Inwood Hill Park

Inwood Hill Park is a 196-acre green space in northern Manhattan that offers forested trails along valleys and rocky outcrops, plus sports fields near the Harlem River waterfront. The park also includes a nature center, boat launches, and open lawns for outdoor activities.

The Wecquaesgeek branch of the Lenape people lived in the area for centuries and called their settlement Shorakapok before European colonists arrived in the 17th century. New York City acquired the land in the 1910s and converted the private estates into a public park, which opened in 1916.

The name Inwood refers to the wooded hills early settlers encountered, and today locals treat this green refuge as a place to hike and unwind away from city noise. Families gather at playgrounds and picnic spots on weekends, while dog owners and runners favor the trails beneath old trees.

Multiple entrances provide access to different parts of the park, with flatter paths along the river and steeper trails in the hills. Visitors should bring sturdy shoes for the woodland routes and note that some sections can become slippery after rain.

A large tulip poplar tree on the grounds is estimated to be over 280 years old and was already a mature tree when American independence was declared. Tidal marshes along the river support crabs and rare saltwater plants that are hard to find elsewhere in the city.