Rockefeller State Park Preserve

Date: Friday, September 25, 2026

Leader: Anne Swaim
Transportation: Carpool Trip: While carpool rides for everyone usually work out, there is no guarantee of enough volunteer drivers to accommodate all participants. The Registrar will work to organize rides and to notify participants when a rental car may be necessary. Registrar will also inform participants of the carpool fee, which is based on the trip location; the cost of any rental cars should be split evenly by those participants.
Meeting Point: After your registration is confirmed, the Registrar will share directions, the exact meeting place, and time with attendees.
Schedule: Half-day, ending in early afternoon, early start time.
Relative Difficulty: After arrival, expect to walk about two miles on paved and unpaved paths with some moderate inclines.

Trip Description: Rockefeller State Park Preserve, situated on rolling hills above the Hudson River in Westchester County, covers 1,700+ acres and offers 55 miles of trails through diverse habitats. The forests, fields, streams, and wetlands support a high diversity of native species of birds, mammals, insects and other species. It has been designated an Important Bird Area because of intact forests supporting Wood Thrush, Worm-eating Warbler, and other forest nesters. However, it is the hillside understory presence of Japanese Angelica with its September berries that draws warbler and vireo concentrations at this time of year, with a ridgeline raptor flight adding to fall birding. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded in the park.

Registration: Registration opens at 9 am on Monday, September 14. After that time, click here to register. Registration closes at 6 pm on Tuesday, September 22. 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.