can be directly accessed from: New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, White Plains, Scarsdale and Eastchester. They can also be accessed from Harrison by coming down the Hutchinson River Trail.
Broadly
speaking, the Colonial Greenway, when finished, will be a massive Figure-8 running
through these communities, the only such trail system in the New York City
metropolitan area. The description
below is a 13 mile loop that starts and ends at the Leatherstocking trailhead
in New Rochelle where it hits Pinebrook Boulevard, and covers the outside of
the “8”, with the unfinished connection in the middle of the 8
briefly described at the end of this crude little site.
This map of the trail was created by running the trail with a GPS and gives the big picture a 13 mile loop. Nature Study Woods in New Rochelle is in the southwest corner of the map and Saxon Woods is in the northeast corner of the map (thanks to Guillermo Gutierrez for creating the map as he ran the loop with me on May 15th). Printing the map or opening it another window may be helpful as you read the detailed description below:
Leatherstocking Trail - A linear park that starts at Pinebrook Boulevard in New Rochelle and runs northeast for 2.8 miles through Larchmont and Mamaroneck ending at Rockridge Road, just past Old White Plains Road and just north of I-95. The Leatherstocking appears on some maps, and not on others (and not on the one linked above.) It is almost impossible to get seriously lost due to the linear nature of the park. Here is a more detailed map of that section. While there are many short spurs that go to local houses, here is only one real spot to make a choice, about 1/2 mile before the Weaver Street crossing...go left (north) toward the very long, L-shaped, catwalk that goes over the marshy area. At the end of the “L”, go straight (not to the right) and on to Weaver.
The only parking is on side streets where the trail crosses roadways. This park can be accessed at the following street crossings: Pinebrook Boulevard, Weaver Street (Rt. 125), Highland Road, Ormond Road, Fenimore Road, Country Road, Old White Plains Road and Rockridge Road, the trail’s terminus.
To access Saxon Woods from the Leatherstocking trail (a formal connector is planned, but has not yet been built from Rockridge – an easement may exist but is disputed by a homeowner) go left up the steep hill (Rockridge and then Deerfield) and then right on Old White Plains Road. This is a narrow, windy road with no shoulder and the utmost caution is needed. You will pass the Winged Foot Country Club on the left. The entrance to Saxon Woods is about 1/2 mile away on the right.
Saxon Woods County Park - This large park has numerous trails and is subdivided by the Hutchinson River Parkway. There is a map available online. It is sandwiched between Mamaroneck Road (a continuation of Old White Plains Road) and Mamaroneck Avenue. There was some signage in the park at trail junctions, though many of the maps have now been taken. The "lower section" - that part south of the Hutch, which is really running east-west at this point - is connected to the upper section in two spots. The first is via the Mamaroneck Road overpass, on the far western edge leading toward the Saxon Woods Golf Course (where there is public parking). The second is through a tunnel on the eastern edge of the park, just north of the Depression era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) campground that can also be accessed via a parking lot off of Mamaroneck Avenue. It is indicated with a “P” on the map linked above.
The county owned golf course clubhouse in the upper part of the park is the only place for water, food and bathrooms in this area, though it may be closed in winter. The CCC campground on the lower section of the park has a bathroom facility that was currently undergoing rehabilitation in 2004.
Access in the lower portion is also at the unmarked entrance off of Old White Plains Road noted above. Proceed on the trail as it moves left (north) until you hit a larger trail by the ruins of an old house. This is one of the main trails though the park. Going left will eventually bring you to the CCC campground noted above. Going right (south) will bring you around the southern edge of the park, and the trail will eventually curve left and north and also bring you up to the access road to the CCC campground. If you go the longer way simply stay to the right on the very windy trail at all junctions so that you are moving on the western edge of the park. When you hop across a small stream and see a “T” intersection, you can be reassured you are in the correct spot. Go right. Eventually you come to a dirt/gravel service road/trail that leads to the driveway to the parking lot by the campground.
Another entrance to the park trails is via Scarsdale’s Weinberg Nature Center on Mamaroneck Road, just south of the Hutch and the Saxon Woods Golf Club.
There is a trail entrance to the park via the Hutchinson River Trail approach that comes down from Harrison at North Street. The trail runs next to the Hutch on the northbound side, then behind Kentucky Stables on the north side of Mamaroneck Avenue. Moving west past Mamaroneck Avenue (remember the Hutch is running east-west here), proceed along the sidewalk next to an exit ramp off the Hutch that will lead you into Saxon Woods, and on to a junction near the trail tunnel. Going left a short ways and up the hill will take you to the CCC campground. Going right takes you through the tunnel to the upper section of the park.
To hike or run the loop, you must go north past the CCC camp to the golf clubhouse. The short way is to head west through the Weinberg Nature Center to Mamaroneck Road, then go north (right) on the footpath next to the road over the Hutch to the clubhouse.
A
longer way is to go through the tunnel in the eastern section of park and make
a left at one of the trails that runs east parallel to the Hutch. As of May 15,
2005, the fence that had been erected in 2004 to block the tunnel was pushed
down by someone, and the tunnel can be accessed. (The fence was placed due to construction on the north side
of the tunnel in the large fields by the Saxon Woods Pool.) While the trails
have been slightly re-configured, this older map will give you
a pretty good idea of the layout.
