Inwood Hill Park

I love Inwood Park. Its hard not to consider Central Park as one's favorite park in Manhattan, but Id have to say that we have a tie. Its almost surreal to be in certain parts of this park. If you took someone, blindfolded them and set them in the middle of Inwood park (aside from facing kidnapping charges) that person would not believe that they were in Manhattan.
You can literally get lost in the woods here. There are certain areas that you can hike through, that make you feel like you are in a forgotten world. Streetlights broken and covered in live growth. The pathways cracked and barely visible through all the plant life. Or you can go off the path and make your own.
You can see the Bronx, and New Jersey (sometimes simultaneously) in this park. You can see the Hudson and Harlem Rivers (again, simultaneously). There's always an abundance of clearings free of people (especially tourists) for you to lay out, throw a frisbee, football, kick a soccer ball etc. which is either unheard of or not allowed in Central Park.
To top it all off, you can go rock climbing here. Im not talking BS rock hiking, Im talking Sylvester Stallone, cliffhanging, life's on the line (if you so choose it to be) rock climbing. Its exhilarating, beautiful, and unbelievably fun.
If youve never been to Inwood Park, you are not a New Yorker. Thats that.

I was pleasantly shocked when I first visited this park.

I had no idea a place like this existed in New York, let alone Manhattan. I wouldn't call myself a nature person, but it's so refreshing to find such a natural space right off a subway stop.

Like others pointed out, it's easy to get lost in here. You will constantly hear squirrels and birds rummaging through the surrounding forest.

I grew up in Colorado, and this place reminds me of hiking in the mountains.

A must-see if you live in New York.

Inwood Hill Park is completely different than any other park you're likely to go to in NYC (especially Manhattan) in that the majority of the park is completely natural and not at all landscaped or designed by anyone (unless we're counting God as a landscape architect). Its serene and dense woods only have several paved paths winding through them (there aren't any benches and unpaved paths are hard to come by). The park, as it's name suggests, is on a very steep hill so there are good opportunities for exercise here. In addition to the wooded area Inwood park also has a field area, courts of every kind, and playgrounds. Overall the 196.4 acre park is something to be treasured and is worth a visit.

It's worth noting the history of this place as it's quite interesting. It's estimated that humans inhabited the area since prehistoric times. There has been documented proof of Native Americans living in the area who used the surrounding rivers for food and the natural rock formations as shelter. Some maps have this labeled as caves but it's not that grand. The few "caves" are just big enough to fit 2-4 people laying down in. I went to explore them (toward the northern side of the park) a little and one was inhabited by a homeless guy, and another also had evidence of someone staying there as indicated by the blankets and empty box of the plan B pill. I digress. There once was a tulip tree at the northern side of the park that lived for hundreds of years, it was under this tree that Peter Minuit traded the island of Manhattan with the Native Americans for essentially a small amount of goods. The tree actually survived until 1933 where a storm too it down. In its place stands a stone with a plaque marking the spot.

Breathtaking views of the Hudson; well-maintained park and they are making improvements; surprising wildlife; plenty of places to do your yoga or tai chi routines, or sit, sunbathe, jog, walk, meditate, frisby, etc. baseball diamonds, soccer fields, place to run your dogs, picnics. Only downside is the walk to this park. next to an off-ramp; isolated block leading to park.

Came here late night for a run. I regret it. Very dark and no one else was out. This is a great place to be during day time hours. There are bike trails, views of the Hudson and a great place to bring family or a date or go on a solo stroll.

I like it.

This is a great park up at the tip of Manhattan. I love that it's hilly and more naturally landscaped than the other Manhattan parks.

The park has genuine hills and trails in the woods which makes for a good "hike". Being in the woods can really make you forget that you're in Manhattan.

I would not recommend it for running as i did the first time I visited simply because of the many hills (unless you're working for a hill workout). There are a few flatter areas of the park which would work for running but I think the beauty of this park is in the hills and woods.

We brought my in laws here last Sunday and they were really impressed that there was such a place in Manhattan.

This park is so beautiful. A great place to unwind, jog, play and...uh, other stuff :)

It's home to a good patch of natural forest and lots of historical native American stuff. This is the park where Peter Minuit bought Manhattan for 14 bucks (there's even a rock commemorating it).

IHP gets 5 stars, but this is conditional on timing and exact location. You have to know what you want out of the park and be in the right place at the right time to get it. If you do so, you will be richly rewarded.

The park is vast and requires a little knowledge in order to get the most out of it. If you are looking for nature, you will want to stick to the trails in the hills and avoid the massive and endless birthday parties / family cookouts on the north peninsula. Ballplayers crowd the fields west of the highway or along Seaman Ave at 207th, while bikers and joggers skirt the outer trails circumventing the fringes of the park. Kids can take part in fantastic programs from Rangers at the Parks Center, and those looking to just sit or stroll have ample waterfront paths at the northern end.

The park has been better maintained in recent years though the sheer volume of users can be hard on it at times, and to be frank some of the park users are not terribly well-mannered when it comes to litter or noise. Go at a peaceful time for maximum enjoyment of this huge resource.

All in all a true flagship park

With so much stress from the day to day work... on a Monday night! lol I decided to go for a walk around the block from my GF apt to burn some steam outside and not on her. I walked up on cooper and then turned left on Isham checking out what was there next to Isham park. While all i wanted was some peace and quiet and Isham park looked quiet, i didn't feel in the mood for a walk up the hill as it is.

Down the street i see basketball courts and tennis courts and then going north the sound of baseball. Not as peaceful and quiet as i wanted but alluring none the less as it was early at night and the sun was still up. This walk took me deeper and deeper down the fields of Inwood Hill Park. I didn't know what it was called then as i had not been there, but have been in this area for the best part of a year. As i walked down the well kept grassy hill, i noticed how smooth it all looked between the sparse large trees that would bring shade on a sunny day. Families of all sizes gathered here and there on the grass. Some trying to fly kites other playing ball. Some baseball games were taking place in adjoining baseball fields. All the way down the hill, the water... Understanding NYC water, i still found it extremely calming to see. The sun was not directly coming down on the water. It was just some light remaining for the late afternoon. It looked beautiful at that moment and it did to me what i needed. It calmed me down and helped me relax. Even little ducklings swam around the shore! How much more of a soothing image did i need? Not much more.

It is nice to know that such places are still available to us here in the city. Sometimes we seem to forget that they are there for us to enjoy a bit of nature inside this concrete and steel jungle we live in. As most of us tend to look for enclosed venues to drown our stress in. As it is, i am currently envisioning a longer visit to this park to do something active or relaxing. Maybe play some sport, ride a bike or just a picnic. Actually, maybe one of these nights after work. Stop at the super market and get a few simple goodies and relax under a tree with my sweetheart. Some wine might not be a bad idea.

On a side note. There are some nature related activities available for children there. I will be checking on them later on, my daughter might like some of them. Canoing, hiking and the like... Be active...

Explored this park for the first time last week, much bigger and pleasant than I would have imagined. Not too crowded and well maintained