Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Lake & Swan Lake via Old Croton Aqueduct Trail
6.9 mi · ▲ 197 ft · 2 hr 24 min
Van Cortlandt Lake & Swan Lake via Old Croton Aqueduct Trail is a 6.9-mile out-and-back in Van Cortlandt Park near Dunwoodie Heights, NY. The route passes Swan Lake and Van Cortlandt Lake. It is mostly level, with 197 ft of elevation gain. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Van Cortlandt Lake & Swan Lake via Old Croton Aqueduct Trail
6.9 mi · ▲ 197 ft · 2 hr 24 min
Elevation 18–159 ft
Out & Back · Van Cortlandt Park
Trailhead: 40.93265, -73.87573
Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 80°F / low 66° · precip 1% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 6:27 AM · sunset 7:23 PM
Transit-accessible: stop 537 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right onto South County Trailway, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto South County / County Park Road Connector, heading SE.
- 350 ftSharp right onto County Park Road, heading S.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 350 ftBear left onto County Park Road Path, heading S.
- 50 ftPass Swan Lake.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Teresa Avenue, heading SE.
- 400 ftBear right onto Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, heading S.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Teresa Avenue, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, heading S.
- 1.6 miSharp right, heading S.
- 0.3 miSharp left, heading S.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading SW.
- 200 ftBear left onto John Muir Trail, heading S.
- 250 ftPass Van Cortlandt Lake.
- 450 ftSharp left onto John Kieran Nature Trail, heading SW.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Putnam Greenway, heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto John Kieran Nature Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Putnam Greenway, heading SW.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 100 ftSharp left, heading SE.
- 250 ftReach Van Cortlandt Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 150 ftBear left, heading S.
- 100 ftSharp right, heading S.
- 300 ftBear right onto John Kieran Nature Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Putnam Greenway, heading S.
- 100 ftTurn left onto John Kieran Nature Trail, heading SW.
- 100 ftSharp right onto John Muir Trail, heading SW.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading S.
- 200 ftBear left, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 150 ftSharp right, heading NW.
- 0.3 miSharp left onto Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, heading NE.
- 1.6 miTurn right onto Teresa Avenue, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, heading N.
- 150 ftBear left, heading N.
- 300 ftContinue straight onto Teresa Avenue, heading N.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto County Park Road Path, heading N.
- 400 ftBear right onto County Park Road, heading N.
- 300 ftBear right, heading N.
- 200 ftSharp left onto South County / County Park Road Connector, heading N.
- 350 ftTurn right onto South County Trailway, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: stop 537 m from the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Boating Lake–Swan Lake, 3 lakes 2.3 mi · ▲ 81 ft
- Vault Hill–John Muir Viewpoint, 3 summits 6 mi · ▲ 340 ft
- South County Trailway 12.1 mi · ▲ 197 ft
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