Pelham Bay Park
Park New York City's largest park with coastal overlooks
New York City’s largest park, Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx includes salt marshes, walking trails, Orchard Beach and the Bartow‑Pell Mansion. Visitors use it for beach days, hikes and historic walks.
Pelham Bay Park is a large municipal park in the northeastern Bronx, New York City, encompassing the city’s largest area of public parkland. The park includes sandy shoreline, tidal marshes, wooded areas and historic sites.
A long public bathing beach on Long Island Sound, a preserved mansion open as a historic house museum, and extensive trails through coastal marshes and woodlands. The park is used for swimming in summer, birdwatching and recreational walking.
The park contains a mix of natural and cultural features that developed as city parkland through the late 19th and 20th centuries. It lies on the eastern shore of the Bronx, bordering Long Island Sound and adjacent to residential neighbourhoods of the Bronx.
- Size: At roughly 2,772 acres it is the largest public park in New York City, combining beaches, woodlands and salt marshes.
What to See #
- Orchard Beach: A crescent-shaped public beach created and maintained as a municipal bathing area measuring about 1.1 miles (roughly 1.8 kilometres) across its shoreline.
- Bartow-Pell Mansion: A 19th-century house preserved as a museum that interprets local history and the estates that once occupied the area.
- Hunter Island: A largely undeveloped peninsula and coastal marshes that form a quiet natural area within the park boundary and support walking trails.
How to Get to Pelham Bay Park #
Pelham Bay Park is accessible by the New York City Subway 6 train (Pelham Bay Park terminal). Driving access via I-95/Bruckner Expressway and city streets; parking is available near beach lots but can fill on summer weekends.
Tips for Visiting Pelham Bay Park #
- Use the 6 train to Pelham Bay Park station for direct subway access; arrive on weekends early to find picnic spots at Orchard Beach.
- Explore the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum if open - it reveals an unexpected Gilded Age estate facing the park.
- If visiting Orchard Beach, park in the lots off Shore Road to avoid the long walk from the subway station with beach gear.
Best Time to Visit Pelham Bay Park #
Warm months for beach and recreation; spring and autumn for quieter exploration of parkland and historic sites.
Weather & Climate near Pelham Bay Park #
Temperate climate with warm summers (peaking in July) and freezing winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from -5°C to 29°C. Abundant rainfall (1136 mm/year), wettest in August, distributed fairly evenly throughout the year.
January
January is the coldest month with highs of 3°C and lows of -5°C. Regular rainfall (88 mm).
Comfort
Weather
February
February is cold with highs of 5°C and lows of -4°C. Moderate rainfall (75 mm).
Comfort
Weather
March
March is cold with highs of 10°C and lows of 0°C. Significant rainfall (102 mm).
Comfort
Weather
April
April is cool with highs of 16°C and lows of 5°C. Regular rainfall (100 mm).
Comfort
Weather
May
May is cool with highs of 22°C and lows of 10°C. Significant rainfall (104 mm).
Comfort
Weather
June
June is mild with highs of 26°C and lows of 15°C. Regular rainfall (85 mm).
Comfort
Weather
July
July is the warmest month with highs of 29°C and lows of 19°C. Significant rainfall (101 mm).
Comfort
Weather
August
August is mild with highs of 28°C and lows of 18°C. The wettest month with heavy rain (107 mm).
Comfort
Weather
September
September is mild with highs of 24°C and lows of 14°C. Regular rainfall (95 mm).
Comfort
Weather
October
October is cool with highs of 18°C and lows of 8°C. Regular rainfall (86 mm).
Comfort
Weather
November
November is cold with highs of 12°C and lows of 3°C. Regular rainfall (100 mm).
Comfort
Weather
December
December is cold with highs of 6°C and lows of -2°C. Regular rainfall (93 mm).
.JPG?width=600)
