When I woke up this past Sunday and saw clear blue skies and the forecast was for temperatures in the 60's, I rounded up my family and we headed up to hike at Turkey Mountain in Yorktown. Hiking is a fun activity that you can do with your family while also maintaining social distancing. The parking lot was crowded but there was plenty of room on the trails and people were respectful and moved to the side to make sure to adhere to the rules of being at least 6 feet apart. Wearing masks is recommended as well.
Turkey Mountain is a great beginner hike. When we arrived we looked at the trail choices and decided to go up to the top via the White Trail and down the mountain via the Blue Trail. The White Trail is .7 miles but it was pretty steep. It led us to the top pretty quickly where we took in this beautiful view of the Croton Reservoir. It was a clear day so we could vaguely make out some buildings from New York City in the far distance. According to the trail map it was 831 feet up and that was plenty high enough for me!
We took the Blue Trail down the mountain which is a longer stretch -- about 1.3 miles. You have to walk over some rocks and tree roots but it was not difficult. My boys enjoyed climbing some big rocks while my husband and I enjoyed the peacefulness of walking in the woods.
Turkey Mountain Nature Preserve is located on Rte. 118 in Yorktown. The entrance to the Preserve is across from the sign for Peter Pratt's Inn (Croton Heights Road), about 2 miles south of the intersections of routes 202, 35 and 118.
For more hiking ideas, go to the Hike the Hudson Valley website.
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