Central Park Fall Foliage walk - Southern Edition

This walk will be very similar to my Oct 10, 2026 Central Park walk, this time during peak Fall Foliage.

This will be an approximately 4 mile 2.5 hour walk along the various bodies of water in the southern part of Central Park. The plan is to start at the Artist Gate (Northeast corner of 6th Avenue/59th street) entrance to Central Park, descend the steps to the Pond, circle the Pond in a counter clockwise direction, onward to the Wolman Rink, Herkscher Fields, Mall, Lake, Conservatory Water, Ramble, The Gill, south along the west side of the Lake, ending the walk at the Daniel Webster statue at West Drive/72nd street transverse.

TIME: 11:00 am for checkin, 11:15 am for departure.

MEET: Meet at the 6th Ave/59th street entrance to Central Park (Artist Gate) next to the Jose Marti statue. Nearest subways are N, R, W and M. Check with the MTA website for any service changes

DISTANCE: approximately 4 miles There will be some walking up and down small hills, so it’s best to wear sturdy shoes.

BATHROOMS:
1-mile mark at Bethesda Fountain
2-mile mark at Bethesda Fountain
4-mile mark (end of walk) at Tavern at the Green or Bethesda Fountain (which participants can go to on their own)

PACE: Comfortable, steady walking pace, over flat and hilly terrain, pausing for photos at pretty locations. There will be occasional commentary and I will try to answer any questions people may have about the park.

END LOCATION: Daniel Webster statue at West Drive/72nd street transverse. Nearest subways are A, B, C, D, 1, 2 and 3. Check with the MTA website for any service changes.

BRING: Water, snacks. We will not be making any food stops. Each lunch after the walk.

WEATHER POLICY: In case of iffy weather, hike leader will post a comment on this page by 8am the day of the hike to confirm status.

LATE ARRIVALS: Walk starts promptly at 11:15 am. If you arrive late, my plan is to walk east along the southern portion of the Pond, cross over the Gapstow Bridge and proceed to the Heckscher fields and then to the Mall and stopping for a bathroom stop at the Bethesda Fountain.

RSVP POLICY: Please be courteous, if plans change and you cannot attend, kindly change your RSVP with enough time for someone else to take your spot. This walk is for Shorewalkers members.

GUESTS: If you plan to bring a guest, please forward Shorewalkers Guest Waiver for them to sign before coming to the walk. Here's the LINK.

LEADER: John Kearon. Post questions on the meetup website or app before the meetup starts. Once started, I’ll try to check for any messages if I have the time.