Hallett Nature Sanctuary

Wrapping around the Pond at the southeast corner of Central Park is the 3.5-acre Hallett Nature Sanctuary, a peaceful haven just feet away from some of the most heavily trafficked paths of any park in the world. The Hallett is one of the Park's three woodlands (along with the Ramble and North Woods), offering people and wildlife an oasis of nature in the middle of New York City. The co-designers of the Park, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, named the steep, rocky overlook “the Promontory.”

Renamed in 1986 after George Harvey Hallett Jr., a birdwatcher, naturalist and civic leader, the area was set aside as a bird sanctuary by NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses in the 1930s. Since then, it's been home to birds, turtles and trees (primarily black cherry and black locust trees) as well as other vegetation. For the protection of wildlife, the Hallett is only open for special tours. The absence of foot traffic allows plants and animals that would struggle elsewhere to thrive in the Hallett.

The Conservancy, which partially restored Hallett in 2001, is dedicated to its long-term restoration and maintenance as part of its 10-year Woodlands Initiative. Free guided tours, given several times per year, offer rare opportunities to see the wild haven.