Sherman Creek Park Hiking Trails

At just 15 acres, Sherman Creek Park is a beautiful, compact park in an excellent location, sited at the northern terminus of the Harlem River Greenway and just across Harlem River Drive from Highbridge Park. What began as a simple shore cleanup of the creek to remove illegal dumping became a major undertaking for the New York Restoration Project. The project installed a number of native plantings as well as an oyster reef that has restored beauty and calm to the area. Today, nearly 30 bird species have been recorded in the park, as well as swallowtail butterflies and colorful moths, harbor seals, garter snakes, and red-eared sliders.

Northern Trail: From the northwest corner of the picnic area, a wide, mulch-covered path winds through the woods, tracing Sherman Creek for just 0.125 of a mile. Along the path lie interpretive signs and a lookout for watching shorebirds.

Swindler's Cove Trail: This loop of less than 0.25 mile begins at the southern end of the parking area. Head south into the Swindler’s Cove area and turn right to walk through the Riley-Levin Children’s Garden. You can see what is being grown and learn from the informational signs posted on some of the beds. At the end of the garden, turn left, then gently right on the gravel path to continue the loop. Continue straight through the first intersection. At the second, you can head straight to enjoy the scenic overlook or turn left to continue along the loop. Just 144 more feet of walking will bring you to another scenic overlook on your right, this one extending over the water. Take the second right turn and proceed up a set of rustic stone steps to follow the path around the freshwater pond. At the second intersection, you can choose to continue straight to explore around the pond or turn left to return to the beginning of the loop.

Interactive Map

Points of Interest

Swindler's Cove Pond

Swindler’s Cove is a small area, a 5-acre park-within-a-park, which contains garden and pond that is a good place to look for bullfrogs. The pond’s water tumbles down a short waterfall into another pool below.

View Swindler's Cove Pond on the map

River Overlook

There are two long benches on this boardwalk that allow a visitor to sit while overlooking the river. Look north along the river or to the south to see the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse and the restored shoreline. This is a great vantage point to see some of the 15 species of water birds that have been known to frequent this area, and with luck you may even catch a glimpse of a harbor seal.

View River Overlook on the map

Hiking in NYC Parks

Visit our Hiking in NYC Parks page to find more nature trails in parks across New York City.