South County Trailway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids South County Trailway
Looking south as paved South County Trailway ends and enters Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. NYC paved this trail in Van Cortlandt Park in August 2020.
Length	14.1 mi (22.7 km)
Location	Westchester County, New York
Trailheads	Van Cortlandt Park Eastview, New York
Use	Hiking, Cycling
Website	Westchester County Parks

The South County Trailway is a fun path that's about 14.1-mile (22.7 km) long. It's a special kind of path called a rail trail, which means it was built on an old railroad line! This trail goes from the Putnam Trail in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx up to the North County Trailway in Eastview, New York. The parks department in Westchester County started building it in different parts in 1990 and finished it completely on October 31, 2017.

What is the South County Trailway?

The South County Trailway was mostly built along the old tracks of the New York and Putnam Railroad. This railroad used to carry people and goods from 1881 to 1958. It had 23 stations in Westchester County. Today, you can find special signs at most of these old station spots.

The trail follows two rivers for much of its way. The northern part is near the Saw Mill River. The southern part runs along Tibbetts Brook.

Connecting Trails and Uses

The South County Trailway connects to other trails, too! In East View, it links up with the North County Trailway. This means you can keep going on your adventure for even longer.

Many people use the trailway for different activities. It's a great place for hiking and cycling. Some people even use it to ride their bikes to work in places like Elmsford, Yonkers, the Bronx, and Manhattan.

The trail is not lit up at night, and it's not cleared of snow in the winter. This can make it a bit tricky to use during those times, but it's still a very popular park in Westchester.

Part of a Bigger Trail

The South County Trailway is also a section of the Empire State Trail. This is a huge trail that goes all the way from New York City up to Albany. From Albany, you can choose to go even further, either to the Canadian border or to Buffalo! The entire Empire State Trail officially opened at the end of 2020.

Trail Improvements and Changes

Over the years, there have been improvements to the trail. For example, a new bridge was built in Hastings-on-Hudson. This bridge goes over the Saw Mill River and connects new buildings directly to the trailway. Westchester County Parks also worked in 2015 and 2017 to fill in any missing parts of the trail, making it a smooth path all the way through.

In 2013, there was a plan to put up signs from companies along the trail. However, many people didn't like this idea, so the plan was quickly stopped.

Images for kids

• 

  Before the path was fully paved in 2012, you might see fallen trees.

• 

  Looking north in 2007, before paving, past a replica of the Bryn Mawr Park station.

• 

  The trail goes under a road in northern Yonkers.

• 

  The final completed section in Elmsford, New York, in November 2017, next to the Saw Mill River.

• 

  The South County Trailway in Yonkers, New York, in 2016.