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 at a Glance#
Address: Pelham Bay Park, Bronx, NY 10464, United States
Website: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/pelham-bay-park
Hours: Park open daily; public transit station operates per MTA schedules
About Pelham Bay Park#
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.
| Month | Comfort | Temp | Feels | Rain | Sky | Humidity | Wind | UV | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | - | -5° - 3° | -6° | 88 mm | - | - | 4.8 m/s | - | - |
| February | - | -4° - 5° | -5° | 75 mm | - | - | 4.9 m/s | - | - |
| March | - | 0° - 10° | 1° | 102 mm | - | - | 5.0 m/s | - | - |
| April | - | 5° - 16° | 10° | 100 mm | - | - | 4.8 m/s | - | - |
| May | - | 10° - 22° | 16° | 104 mm | - | - | 4.2 m/s | - | - |
| June | - | 15° - 27° | 21° | 85 mm | - | - | 4.0 m/s | - | - |
| July | - | 19° - 29° | 24° | 101 mm | - | - | 3.7 m/s | - | - |
| August | - | 18° - 28° | 23° | 107 mm | - | - | 3.6 m/s | - | - |
| September | - | 14° - 24° | 19° | 95 mm | - | - | 3.9 m/s | - | - |
| October | - | 8° - 18° | 13° | 86 mm | - | - | 4.1 m/s | - | - |
| November | - | 3° - 12° | 5° | 100 mm | - | - | 4.6 m/s | - | - |
| December | - | -2° - 6° | -2° | 93 mm | - | - | 4.7 m/s | - | - |
