Central Park Guide: A Walk from 59th Street to the Castle

Central Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in the 1850s, on swampy, rocky land that had to be blasted, drained and replanted. Almost everything you see, from the lakes to the "wild" woods, was planned. It runs from 59th Street to 110th Street, about four kilometres long, and cars have been banned from its drives since 2018.

This walk covers the southern half, where most of the famous spots are. It takes about two hours at an easy pace. Start in the morning, when runners and dog walkers own the paths.

1. Grand Army Plaza (Fifth Avenue and 59th Street). Enter by the gilded statue of General Sherman, with the Plaza Hotel behind you. Horse carriages and pedicabs wait here. You don't need either.
2. The Pond and Gapstow Bridge. A few steps in, this small stone bridge has the classic view of the Midtown towers rising over the water.
3. The Mall and Literary Walk. Walk north along this wide promenade under one of the largest stands of American elms left in the country. Statues of Shakespeare, Robert Burns and Walter Scott line the southern end.
4. Bethesda Terrace and Fountain. The Mall ends at a grand staircase down to the lake. Look at the tiled ceiling of the arcade under the road, then at the Angel of the Waters on the fountain, the only statue commissioned for the original park design.
5. Bow Bridge. Follow the lake shore west to this curved cast-iron bridge, the most photographed in the park. Rowing boats can be hired at the Loeb Boathouse nearby in warm months.
6. The Ramble. Cross Bow Bridge into 36 acres of winding paths, streams and woodland. It's one of the best bird-watching spots in the city during the spring and autumn migrations. Paths twist, so keep heading north.
7. Belvedere Castle. A small stone castle on top of Vista Rock, with the best view in the park over Turtle Pond and the Great Lawn.
8. Strawberry Fields. Head south-west across the park to West 72nd Street and the black-and-white "Imagine" mosaic, a memorial to John Lennon, who lived in the Dakota building just outside the gate.

With more time

The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, just north of the Great Lawn, has a running track around it with wide views of the skyline. Further up, the Conservatory Garden at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street is the park's only formal garden, and surprisingly quiet. The Metropolitan Museum sits on the park's east edge at 82nd Street and the Natural History Museum on the west side at 79th, so you can combine either with this walk. Our three-day itinerary pairs the park with the Met, and the where to stay guide explains why the Upper West Side is the park's best base.