The Ramble is the center of birding activity in the Park — as many as 230 species of birds have been spotted

No part of the Park has so varied or so intricate a landscape as the Ramble and no part shows off more dramatically the landscape design skills of Frederick Law Olmsted. The Ramble is a 38-acre "wild garden" (in Olmsted's words) with rocky outcrops, secluded glades, and a tumbling stream called The Gill. The Park's designers literally sculpted the Ramble out of a wooded hillside. One of the first parts of the Park to be built, the Ramble is — except for its bedrock platform — totally artificial. Even the water running in the Gill is turned on and off with a water tap.

The purpose of the Ramble was to invite the visitor to stroll and discover forest gardens rich with plantings from the Adirondack or Appalachian Mountain ranges. Meandering paths lure the urban explorer away from the City and present opportunities to experience nature.

Over time, the Ramble has become the center of birding activity in the Park, and 230 species of birds have been spotted. It is an ideal sanctuary — its hundreds of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers interspersed with glades along the northern border. The Lake wraps around the Ramble's southern and western borders, creating cover and peninsulas that offer great bird-watching.

The Ramble's open woodland thickets harbor more than 20 species of warblers that fly in during spring and fall migration in April and October. Given its topography and location on the Atlantic flyway, (the migration route that birds follow during the spring and fall), the Ramble has been rated one of the top 15 birdwatching sites in the entire United States.

Visitors who feel the historical names of Park sites — such as the Lake, the Pool, East Meadow — are a bit plain will appreciate the colorful nicknames of Ramble sites. Christened by birders to clue in fellow-birders, they include: the Oven, Willow Rock, Bank Rock Bay, the Humming Tombstone (a granite-covered electrical control box for pathway lights that actually hums), and the Riviera.

The popularity of the Ramble, combined with its intricate landscape designs of pathways and plantings, has made it vulnerable to heavy use. After thorough study and consultation with environmental groups, a restoration plan is under way; today's visitor can see signs of its progress. The goal of the woodland restoration and management program is gradually to restore the forest floor and control off-path trampling and bike riding. Educational signs give more information about the program.

Trees dating from the Ramble's planting now populate this woodland. One of the most famous — a Tupelo — is located in the meadow directly south of Belvedere Castle. In the fall, its leaves turn a brilliant ruby red. Be on the lookout for Swamp White, Red, and Pin Oaks, and Tulip Trees. Also look for the Red Maple and Sophora Trees surrounding Azalea Pond.

Location

• Mid-Park from 73rd to 79th Streets

In 2004, the Conservancy completed restoration projects at Iphigene’s Walk, Evodia Meadow, and Azalea Pond.  To honor Austrian-born landscape gardener Ignaz Pilat, who was hired in 1858 as foreman and later became chief gardener in Central Park, the Austrian government is raising funds for a restoration of the Middle Gill.  This is one of the Ramble’s primary birding areas.  Work on the design plans is under way.

In 1989, the Conservancy began to develop a comprehensive environmental plan to manage the Park's three major woodlands: the Hallett Nature Sanctuary, the Ramble, and the North Woods.


In 1985, the Conservancy restored the Gill — the stream running through the Ramble — including the reconstruction of a rustic bridge.

In 1982, the Conservancy restored the last remaining rustic shelter in the Ramble as well as the Point, including complete shoreline repair and replanting.