SOUTH COUNTY TRAILWAY:
TARRYTOWN LAKES SPUR TRAIL:
ANDRE BROOK TRAIL:
WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Letterbox Planted: June 14, 2008
Last Updated; August 01, 2023
Length: South County Trailway; 15.3 miles
Tarrytown Lakes Spur Trail; 1.9 miles
Andre Brook Trail (connection to Old Croton Aqueduct Trail); 0.8 miles
Difficulty: South County Trailway; Easy. Paved trail along a mostly flat rail bed.
Tarrytown Lakes Spur Trail; Easy. Flat paved/crushed stone rail trail.
Andre Brook Trail; Moderate. Hilly, stone-dust, packed dirt & grass trail.
Directions:
To start from the Old Saw Mill River Road parking lot in Terrytown [Northern End]; Take exit 23 off the Saw Mill River Parkway.
Northbound; At the end of the exit ramp turn right. parking lot on the right. Southbound; Turn left on Old Saw Mill River Rd and travel underneath the Parkway. Turn right up the off-ramp, then left into the parking lot.
To start from the Great Hunger Memorial Park (old Rest Stop) in Elmsford [Central Section]; From the Saw Mill River Parkway Northbound Only. Just past exit will be the old Rest Stop on your right.
To start from Tibbetts Brook Park parking lot in Yonkers [Southern End]; Fee. From the Cross County Pkwy take exit 3 to Yonkers Ave/Midland Ave south. Enter Tibbetts Brook Park on your right. Parking lot on your right. From the parking lot head west across the park past the aquatic park and turn left towards the lake. Then turn right past the tennis courts up to the South County Trailway.
The Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line has a stop in Pleasantville, which is 1.4 miles from the Route 117 parking lot along the North County Trailway and a stop in Bronxville, which is 1.6 miles from the South County Trailways on-road section at Palmer Rd. This gives the hearty biker the option of doing a roughly 29 mile round trip (including the Terrytown Lakes Spur), returning to your vehicle via the Metro North Railroad . This is how we were able to bike so much of the trail without having to backtrack. The route to the stations are on-road and include a couple of tough hills and thus are recommended for experienced bikers only. If you click on the individual stations, they have available both directions and maps.
The South County Trailway is one of four interconnected rail-trails on the former New York Central Railroad's Putnam Division line. This former railroad provided freight and passenger service from 1881 to 1958 between the Bronx and Putnam County. Starting from Van Cortlandt Park in the northwest Bronx, the Old Putnam Rail Trail travels north to the South County Trailway in Westchester County. When you cross Old Saw Mill River Rd the trail turns into the North County Trailway and continues north to Putnam County where it becomes the Putnam County Trailway. The Putnam County Trailway will soon connect (Bridge yet to be constructed as of 2023) to the Maybrook Trailway in Brewster. The Tarrytown Lakes Spur Trail travels west from the junction of the North & South County Trailways following the old rail bed of the Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad and provides a connection to the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail .
The South County Trailway is part of the Empire State Trail , which is a continuous 750-mile route spanning the state from New York City to Canada and Buffalo to Albany, creating the longest multi-use state trail in the nation. To the south it connects to the Old Putnam Rail Trail and to the north you continue along the North County Trailway .
South County Trailway:
Starting from the junction of the North
& South
Note; West up a short hill leads to the Tarrytown Lakes Spur Trail. See below.
Note;
North takes you along the North County Trailway
towards the Route
117 parking lot.
Traveling South along the South County Trailway; You cross two bridges over the Saw Mill River Parkway and Old Saw Mill River Rd before passing by the Old Saw Mill River Road parking lot. You'll soon leave the Saw Mill River Parkway behind as you head into the woods. At 1.8 miles the paved trail continues straight alongside Warehouse Lane S before traveling underneath I-287 and running parallel to a portion of the Saw Mill River out to W Main St in Elmsford. Map here. Head left to a cross-light at the intersection of Route 9A and W Main St to cross the street. Then head right to pick up the paved trail on your left after 2.4 miles. The trail travels through Elmsford, past the old train station on your left (now a restaurant) and also past a picnic table and benches. The Saw Mill River Parkway will be to your right, however, you'll soon head into the wooded Rum Brook Park. You'll travel underneath I-87 at 4.5 miles and travel between the interstate and Saw Mill River Parkway along a wooded corridor. You cross over the Saw Mill River several times before coming alongside Woodlands Lake. When you reach the end of the lake spot a pedestrian bridge on your right at 6 miles.
