Top Scenic spots in Bronx, United States

This is THE best spot in NYC to go scream at the top of your lungs on top of a cliff. The constant highway sound will mostly drown it out. Only freaked out a few hikers. Got me through 2020.

Also: there are cacti.

walk about 30 minutes

Even better in the summer. Very lush view.

Very cool spot to be hiding in plain sight and enjoying the view.

Mild walk with a beautiful view.

The Van Cortland Family have their burial vault here. Therefore, it is:
A VIEW TO DIE FOR.
😉

It is indeed a nice part of Van Cortlandt Park and it was unexpectedly pristine. Learned that one can know N-S direction from looking at the lines on the rock. Right next to the little cemetery where the Van Cortlandt family used to be buried.

Nice flat area with a few rocks that serve well as picnic benches overlooking the Henry Hudson Parkway below. The only issue is the traffic from the highway below is quite noisy making this not a very suitable area to relax. It's a quick stop and go destination.

Nice part of Van Cortlandt Park.

Hermosa vista.

From the NYC Park website: [near the Cross Country Course Orange Trail], "this rocky outcropping of mainly Fordham Gneiss [metamorphic rock] overlooks the lowland portion of the Northwest Forest and its giant red oak and tulip poplar trees." There are cactus plants growing there among the rock. I don't like that this spot was added to Google Maps, because I didn't want to have to share it with other folks. (There's plenty of garbage there already!)

Killer view of the Bronx.. the Trees... and the skyline!!
Come on up!!

Really well kept trails. On busy weekends the trash cans fill up fast so I say take your trash with you please. Mostly flat and a really wild place for Nyc. Don’t forget the bug spray.

مكان رائع 👏

The remnants of the historic Van Cortlandt family vault is located at the top of this hill. There is a large natural gneiss outcrop that gives some majestic sweeping views of the fields in the park as well as the Manhattan skyline in the distance. The hike itself isn't strenuous, but there is no footpath and you have to walk on the rocks themselves.

great views of manhattan. site of van cortlandt family graves too

Nice place 👌

Nice easy hike and still technically in NYC. Did not go all the way to touch the Gray Mare as I did not want to tread through the marsh (Rained the day before). Would recommend!

Really does look like a horse from the side. Though, since Native Americans didn't originally nave horses, I wonder what the actual name was. Interesting history, but looks like someone threw some blue paint on one side.

Excellent views of the Manhattan skyline here!

It's beautiful! Still only lightly and conservatively touched by man. There are many natural rock formations for geologists. On my last visit I saw a huge bolder with pure marble running through it. Quartz, rose quartz and other natural minerals in abundance. There are foot bridges for those tough terrain areas. The views are amazing especially in Autumn! Just an awesome area my family and I love!

I have been to so many nice places in NYC that I never knew existed mostly because after HS I only come to NYC to visit my mother and family but now I have more time because I Retired early so I can take advantage and see everything I was missing.

The ROCK of Hunter island great sites a view of Glen island from a far in New Rochelle. 🔵

To visit you should know you set your gps to orchard beach. Once at orchard take the kazimiroff trail it has two entry points from the board walk & from a sign that says "hunter island" off the farend of the parking lot. Then use google maps to find the Mare. Please note the actual trail is not on google you will have to estimate your proximity. Once you arrive, You can't actually walk out to her. she's located on the lagoon area of the marsh land. I didn't want to try my luck walking too close for sink hole fears. *The earth was very shaky when we tried walking over.
With that said, this is a fun little quest to give yourself and the nature trail has several different terrains. It's a fun hike. When you visit the area you instantly feel like you're in upstate ny even though you are only 10 min drive from the 6 train station 🤣

Why visit the grey mare?
*She is a part of #nativeamerican history located right here in the #bronx. I even found her in an old map dating to the revolutionary era.

Here's some info on her from the Historic Pelham blog : "The Native Americans reportedly believed that their God or guardian intentionally placed the Grey Mare at that spot. In 1881, Westchester historian Robert Bolton, Jr. wrote about the Grey Mare, saying:

“Nearly opposite the Knoll on a point of Hunter’s Island is located a mossy rock, or boulder stone, called the “Grey Mare.” To this piece of rude natural sculpture, the Indians invariably paid just respect, believing it to have been placed there by the direct interposition of their God or guardian Manito, for their especial benefit or favor. These rolled stones he called Shingaba-wossins—or in general phrase Muz-in-in-a-wun, or images.” Id. at pp. 37-38.

According to the City of New York Parks & Recreation Department, “[t]he entrance to the Kazimiroff Nature Trail and the Northwestern Shore of Hunter Island, with the Gray Mare and Mishow boulders, are believed to have been two very important Siwanoy ritual sites.” See City of New York Parks & Recreation Department, “Siwanoy Trail Pelham Bay Park” Historic Marker (Dec. 2001)."

Here is what the friends of Pelham bay park have on her on their website:
"Grey Mare
A glacial erratic resembling a horse, the Gray Mare sits on marshy land at the northwest point of Hunter Island. It can be seen from across The Lagoon near the Park’s border with Westchester. That land was once home to the estate of Elbert Roosevelt. Historian Bill Twomey writes about Mr. Roosevelt and a local Native American looking across to the Gray Mare, together, sometime in 1808 when the Native American came back to visit the place where he had grown up. "