From FDR State Park's swimming pool parking lot, look for a bench on the east side, near a post with white tag blazes. Walk down the woods road and at a broad intersection in 0.2 mile, turn right onto the Crom Pond Trail. Crom means crooked in Dutch. Head down the stone steps. In 0.3 mile, turn right onto a narrow path. Cross a 70' long board walk in the wetlands, turn left to cross a stone wall and a short board walk. The path reaches a bridge built thanks to an Eagle project and east side of the bridge has a ramp that hugs the side of a large rock.
In 0.5 mile, turn right onto a woods road. Continue along the woods road and bear right to head towards Crom Pond at 0.7 mileThe views over Crom Pond and its adjacent wetlands make you think you are much further away from New York City than you actually are except that you can hear some traffic noise from the Taconic State Parkway. The animal paths down to the shore allow you to take a closer look at Crom Pond. The path turns left to go away from the water. At 0.8 mile, the trail crosses a 108-foot long boardwalk that lets you keep your feet dry. Turning right, the trail parallels a wetland. It reaches a 50-foot long boardwalk that spans the flood plain of the outlet stream of Crom Pond and connects to the bridge over the stream. At first glance the bridge seems really long. But, it is only 32 feet spanning the stream and then reaches a narrow piece of land which provides a foundation for board walk on the south side. You have walked 0.9 mile when you reach the south side of the bridge.
To lengthen your walk, you can turn right at the end of the boardwalk. A broad path heads due west and returns to Crom Pond at 1.0 mile, where there is a narrow path down to the water's edge. Retrace your steps to the swimming pool parking lot, taking time to enjoy the view from both bridges.
Alternate access to the pond and bridges from the south: From the fisherman's parking area on Old Mohansic Avenue East, walk east along the road to where a woods road enters the wetlands. You are on the Mohansic Trailway (orange), a rail spur that connected Yorktown Heights to the property that is now the Mohansic Golf Course. The railbed has wetlands on both sides. At 0.2 mile turn left on to a yellow blazed wide path. At the junction with the Crom Pond Trail (blue) which comes in from the right, continue straight.
At 0.5 mile, the Crom Pond trail turns right away from the water. It reaches the ramp leading to the bridge over the outlet stream. At first glance the bridge seems really long. But, it is only 32 feet long spanning the stream and the ramp on the south was built on a narrow strip of land. The 50-foot long board walk on the north side spans a broad flood plain. The trail parallels a wetland, then turns left, and reaches a 108-foot long board walk. At 0.7 mile, the Crom Pond Trail turns to parallel the shore of pond where there are animal paths to the water's edge. Turning away from the pond at 0.75 mile, the trail then merges onto a woods road. It follows the woods road, turms left to leave it, and reaches the inlet bridge at 1.0 mile. Retrace your steps to return to your car, having taken time enjoying the views from the bridges.
Publication: Submitted by Jane Daniels on 07/20/2017 updated/verified on 07/20/2017
A bridge over a gently flowing stream is always a pleasant destination. Choose one of the two hikes to visit two bridges which were built by the Friends of FDR, an Eagle Project, and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference.
From FDR State Park's swimming pool parking lot, look for a bench on the east side, near a post with white tag blazes. Walk down the woods road and at a broad intersection in 0.2 mile, turn right onto the Crom Pond Trail. Crom means crooked in Dutch. Head down the stone steps. In 0.3 mile, turn right onto a narrow path. Cross a 70' long board walk in the wetlands, turn left to cross a...
Whether you are going for a day hike or backpacking overnight, it is good practice to carry what we call The Hiking Essentials. These essentials will help you enjoy your outing more and will provide basic safety gear if needed. There may also be more essentials, depending on the season and your needs.
Hiking Shoes or Boots
Water - Two quarts per person is recommended in every season. Keep in mind that fluid loss is heightened in winter as well as summer. Don't put yourself in the position of having to end your hike early because you have run out of water.
Map - Know where you are and where you are going. Many of our hiking areas feature interconnecting network of trails. Use a waterproof/tear-resistant Tyvek Trail Conference map if available or enclose your map in a Ziplock plastic bag. If you have a mobile device, download Avenza’s free PDF Maps app and grab some GPS-enhanced Trail Conference maps (a backup Tyvek or paper version of the map is good to have just in case your batteries die or you don't have service). Check out some map-reading basics here.
Food - Snacks/lunch will keep you going as you burn energy walking or climbing. Nuts, seeds, and chocolate are favorites on the trail.
Sunscreen and insect repellent
Rain Gear and Extra Clothing - Rain happens. So does cold. Be prepared for changing weather. Avoid cotton--it traps water against your skin and is slow to dry. If you are wearing wet cotton and must return to your starting point, you risk getting chills that may lead to a dangerous hypothermia. Choose synthetic shirts, sweaters and/or vests and dress in layers for easy on and off.
Compass - A simple compass is all you need to orient you and your map to magnetic north.
Light - A flashlight or small, lightweight headlamp will be welcome gear if you find yourself still on the trail when darkness falls. Check the batteries before you start out and have extras in your pack.
First Aid Kit - Keep it simple, compact, and weatherproof. Know how to use the basic components.
Firestarter and Matches - In an emergency, you may need to keep yourself or someone else warm until help arrives. A firestarter (this could be as simple as leftover birthday candles that are kept inside a waterproof container) and matches (again, make sure to keep them in a waterproof container) could save a life.
Knife or Multi-tool - You may need to cut a piece of moleskin to put over a blister, repair a piece of broken equipment, or solve some other unexpected problem.
Emergency Numbers - Know the emergency numbers for the area you're going to and realize that in many locations--especially mountainous ones, your phone will not get reception.
Common Sense - Pay attention to your environment, your energy, and the condition of your companions. Has the weather turned rainy? Is daylight fading? Did you drink all your water? Did your companion fail to bring rain gear? Are you getting tired? Keep in mind that until you turn around you are (typically) only half-way to completing your hike--you must still get back to where you started from! (Exceptions are loop hikes.)
Check the weather forecast before you head out. Know the rules and regulations of the area.
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
The Trail Conference is a 2015 Leave No Trace partner.
(c) Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: www.LNT.org.
From the Taconic State Parkway, take the FDR State Park Exit 16 [41.284528, -71.816886]. There is a daily entrance fee in season and on weekends during the spring and fall. Get an Empire State Passport. From the park entrance road keep right and follow the the signs to the swimming pool parking area. The trailhead is on eastern edge of the parking lot just south of the entrance/exit split. Look for a bench and white trail markers on a post.
For the alternate hike, take Baldwin Road Exit 14, from the Taconic State Parkwary and turn east. At the triangle intersection, bear left onto Mohansic Avenue East. The road bends right at the junction with Old Mohansic Avenue East (gated) [41.271991, -73.802436] where there is free, very limited roadside parking. Don't block the gate. Use the alternative hike description.
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