Pelham Bay Park – Orchard Beach Area – Trip cancelled due to parking situation

Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026 Trip cancelled due to parking situation

Leader: Jack Rothman
Transportation: Carpool Trip: Drivers willing to provide rides are encouraged to attend. The Registrar will work with participants without a vehicle to organize rides and share the suggested carpool fee for the driver. This usually works out, but we can not guarantee a ride without enough volunteer drivers.
Meeting Point: After your registration is confirmed, the Registrar will share directions, the exact meeting place, and time with attendees.
Schedule: Half-day trip.
Relative Difficulty: The terrain varies from level to hilly.

Trip Description: Pelham Bay Park is New York City’s largest park, covering 2,772 acres. Our winter walk starts at Orchard Beach and centers around the northern forested areas of Hunter Island and Bartow-Pell Woods. The waters off Orchard Beach and Twin Island are excellent spots to scan flocks of overwintering waterfowl, loons, and grebes and Harbor Seals. Sightings from prior walks included Red-necked Grebes, Purple Sandpipers, American Widgeons, and Razorbills in the water. Tree Sparrows and hawks were seen on the land and in the air.

Please read The Linnaean Society of New York COVID-19 Field Trip Guidelines before registering.

Registration: Registration: Registration opens at 9 am on Monday, February 9. After that time, click here to register. Registration closes at 6 pm on Wednesday, February 18. Members (and those who have applied for membership) will be prioritized over non-members.

Please read the About Our Trips page, if you’re going on a field trip for the first time. It details our field trip policies, recommends what to bring on a trip, and offers other useful information, pro tips, and tricks.

If after visiting the About Our Trips page, you still have questions, feel free to contact the Registrar via email.