Whippoorwill Park
Managed by Town of New Castle
208 acres3.9 mi of trail
Green TrailBlue TrailOrange TrailWhite Trail+1
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: ajay_suresh · CC BY 2.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in New Castle
New Castle has 1,743 acres of parks, 97 for every 1,000 residents
28 miles of mapped trail cross New Castle, 1.2 per square mile of land. 12% of New Castle’s land is conserved, about 1,797 acres. 94% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #70 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
1,797 acres · of 23.1 sq mi of land
Trails
28 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,743 ac
97 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
94%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
14 mi
3.1 mi paths
Highest peak
719 ft
Chappaqua Hill
Lakes & rivers
11
What kind of outdoors town is New Castle?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Room to roam97 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 84% of U.S. towns.Land that stays wild12% of the land is conserved; a typical New York town, 5%.History along the way10 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does New Castle have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, New Castle is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #70 of 758 in New York. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of New Castle’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (28 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land97 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,743 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 95%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 91%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to 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 Whippoorwill Park, with 3.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Gedney Park
Managed by Town of New Castle
105 acres3.2 mi of trail
Red TrailYellow TrailRed / Orange TrailPurple Trail+1
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Burden Preserve
Managed by Town of New Castle
139 acres2.7 mi of trail
Red TrailBlue LoopPurple TrailWhite Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Sheather Road LotWebsite ↗
Sunny Ridge Preserve
Managed by New Castle Recreation & Parks
82 acres2.7 mi of trail
Red TrailWhite TrailGreen TrailYellow Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Sunny Ridge ParkingWebsite ↗
Pruyn Sanctuary
Managed by Saw Mill River Audubon
92 acres2.6 mi of trail
Fern Trail (white)Pruyn Trail (green)Crystal Springs TrailDeer Loop (yellow)+1
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Warburg Park
Managed by Town of New Castle
86 acres1.9 mi of trail
Blue TrailYellow TrailWhite TrailRed Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Glazier Arboretum
Nature preserve
46 acres1.4 mi of trail
Blue TrailRed Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Choate Audubon Sanctuary
Managed by Saw Mill River Audubon
33 acres1.1 mi of trail
White Oak TrailSwamp LoopHickory Trail
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yet
All 22 parks & preserves
Whippoorwill Park208 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · Town of New Castle
DirectionsGedney Park105 acres · 3.2 mi of trail · Town of New Castle
DirectionsBurden Preserve139 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · Town of New Castle
DirectionsSunny Ridge Preserve82 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · New Castle Recreation & Parks
DirectionsPruyn Sanctuary92 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · Saw Mill River Audubon
DirectionsWarburg Park86 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Town of New Castle
DirectionsGlazier Arboretum46 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsChoate Audubon Sanctuary33 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Saw Mill River Audubon
Haas Sanctuary14 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Saw Mill River Audubon
DirectionsTeatown Lake Reservation30 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Teatown Lake Reservation
Pinecliff Audubon Sanctuary7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Saw Mill River Audubon
DirectionsEugene and Agnes Meyer Nature Preserve15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Merestead County Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Cameron-Murtfeldt Sanctuary7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Saw Mill River Audubon
Old Croton Aqueduct State Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Wagon Wheel Camp52 acres · Wagon Wheel (Private)
Echo Lake State Park38 acres
DirectionsMarsh Sanctuary;Marsh Memorial Sanctuary21 acres
Wampus Lake County Park14 acres
Cedar Lane Park14 acres · Ossining Recreation & Parks Department
DirectionsTown Hall Playground and Recreation Field6 acres · Town of New Castle
DirectionsDouglas Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,797 conserved acres
12% of New Castle’s land. Who manages New Castle’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,557 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits434 ac
County322 ac
Regional Water Districts32 ac
Private owners27 ac
State conservation20 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government3 ac
