| Besides being the only natural (non-landscaped) park | | | | also a nature center with interactive exhibits and a |
| on Manhattan Island, trees in Inwood Hill Park have | | | | recently built Algonquin-style shelter. |
| not been cut since the late 1700's, when the | | | | Watching an immature bald eagle perched on a |
| American forces built Fort Cox. | | | | branch for three or four minutes before spreading its |
| Popular folklore has it that Peter Minuit made his | | | | wings in flight is my idea a delightful way to spend a |
| legendary purchase of Manhattan Island from the | | | | summer afternoon in New York. That was one of |
| Lenape people living here in 1624; lnwood Hill officially | | | | my foraging hikes. |
| became a New York City park in 1916, saving more | | | | It has not been a good season for berries, but every |
| than just the native trees. | | | | salad I eat has more wild edibles - lambs quarters, |
| A network of trails makes exploring this park a | | | | Asiatic day flower, wood sorrel, purslane, wild garlic, |
| historical, as well as a nature adventure. The caves, | | | | mustard seed - than cultivated vegetables. |
| which had been home to the original Lenape | | | | I do come out of the woods to enjoy some of |
| residents, are a great way to beat the summer heat. | | | | Manhattan's other offerings, but having Inwood Hill |
| At dawn or dusk, the salt marsh ideal for bird | | | | Park as my temporary back yard convinces me that |
| watching - raptors, waterbirds and migratory species | | | | New York has succeeded in offering the best of |
| are easy to observe in this urban sanctuary. There's | | | | both worlds. |