Walking and Speed Walking

Central Park's 250 acres of lawns and 80 acres of woodland offer a multitude of landscapes, trails and pathways for everyone from the serious hiker to the recreational stroller. Central Park provides an unparalleled variety of picturesque landscapes for walkers of all levels.

Whether you are distance walking, hiking, taking a stroll or a Conservancy or other walking tour, you can walk on the drives, along pathways, the Reservoir, the bridle paths or any of the pathways.

Distance Walking and Speed Walking
Circling the entire Park, the Drives provide three long distance routes - 6.1 miles, 5.2 miles or 1.7 miles - or shorter distances if you cross the Park at a number of scenic locations.

A soft surface on a 2 degree slope, the Reservoir running track is 1.58 miles around and offers some of the best skyline views in the Park and many scenic variations. In the spring the cherry trees along side it are in bloom and in the summer the evaporating water cools the surrounding air.

There are three conjoined soft surface bridle paths to choose from. The Reservoir loop, adjacent to the Reservoir, totals 1.5 miles; the North Meadow loop totals 1.1 miles; and the southern spur totals 1.5 miles.

Hiking
There are 58 miles of trails in Central Park. Some of those trails can be found at the Ravine in the Park's North Woods and the Ramble with its 38 acres of woodlands, wild gardens and rock outcrops.

Strolling
In addition to the areas above, the Great Lawn's 15 acres and its surrounding paved pathway are perfect for a leisurely stroll. Sheep Meadow, Wien Walk, the Dene, Cedar Hill, the Mall and the Park's six-mile perimeter also provide beautiful vistas for a walk.

Walking Tours
The Central Park Conservancy offers a number of different guided walking tours free of charge to the public.

One can walk at any time in the Park though it is officially closed from 1 am-6am. If you are taking one of the many walking tours, be sure to check the schedule. The Drives are closed to traffic Monday through Friday, 10am-3pm and from 7pm-10pm, and on weekends from 7pm Friday to 6am Monday. When the Park is open to traffic a walkers' lane on the Park Drives is always available, but we do not recommend using the Drives when they are open to traffic.