6.5 miles | 328 ft gain | Difficulty: Easy | Rating ★★★★

The Old Croton Aqueduct trail traces the waterway from Croton Dam to Bryant Park, and provided clean water to New York City in the 1800s. In 2019, we finished our 3-part hike of the Westchester trail and earlier this year, we opted to start the remaining ~15 miles of the urban trail, from Bryant Park to Yonkers.

In ways this was my favorite and least favorite part of the urban hike combined. Starting where we last left off, at 205th Street in the Bronx, we headed north up to and through the eastern part of Van Cortlandt Park. My favorite was along the early moments, where we slipped into forest wilderness, the city feeling miles, not feet, away.

• 

• 

• 

We were sharply brought back to reality as we lopped around and crossed the Mosholu Parkway, with the Major Deegan close by. Across the highway, it was hard to imagine we were still in Van Cortland Park, deep on a forrest trail. We followed the well-marked trail to the Westchester border where the ownership of the trail changed from city to surburb. Though the ventilators kept us certain of our path.

• 

• 

• 

We continued another 2 miles or so through the woods coming out at a major intersection. Crossing to Yonkers Avenue, we stayed on the street for a stretch before veering slightly right onto a wooded trail that ran between houses. This was akin to much of the Aqueduct trail we experienced when we first started exploring it. We made our way to 9A where we officially “ended,” and continued our walk back to the Yonkers train station.

• 

• 

• 

• 

From city through suburbs to the dam, it’s an interesting trail and historic part of our city and state’s history. I don’t know that it’s one I would want to hike again and again, but it feels like an essential bucket list for any New Yorker.