The Best Ways to Experience Westchester, New York, in Winter

Only 30 miles north of Manhattan and easy to reach by Metro-North and Amtrak, Westchester County is filled with seasonal adventures throughout the winter. The variety of outdoor activities is reason enough for your family to travel to this part of the Hudson Valley this winter.

Trails through Cranberry Lake Preserve in North White Plains invite winter walks and hikes through its 190 acres of woodlands, along the lake shore and across wetlands on boardwalks. Kids may be surprised at how active the wildlife here is in the winter as they see how many different tracks they can find. Even larger is Ward Pound Ridge in White Plains, where extensive wooded trails are popular for both cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Enjoy family skating on the lakes and ponds of several Westchester County Parks, including Sal J. Prezioso Mountain Lakes Park in North Salem, Twin Lakes Park in Eastchester, Wampus Pond Park in Armonk and Willson’s Woods Park in Mount Vernon. Skating is free at all these parks, and the ice is checked daily for safety and conditions. Look for the white flag with the green ball or a posted sign indicating safe conditions.

Skating is also free at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, but there is a parking fee. None of these parks offer skate rentals, so if your family doesn’t have skates, you can choose one of the several indoor rinks, such as Hommocks Park Ice Rink in Larchmont or The Ice Hutch in Mount Vernon, for time on the ice instead.

Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Groton Gorge and several parks with golf courses have sledding hills, and most have trails suitable for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. While many of the parks have open areas and trails where you can ski, a few have marked trails. These include Cranberry Lake Preserve, Blue Mountain Reservation, Hilltop Hanover Farm, Mountain Lakes Park and Ward Pound Ridge.

For an outdoor adventure on a working farm, visit Muscoot Farm in Katonah, where kids can help with farm chores, visit the animals, and take a bird walk or a farm tour to learn about maple sugaring. January workshops include identifying Sugar Maple trees, tapping them and boiling the sap into syrup.