PLEASANTVILLE–The Rockefeller State Park Preserve is a wonderful place.
Conveniently located, with entrances in Pleasantville and Tarrytown it has an extensive network of trails, originally for carriage use. It’s an ideal location for a morning run, afternoon hike or evening stroll.
The trail is open to equestrians; horses are often on the trails and are fun to spot. The preserve is highly popular with the film and photography industry for it’s scenic beauty, with HBO’s Boardwalk Empire shot there recently.
I grew up in Larchmont and live in Chappaqua, 15 minutes from Rockefellar State Park (“Rocky”). What an unbelievable resource! Miles and miles of soft packed dirt horse paths perfect for walking/jogging/running. I only wish my father who ran the NY and Dutchess County Marathons a total of 6 times had known about it while he was training since a number of the area’s top cross-county teams train there. Some say it’s one of the best places to run in the US–no sidewalks, no traffic, no traffic lights, no strollers, an ocassional horseback rider.