Blue Mountain Reservation
Nature preserve
1,163 acres12 mi of trail
Blue Mountain Summit TrailSitting DuckRocky GlenDickey Brook Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Викичи · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Cortlandt
Cortlandt has 69 miles of mapped trails, 1.8 for every square mile of land
23% of Cortlandt’s land is conserved, about 5,810 acres. 4,422 acres are parks and preserves, 106 per 1,000 residents. 94% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #32 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
23%
5,810 acres · of 39.4 sq mi of land
Trails
69 mi
1.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,422 ac
106 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
94%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
19 mi
0.3 mi lanes · 16 mi paths
Highest peak
886 ft
Anthony's Nose
Lakes & rivers
24
14 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Cortlandt?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Cortlandt have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Cortlandt is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #32 of 758 in New York. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Cortlandt’s overall grade.
Conserved land23% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (69 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land106 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,422 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13AParks close to home94% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 96%
Water is 21% of Cortlandt’s area (11 of 50 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 18%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Blue Mountain Reservation, with 12 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hudson Highlands Gateway Park
Managed by Town of Cortlandt
359 acres4.7 mi of trail
Hudson Highlands
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hudson Highlands State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
534 acres3.8 mi of trail
Camp Smith Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Teatown Lake Reservation
Managed by Teatown Lake Reservation
237 acres3.8 mi of trail
Cliffdale LoopCatamount Hill TrailCliffdale-Teatown TrailShortcut
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Brinton Brook Sanctuary
Managed by Saw Mill River Audubon
146 acres3.7 mi of trail
Pond LoopSplit Rock TrailTurkey TrailHighland Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Croton Point Park
Managed by Westchester County Parks
417 acres3.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Oscawana Preserve
Managed by Town of Cortlandt
241 acres2.9 mi of trail
White TrailBlue TrailOrange TrailYellow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Old Croton Aqueduct State Park
Park
22 acres1.6 mi of trail
Old Croton Aqueduct Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 32 parks & preserves
Blue Mountain Reservation1,163 acres · 12 mi of trail
DirectionsHudson Highlands Gateway Park359 acres · 4.7 mi of trail · Town of Cortlandt
DirectionsHudson Highlands State Park534 acres · 3.8 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsTeatown Lake Reservation237 acres · 3.8 mi of trail · Teatown Lake Reservation
DirectionsBrinton Brook Sanctuary146 acres · 3.7 mi of trail · Saw Mill River Audubon
DirectionsCroton Point Park417 acres · 3.4 mi of trail · Westchester County Parks
DirectionsOscawana Preserve241 acres · 2.9 mi of trail · Town of Cortlandt
DirectionsOld Croton Aqueduct State Park22 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCroton Gorge Park174 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGeorge's Island Park142 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Westchester County Parks
DirectionsMontrose Point State Forest49 acres · 1 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsGraff Sanctuary26 acres · 1 mi of trail · Saw Mill River Audubon
Jane E. Lytle Memorial Arboretum22 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Village of Croton on Hudson
DirectionsOscawana Island Nature Preserve49 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Cortlandt
DirectionsVerplanck Waterfront Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Lents Cove Park57 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSprout Brook Park24 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Cortlandt
DirectionsCroton Gorge Unique Area20 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsGouveia Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Village of Croton-on-Hudson
DirectionsSilver Lake Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Village of Croton on Hudson
DirectionsFurnace Brook Headwater Preserve62 acres
Croton Landing14 acres
DirectionsFirefighters Memorial Field and David J. Manes Fields9 acres
DirectionsSunset Park8 acres
DirectionsParadise Island County Park6 acres
Black Rock Park4 acres
DirectionsDuck Pond Park4 acres
DirectionsCortlandt Community Recreation Area3 acres
DirectionsSenasqua Park3 acres · Village of Croton on Hudson
DirectionsDobbs Park2 acres
DirectionsVassallo Park2 acres
DirectionsMayo's Landing1 acres
Who protects it
5,810 conserved acres
23% of Cortlandt’s land. Water is left out: Cortlandt has 39.4 square miles of land and 10.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Cortlandt’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County4,928 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,776 ac
Town or city1,199 ac
State parks487 ac
State conservation467 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government51 ac
Regional agency23 ac
Local Park · 5,872 acState Conservation Area · 801 acUnknown Easement · 753 acConservation Easement · 578 acOther Easement · 292 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,058 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 18 of 77 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER Land Local Park | County | 2,268 | Unknown |
| Blue Mountain Reservation County Park Local Park | County | 1,393 | Open |
| Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve State Conservation Area | State parks | 464 | Open |
| TOWN OF CORTLANDT Land Local Park | Town or city | 442 | Open |
| Croton Point County Park Local Park | County | 412 | Open |
| Salt Hill State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 267 | Open |
