Rockefeller State Park Preserve Reviews Summary

Accessibility

Pros:

• "The park is well maintained, wide pathways for folx who have strollers and little ones."
• "The trails are very accessible for nice walks with young kids or older grandparents."
• "Easy place to bring a baby in a stroller if you wanted."
• "Trails are all nearly gravel paved and very easy to navigate with a stroller."
• "The trails were paved & well kept."
• "The trials are easy for kids and elders to walk."
• "The trails are wide and easy to walk on covered with fine gravel."

Cons:

• "Still it’s easy to get lost."
• "I had my own personal experience with getting lost and led off course by an eerie child's voice I heard echo all around me."
• "The parking lot should be close to get to the trail...as too many cars were parking there."
• "When we visited, the mostly empty parking lot was closed to additional cars, forcing visitors to line the adjacent highway with their illegally parked cars."
• "Pretty big park, there’s a lot of trails and its kinda confusing."
• "The lack of benches limits the use of the trail to younger or more mobile people."
• "Don't expect any bench chairs sitting much throughout the trail."

Nature & Wildlife

Pros:

• "Gorgeous place for a nice long walk around the lake or on any of the trails."
• "Many, many miles and of well-groomed, mostly crushed stone, trails meandering through hills, fields and forests, with spectacular views, clear streams, wildlife and even farm animals."
• "There's always something to see here and beautiful natural trails through farm pastures and around a lake."
• "Lakes, hills, and other features provide variety and great picture opportunities."
• "Beautiful scenery & full of wildlife."
• "Amazing birds and wildlife."
• "Filled with so many species of birds, deer, and Turtles."

Cons:

• "Our dogs who have roamed the bushes did end up with a bunch of ticks."
• "We did find a tick at the end of our day, so plan accordingly."
• "The forest is somewhat unhealthy - many trees are dying like others forests in the north east."
• "We didn’t find the cows and sheep’s in the area as like as other reviews here."

Amenities & Facilities

Pros:

• "Restrooms super clean and Lady in the office very nice to offer more info."
• "Clean bathrooms and trails."
• "Very clean, well maintained."
• "Exquisitely maintained grounds."
• "Great park for easy hiking with well groomed and well marked trails."
• "Very nice park with well marked trails so hiking is easy."
• "Beautiful, well-kept, and marked trails. Close to Yonkers in Westchester County."

Cons:

• "No portable toilets, but the toilets they do have are a bit of an unusual concept."
• "The park has a 'take in, take out' policy, so no trash cans; anything you bring must leave in your car."
• "There are no garbage cans anywhere on the grounds, including the bathrooms, yet horse back riders are permitted to leave their horses mess all over the paths they share with pedestrians."
• "There are not a lot of picnic areas or restrooms so plan your hike accordingly looking at the map."
• "No picnic or sunbathing allowed at the park."
• "There is a public restroom that could use more cleaning."
• "Didn't see any vending machines."

Recreation & Activities

Pros:

• "The park has programs each month, such as birds watching, sunset yoga, moon watching, and plant pressing workshop."
• "Good spot to bring your dog or horse. Fishing possible also."
• "Great place for riding your horse also."
• "80+ miles of beautiful trail with hills waterfalls bridges and fields."
• "Amazing walking, hiking, jogging spot ever for family, friends, all ages."
• "A great park for a walk around the lake, or a more involved multi-mile hike."
• "Rockefeller State Park Preserve is a great place for recreation or just enjoying the nature."

Cons:

• "The hike was easy, long flat paths... but I did get bored. Besides that there’s not much else to do."
• "Crowded with lots of rules as a result of the crowds."
• "No true 'hiking' but great for nature walks."
• "No food inside the preserve and no biking but horse riding is allowed."
• "You can’t ride your bike there anymore though, so all feet work!"
• "Very haunted ancient location from ancient massive glacial Erratica to the sleepy hollow trial and the old witches trail with the legendary spookrock with legends of fairies, aliens and ghosts all through these trails."
• "No picnic or sunbathing allowed at the park."

Parking & Accessibility

Pros:

• "Parking is free after 4:30."
• "You can access trails from public roads that have plenty of free parking."
• "Plus the parking isn't bad either, for $6.00 I rather park inside then leaving my car outside the preserve."
• "Easy parking at $6 for the day, there is overflow parking too if the main one is full."
• "Free parking for seniors (use driver's license in the machine)."
• "Parking is 6 USD all year round but you may park outside although limited space."
• "There’s a 6$ parking ticket, but you can just do street parking."

Cons:

• "The parking lot should be close to get to the trail...as too many cars were parking there."
• "When we visited, the mostly empty parking lot was closed to additional cars, forcing visitors to line the adjacent highway with their illegally parked cars."
• "Went during peak foliage and it was packed, had to park half a mile away."
• "The parking was a bit of a problem. We had to park on the side of the highway because the parking lot was full."
• "Parking is not free. But cheap."
• "$6 every time you want to park in the parking lot is well worth the donation to keep this place running."
• "$6 to park in the main lot."