Name: Merestead County Park
Rating: 4.0

“Merestead is a Westchester County Park with meadows, woods, a historic mansion, and trail connectors”

— Rob Cummings

GPX File

Features Fall Colors · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Runner Notes

Merestead connects the Marsh Sanctuary and Leonard Park to Butler Sanctuary and Westmoreland Sanctuary.

Description

Merestead is around 200 acres and features the Sloane-Patterson Mansion which is maintained by the Westchester County Parks Department for musical and cultural shows. The trail system has around 2.5 miles of trails total. Features include formal garden remains, a pet cemetery (with headstones), an old stable, extensive meadows, and barns.

The trails connect on the eastern side to Butler Sanctuary and make this park an important part of the Northern Westchester Greenway.

This run takes you on a tour of Merestead featuring the Mansion and Hill Trail which has views of the Hudson Valley and large trees in several spots, and the Upper Old Oregon Road which was formerly the Old Oregon Road but is now abandoned and a nature trail.

Flora & Fauna

Extensive meadows with several wolf oak trees (the solo trees in the meadow) that are at least 400 years old.

History & Background

Merestead means "farmland" in Scottish. It was the home of the Patterson Family until the late 1980s when it was donated to the Westchester County Parks Department.