Mianus River Gorge was one of the first National Natural Landmark (NNL) sites, designated by then Secretary of the Interior Sewart Udall, on March 7, 1964. The other sites included Elder Creek and Rancho La Brea in California, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Florida, Fontenelle Forest in Nebraska, Bergen-Byron in New York, and Wissahickon Valley, Pennsylvania. […]
GORGE+ous
Mianus River Gorge was featured in Bedford New Canaan Magazine’s May / June issue. Read the article here. Photo by Bill Abranowicz
Fire as a Control Method for Invasive Plants
Fire as a Control Method for Invasive Plants As our climate changes, plants and animals shift their distributions by colonizing and establishing new territory to find suitable microclimates that allow them to persist and producing offspring to continue the process. The problem is that this process takes time, often generations; and the process is complicated […]
MRG’s Chris Nagy interviewed on Fox at 5
Watch the video here. An especially large coyote–that looked a lot like a wolf–was sighted in Central Park. Gotham Coyote Project co-founder Chris Nagy was called in to explain that the eastern coyote is indeed part wolf, the result of decades of cross-hybridization between the two species. “They all have some wolf ancestry, meaning that […]
Flooded Trails
We ask that you wear appropriate footwear and stay on the trails. Stepping off the trail can damage the landscape. We appreciate your cooperation. Thank you!
Trails are open!
Trails are open! Welcome to the Mianus River Gorge Preserve, an oasis of rich woodland and old-growth forest one hour’s drive from New York City. The preserve is open to the public from April 1 through November 30 from 8:30am to 5pm for hiking only. The hiking paths are narrow and winding, well kept, yet […]
Time to Clean Out Bluebird Boxes
Time to clean out last season’s Bluebird boxes! Bluebird scouts are checking out potential nesting sites for building their nests. Hopefully Bluebirds occupied your birdhouses, but you may find they were overtaken by Wrens, Swallows, or mice that filled them up with little sticks and other materials. Bluebirds may have built nest upon nest if […]
Winter Trail Rest Dec. 1 to Apr. 1
Trails are Closed for their Winter Rest December 1 to April 1 Ever since 1986 the preserve has been closed to hikers for its winter trail rest to prevent the Gorge from being loved to death. We all know the damage caused by uncontrolled visitation in some of our state and national parks. Overuse of […]
Spotted Lanternfly
Intro to SLF The spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect that has recently made its way to the Mianus River Gorge and surrounding areas. Native to China, the spotted lanternfly was first discovered in the US in Pennsylvania in 2014, but was not detected at the Gorge until 2022. Just one year after their arrival, […]
Board Spotlight – Meet Lloyd Gerry
Lloyd Gerry finds a hike in Mianus River Gorge Preserve to be a unique and awe-inspiring experience. It’s hard to believe this beautiful natural resource is in the midst of such a populated area. Lloyd is inspired by the living history of the ancient hemlocks found in the old-growth forest and admires the work being […]