The trail has been partially re-established and leads up a hill and to
the left (heading west parallel to the southbound Hutch). Follow the trail to
the right at your first (minor) junction (not on the map) and you shortly come
to a much larger, main trail that is seen on the map. Go left to head toward
the Saxon Woods clubhouse. You
will hear the Hutch traffic off to your left, running parallel to the
trail. When you hit a main
junction continue straight to take you toward the trail next to the 18th
tee and fairway. If you go right at the junction, you will head in a northerly
direction toward other trails in the park.
The longest way is to go through the tunnel as above, but when you hit the main trail, go right and down the hill toward a small house on the edge of the newly built parking field at the Saxon Woods pool, and then continue on with the pool facility on your right. Use one of the many trails through that area that head west toward the golf course. The trail furthest to the north passes stables and lets you out on the north side of the parking lot by the clubhouse. This section of the park is rockier then others, and the drainage is not as good. Maps placed by the Boy Scouts at trail junctions in 2003 are now mostly gone.
Hutchinson River Trail - This runs parallel to the Hutch down to New Rochelle and is sometimes used by horses. If you are running or hiking the loop and heading south toward New Rochelle, you will find the trail directly across the street from Saxon Woods Golf Course, right by the entrance to the southbound Hutch. This trail runs 5 3/4 miles to its main exit at Webster Avenue and Flandreau Road in New Rochelle. The trail crosses Weaver Street (at 1.07M from Saxon Woods), Pinebrook Blvd. (.17M from Weaver), Wilmot Road (1.33M from Pinebrook), Mill Road (.55M from Wilmot), the Webster Avenue entrance to the Hutch (via an overpass - approx 1M from Mill Road depending on which trail is taken in this section) and then a final 1.45M to the Webster/Flandreau exit of the park.
The condition of the trail is not always very good, as it is very narrow in spots and often overgrown. A map, in booklet form filled with history, can be obtained from the Westchester County Parks Department.
The
last two sections of the trail run through Eastchester's Twin Lakes Park
and New Rochelle's Nature Study Woods. Twin Lakes has a few trails, which
have a variety of blazes that unfortunately do not correspond to maps. Since
the park is linear, and you can always hear the Hutch to orient yourself, you
really can't get lost. There are stables in the park. Horses have the right
of way.
The park is framed on its opposite side by California Road, running through
Eastchester, and runs for one mile from Mill Road to the footbridge over the
Webster Avenue entrance to the Hutch. At the southwestern end is a beautiful
lake with the trails running on both sides of it.
Nature Study Woods, Continue moving southeast from Twin Lakes on a footbridge over the Webster Avenue entrance to the southbound Hutch, down the switchback, and then through a tunnel under the Hutch to reach Nature Study Woods. Stay on the main trail and you will emerge 1.45 miles later at Webster Avenue at Flandreau Road where there is a very small parking area. Parts of this trail are an old railroad right of way from the New York, Westchester & Boston Railway which once ran tracks through here. Parts of a trestle still remain. While the trail does continue in the park a short distance further south, it will take you away from your ultimate connection back to the Leatherstocking Trail.
Through
New Rochelle
- The main trail exit brings you to Webster Avenue at Flandreau. Take the side
road, Flandreau, until you see the High School (.2M). With the school on your
right go past the high school track and football field and make a left (Argyle).
You will see construction for a new portion of the High School in front of you.
On this street map, the High School is
located in Huguenot Park. Then keep making rights as you skirt the High
School construction and go down the hill to North Avenue (.2M). Delis and
restaurants can be found down North Avenue to the right (south) if needed, as
this is the only place on the loop other than Saxon Woods to obtain provisions.
In front of you is a statue of colonial governor Jacob Leisler at the
foot of Broadview. Off to your left is a small park with the cottage of
revolutionary patriot Thomas
Paine. Proceed up Broadview (.7M), through a neighborhood of beautiful old
homes that was once part of Paine’s 300 acre farm. The road changes names
to Lyncroft and bends to the left. Go through the public right of way to the
left of 316 Lyncroft, bringing you out to Hillside Crescent. While Lyncroft and
Hillside appear to connect on some maps,
it is really little more than a grassy right of way next to a private home.
Proceed down Hillside Crescent (.2M) back to the Leatherstocking Trail.
The
middle of the Figure-8 will be on a trail that cuts north from the
Leatherstocking just before hitting Weaver (Rt. 125) and that cuts through the
Larchmont Reservoir and emerges on Denis Drive. This
shows the first section. From
there it will cross Pinebrook Blvd. and go into Ward Acres, a large New
Rochelle city park. Thereafter it
will continue north, probably on the broad shoulder of Pinebrook, to hit the
Hutchinson River trail. The
proximity of the Leatherstocking, Larchmont Reservoir (a/k/a Sheldrake Lake)
and Ward acres are shown on this map.
Links:
An
outstanding new site with information on running trails in Westchester was just
created by long-time Westchester resident Joe Garland. http://www.westchestertrails.com/ The site also gives access points for
those coming by train.
Many
members of the Sound Shore Runners and Multi Sport Club have been running the
loop since these trails run through our towns. For local running partners and group runs, you can try
contacting the website:
The
Westchester Track Club is affiliated with Westchester Road Runners store in
White Plains, and has links and info for running events in the area:
http://www.westchestertrack.org/
New York Road Runners Club
is listed here because, well, it is the New York Road Runners Club.
--Eric Turkewitz is an attorney in New York
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