The Last Forest in Manhattan: Inwood Hill Park

At the top of Manhattan is a forest that was never cleared for a city. NYC Parks calls Inwood Hill Park home to the last natural forest and salt marsh on the island. Paths climb through deep woods, over ridges and past big rock outcrops, to views over the Hudson and the Harlem River. Near the ballfields, a stone called Shorakkopoch marks the spot where a tulip tree stood for 280 years, until 1938, and where tradition places Peter Minuit's purchase of Manhattan from the Lenape in 1626.

The park became parkland in 1916, and many of its trails and roads were built by WPA workers during the Depression. Enter at West 218th Street and Indian Road, where the Urban Park Rangers run free programs; their October 2026 calendar includes an Autumn Starfest on the 24th and an after-dark hike on Halloween. Leave time for the salt marsh along the inlet. Wear real shoes for the hill. Afterward, Dyckman Street's restaurants are a short walk away.