Local Park · 1,533 acLocal Resource Management Area · 184 acConservation Easement · 181 acUnknown Easement · 169 acLocal Conservation Area · 104 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 181 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 12 of 43 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOWN OF NEW CASTLE Land Local Park | Town or city | 762 | Unknown |
| Whippoorwill Park Local Park | Town or city | 208 | Open |
| COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER Land Local Park | County | 173 | Unknown |
| New York City Lands Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 151 | Open |
| Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway Local Park | County | 133 | Open |
| TOWN OF NEW CASTLE GEDNEY Land Local Park | Town or city | 125 | Open |
| New Croton Fishing Access Area Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 83 | Unknown |
| Warburg Park Local Park | Town or city | 75 | Open |
| Glazier Arboretum Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 69 | Open |
| Teatown Lake Reservation Land Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 39 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
9 places to go in New Castle
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in New Castle
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in New Castle
Ossining Dog ParkIn Cedar Lane Park
DirectionsWaterfalls in New Castle
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in New Castle
Chappaqua Hill719 ft elevation
DirectionsMcKesson Hill699 ft elevation
DirectionsRay Hill584 ft elevation
DirectionsMotts Hill581 ft elevation · In Sunny Ridge Preserve
DirectionsCommunity gardens in New Castle
Ossining Organic Community GardenIn Cedar Lane Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 18.2 mi
Red Trail3.8 mi
Blue Trail3.1 mi
Yellow Trail2.0 mi
White Trail1.9 mi
Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway1.6 mi
Orange Trail1.5 mi
Purple Trail1.4 mi
Green Trail1.2 mi
Fern Trail (white)0.8 mi
Pruyn Trail (green)0.7 mi
15 more trails
White Oak Trail
0.6 miBlue Loop
0.6 miSwamp Loop
0.5 miThree Lakes Loop
0.5 miCrystal Springs Trail
0.4 miDeer Loop (yellow)
0.3 miBluebird Trail
0.3 miRed / Orange Trail
0.3 miSwamp View Trail
0.3 miValley Trail
0.2 miWetland Trail (white)
0.2 miPond Loop
0.2 miBoardwalk
0.2 miRidge Trail
0.2 miHickory Trail
0.2 miBiking & sports
14 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.1 mi
off-road bike paths
11 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
27Tennis
16Baseball
6Soccer
4Football
1Field hockey
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →10 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Old Chappaqua Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1974
About itChappaqua Railroad Depot and Depot PlazaBuilding · listed 1979
About itChurch of Saint Mary the Virgin and Greeley GroveBuilding · listed 1979
About itGreeley HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itRehobothBuilding · listed 1979
About itSarles' TavernBuilding · listed 1979
About itWilliams-DuBois HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itIsaac Young HouseBuilding · listed 2004
About itCarrie Chapman Catt HouseBuilding · listed 2006
About itSolomon Resnick HouseBuilding · listed 2021
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in New Castle: 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 | 49 | 61 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 83 | 75 | 64 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 4.0 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.6 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in New Castle →
Next door
New Castle and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Mount Pleasant76 miYorktown72 miSomers46 miBedford31 miNorth Castle29 miNew Castle28 miMount Kisco2.1 miChappaqua0.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Castle | 12% | 1.2 | 97 | 94% | A+ |
| Mount Kisco | 9% | 0.7 | 15 | 99%+ | A |
| Mount Pleasant | 25% | 2.8 | 88 | 94% | A+ |
| Yorktown | 32% | 2.0 | 185 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Somers | 18% | 1.5 | 92 | 65% | A |
| Chappaqua | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| North Castle | 19% | 1.2 | 150 | 96% | A+ |
| Bedford | 14% | 0.8 | 91 | 82% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in New Castle
Where can I hike in New Castle?
The longest trail networks: Whippoorwill Park, 3.9 miles; Gedney Park, 3.2 miles; Burden Preserve, 2.7 miles; Sunny Ridge Preserve, 2.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of New Castle is conserved land?
12% 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 New Castle’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Whippoorwill Park and Gedney Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in New Castle?
14 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.1 of off-road paths and 11 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near New Castle?
48,434 acres of parks and open public land lie inside New Castle or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,743 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does New Castle have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #70 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 New Castle 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 →