Note; This bridge takes you over the dam to the Great Hunger Memorial Park parking lot. The old buildings above you are closed to the public (looks like they might have served as some type of rest stop for the Saw Mill River Parkway in the past). Turn right and pass through the parking lot (Porto-Potty located here) to a short paved trail. This brings you to the Great Hunger Memorial for the Irish Potato Famine. After checking out the memorial, walk along the grass path between the lake to your right and a habitat area on your left. Enter the path into the woods and you'll be surrounded by 4-5 very large trees. Look to your left and spot a large diameter Maple tree. Go to the backside (watch out for lurking Poison Ivy) of this tree and spot a pile of rocks. Lift up the flat rock on top to reveal the South County Trailway Letterbox.
Back on the trail, continue south and you'll cross over the Saw Mill River via an old trestle bridge. The trail is still wooded, but eventually travels through more industrial type areas. You also inch closer to the Saw Mill River Parkway. There is a parking lot just after you cross over Farragut Ave on your left at 9.1 miles. After you travel over Saw Mill River Rd (Route 9A), the trail passes through a more urban area. Travel underneath Tuckahoe Rd at 11.1 miles. You now travel along a sunken wooded corridor, passing underneath Mile Square Rd followed by Palmer Rd at 12.1 miles.
Note; To your right is an old train station? and an access road out to Palmer Rd. On our return trip we detoured out to Palmer Rd and headed right on-road. After crossing over the Bronx River Parkway at 1.3 miles you may access the start of the Bronx River Greenway on your left. Continuing along Palmer Rd you'll come to the Metro-North's Bronxville Station after 1.6 miles.
Continuing south along the trail you cross Mile Square Rd again before passing by the Dunwoodie Golf Course and coming to a spur trail on your left to Redmond Park parking lot at 13 miles. Before this section of trail was built you had to detour through this park. Their are pavilions with golf-tee shaped roofs that my friend and I had to seek shelter under during a walloping thunder & lighting downpour. Touched nothing made of medal and hoped the lightning spared us. The trail heads through the woods and travels over Yonkers Ave and the Cross Country Parkway. The trail heads slightly downhill along a ridge with the Saw Mill River Parkway up to your right and sports fields down below on your left that are part of Tibbetts Brook Park. Spur trails access the Tibbetts Brook Park parking lot. At 14 miles, you travel below a pedestrian bridge that crosses over the Saw Mill River Parkway. Soon, you'll spot Tibbetts Lake along the left side of the trail. The trail then levels out and after traveling beneath the stone arched bridge carrying McLean Ave you reach the end of the trail after 15.3 miles. This is the border between Westchester & Bronx Counties and an entrance to Van Cortlandt Park via the paved Old Putnam Rail Trail .
Tarrytown Lakes Spur Trail/Andre Brook Trail:
See also; Scenes from the Trail for more information and a map.
From the junction of the North
& South
Note; You can connect to the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail via the "Orange" Andre Brook Trail (can be a little tricky to follow) on your left. Travel up the narrow crushed gravel/grass trail to Wilson Park Drive. Head left on-road (residential) past a small parking lot, then turn right back along a stone-dust/grass trail that travels through a residential right of way. Spot a fence on your right. To the left is a narrow opening where the trail continues down a steep ravine to an intersection at 0.5 miles. I believe you can go either way but I went straight out to the field and traveled right to a dirt & gravel road which took me around the Sleepy Hollow HS sports fields to Bedford Rd. Here, the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail crosses Bedford Rd after 0.8 miles.
HH
CLICK HERE FOR SOUTH COUNTY TRAILWAY MAP
CLICK HERE FOR NORTH COUNTY TRAILWAYS MAP
CLICK HERE FOR HUDSON VALLEY GREENWAY MAP
CLICK HERE FOR EMPIRE STATE TRAIL MAP
LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON
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