| Croton Gorge County Park Local Park | County | 216 | Open |
| Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway Local Park | County | 198 | Open |
| VLG OF CROTON Land Local Park | Town or city | 196 | Unknown |
| Georges Island County Park Local Park | County | 194 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
71 places to go in Cortlandt
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Cortlandt
Brick BeachIn Montrose Point State Forest
DirectionsPlus 13 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Cortlandt
Cook Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Cortlandt
Cortlandt PlaygroundIn Verplanck Waterfront Park
DirectionsSunset ParkIn Sunset Playground
DirectionsPlus 22 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Cortlandt
Cortlandt Dog ParkIn Sprout Brook Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Cortlandt
Oscawana Island Canoe LaunchIn Oscawana Island Nature Preserve
DirectionsPlus 3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Cortlandt
Brick Beach Overlook
DirectionsHighland Lookout
DirectionsSceenic Overlook Pointe - Camp SmithIn Hudson Highlands State Park
DirectionsPlus 4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Cortlandt
Anthony's Nose886 ft elevation · In Hudson Highlands State Park
DirectionsMine Mountain860 ft elevation · In Hudson Highlands State Park
DirectionsDickerson Mountain778 ft elevation
DirectionsManitou Mountain774 ft elevation
DirectionsSalt Hill699 ft elevation
DirectionsBlue Mountain663 ft elevation · In Blue Mountain Reservation
DirectionsJacobs Hill604 ft elevation
DirectionsTorment Hill594 ft elevation
Directions8 more peaks
Hessian Hill558 ft elevation
DirectionsSpitzenberg Mountain545 ft elevation · In Blue Mountain Reservation
DirectionsPrickly Pear Hill515 ft elevation
DirectionsCatamount Hill509 ft elevation
DirectionsGanungs Hill492 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Airy Hill463 ft elevation
DirectionsCollaberg Mountain404 ft elevation
DirectionsNordica Hill256 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Cortlandt
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 24 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 18.6 miHorses · 10.2 miUnpaved · 43.7 mi
Camp Smith Trail3.4 mi
Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway2.7 mi
Hudson Highlands2.2 mi
Fire Tower Trail2.1 mi
Old Croton Aqueduct Trail2.0 mi
Cliffdale Loop1.6 mi
Blue Mountain Summit Trail1.5 mi
Highland Trail1.4 mi
Upper Village Trail Loop1.3 mi
Sitting Duck1.3 mi
15 more trails
Pond Loop
1.2 miValeria Loop
1.2 miRocky Glen
1.0 miWhite Trail
0.9 miCatamount Hill Trail
0.8 miDickey Brook Trail
0.8 miBlue Trail
0.8 miRed Trail
0.7 miCliffdale-Teatown Trail
0.7 miCroton Gorge Trail
0.6 miLimbo
0.6 miSplit Rock Trail
0.5 miTurkey Trail
0.5 miTulip Tree Trail
0.5 miCrossover
0.4 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Broccy Creek ReservoirreservoirColabaugh PondCortlandt LakereservoirCroton BayDickerson PondreservoirDickiebusch LakeDream LakeDuck PondFrankcrest PondFurnace Brook LakereservoirGlendale LakereservoirGregory PondKaplan's PondpondLake MeahaghLounsbury PondNaumburg PondNelson PondpondPetersons PondreservoirPine LakeSpy PondWallace PondreservoirCroton RiverFurnace BrookHudson River
Biking & sports
19 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
16 mi
off-road bike paths
3.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
25Baseball
21Tennis
12Basketball
11Soccer
4Football
1Field hockey
1Lacrosse
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 12 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Old St. Peter's ChurchBuilding · listed 1973
About itOld Croton Dam, Site ofSite · listed 1973
About itVan Cortlandt Upper Manor HouseBuilding · listed 1981
About itBear Mountain Bridge and Toll HouseStructure · listed 1982
About itBear Mountain Bridge Rd.Structure · listed 1982
About itCroton North Railroad StationBuilding · listed 1987
About itVan Cortlandtville SchoolBuilding · listed 1989
About itJohn Jones HomesteadBuilding · listed 1989
About itAsbury United Methodist Church and Bethel Chapel and CemeteryDistrict · listed 2000
About itSt. Augustine's Episcopal Church ComplexBuilding · listed 2006
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Cortlandt: April to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 40 | 48 | 61 | 71 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.5 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Cortlandt →
Next door
Cortlandt and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Stony Point81 miYorktown72 miCortlandt69 miOssining18 miCroton-on-Hudson18 miPeekskill9.7 miOssining5.0 miBuchanan0.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cortlandt | 23% | 1.8 | 106 | 94% | A+ |
| Peekskill | 20% | 2.2 | 22 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Croton-on-Hudson | 24% | 3.7 | 91 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Ossining | 9% | 1.6 | 14 | 98% | A |
| Buchanan | 7% | 0.4 | 44 | 99% | A− |
| Ossining | 12% | 1.6 | 5 | 99%+ | A |
| Stony Point | 68% | 2.9 | 804 | 98% | A+ |
| Yorktown | 32% | 2.0 | 185 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Cortlandt
Where can I hike in Cortlandt?
The longest trail networks: Blue Mountain Reservation, 12 miles; Hudson Highlands Gateway Park, 4.7 miles; Hudson Highlands State Park, 3.8 miles; Teatown Lake Reservation, 3.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Cortlandt is conserved land?
23% of its land, against a typical 5% for a New York town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Cortlandt’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Brinton Brook Sanctuary (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Cortlandt?
19 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.3 of painted or protected lanes, 16 of off-road paths and 3.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Cortlandt?
111,563 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Cortlandt or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,641 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Cortlandt have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #32 of 758 in New York. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Cortlandt neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →