Hiking the Mianus River Gorge Preserve with Kids

One of the unexpected advantages of moving to Westchester has been having so all of the incredible access to nature. What was once not even a part of our lives now includes family hikes and nature walks that are now just a short 15-minutes away!

To take advantage of such close proximity to the natural world, we ventured to the Mianus River Gorge Preserve for a mini hiking adventure. The actual distance of the entire trail encompasses five miles, but there are tons of easier options that families can try, especially if you have little ones that get tired/bored/antsy quickly. We opted for the River Trail (0.8 miles) that looped around part of the river and took us up a mini mountain as we soaked in some incredible views. I assumed that the most challenging aspect of the hike would be our two-year-old, who is too big for a carrier and a stroller just isn’t an option on the narrow, bumpy trail, but she actually did really incredible on the walking trail. Maybe it was the nature and all of the trees and rocks and water we saw along the way, but she was a super eager walker that took each hill and uneven path with ease.

We also stopped quite a lot, soaking in the views but also resting for the girls at various tree stomps along the way or just by the water. The one thing to note is that the trail is only open to hiking and it’s designated as a public park, so you can’t picnic in the woods, set up camp or have your dogs walk with you. However, this does have its benefits where you do feel the wildress where you can view the incredible ecology and learn more about the history of the preserve.

For advanced hikers, you can opt to do the full trail (points A to E) that will take you to some incredible points of interest including the Rockwall Breach, Monte Gloria, Hobby Hill Quarry, Vernal Pool, Reservoir Outlook, and more.

A fantastic weekend activity, hiking the Mianus River Gorge gives families of all ages the opportunity to spend time in nature, soaking in the beauty and walking at their pace. A must-experience adventure if you find yourself in Bedford!