Westchester Trails Association

WTA Welcomes its New Members: Anne-Valerie Boisdin, Julie Burns, Lucy Charman, Tivona Cunningham, Joseph Daniel, Diane DiTucci, Anita Green, Donna Knoth, Barry Litcofsky, Molly Nee, Chuck Newman, Andrea Reiss, Bruce Rights, Michelle Rowen, Jennifer Shattuck, Wendy Shepard, Jatin Suryawanshi, Carter Thornton, Paula Walzer, Elaine Wildenberg. 

And Welcome Back: Asha Chauhan, Monica Scantlebury.

Hiking Week 2025. Each year we head out to a more distant location to explore trails in far-away places. We've been to the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Berkshires; Shenandoah and Acadia National Parks, Harpers Ferry W.Va. and the Green Mountains of Vermont. This September we traveled to New Hampshire for a week of hiking in the White Mountains. We enjoyed perfect weather, beautiful (and challenging) trails, and great camaraderie. Here are just a few photos from our trip: an above treeline view, folks enjoying the summits, and one of our many post-hike ice cream stops!

Bird feeders can be multipurpose - just ask     the deer at Marshlands Conservancy!

Winter Hiking Tips: Dress in layers so you can add and remove clothing as your exertion levels change. Wear a synthetic base layer such as polyester or nylon to wick moisture away from your skin; one or more middle layers of fleece or wool; and an insulated outer layer to protect you from rain, wind and snow. Wear a fleece or wool hat, and fleece, wool or insulated gloves or mittens. Wool or wool blend socks are great natural insulators, even when wet; wear them over synthetic liners for wicking. Leave the cotton clothing home - cotton retains moisture and contributes to hypothermia. Never, ever wear jeans - if you get a little snow or water on them, they turn into icy boards around your legs for the rest of the hike. Bring plenty of food and water and a hot beverage to warm you. Be sure to carry microspikes, stabilicers or other traction aids in your pack in case you need them, and remember that snow and ice on the ground increases the difficulty of any hike. Having said all that...winter hiking can be lots of fun as long as you’re prepared for the weather!

Have a most enjoyable winter. See you on the trail!

It’s Worth Quoting. "A truth I would share with anyone who deplores the passing of the last glorious days of fall as they give way to bare-bones winter is the astonishing beauty of the sculptured landscape that you may not have been able to see since the preceding winter and early spring. Burgeoning leaves and undergrowth during spring and summer bend and shape the meadows and hide the fields so that the eye sees only the softly rounded contours of the land. In winter, what you see is what you get. A hill is a hill, a mountain a mountain, a valley a valley. The austere architectural beauty of winter is for the hardy, the realists among us." Excerpted from an article by WTA board member Rochelle Player published in the White Plains Reporter Dispatch, 2/11/97.

Join WTA in completing the Westchester 100, a project inspired by the "Walkable Westchester" book written by Jane and Walt Daniels. The book has been an invaluable resource for hiking in our home county, and the most recent (third) edition details more than 635 miles of trails in over 200 parks, preserves and sanctuaries.

We launched our Westchester 100 project in the fall of 2009 when the first edition was published, listing local hiking areas and trails that featured 91 “regular” hikes and 18 “half hikes” throughout the county. Those who complete the challenge (either with our club or on their own) are rewarded with a certificate, a patch, and unlimited bragging rights.

To see our updated Westchester 100 list, please click here. We invite you to join us in exploring the many places to walk or hike that Westchester County has to offer.