Hidden Winter Gems

January 20, 2016

Winter is a magical time in Prospect Park, Brooklyn’s Backyard. While thousands like to flock to the Park for sled riding and snowball fights, we encourage you to tap into the Park’s natural beauty and explore a path less traveled. Below, Prospect Park Alliance staff share how they would spend their perfect winter day in the Park. For best results, mix with lots of hot chocolate.

The Rose Garden:  Though no longer home to many roses, this picturesque landscape in the northeast corner of the Park is one of its less frequented areas. “After a snowfall, odds are yours can be the first set of footprints,” said Alliance Arborist Ryan Gellis. While exploring the area, keep an eye and ear out for songbirds perched in the snow-covered evergreen yews.

Lookout Hill: Aptly named for its spectacular vistas of Brooklyn and beyond, it is well worth the short hike to the summit, the Park’s highest point. “In the winter when all of the leaves are off the trees, you can see all the way to Coney Island,” notes Maria Carrasco, Vice President of Public Programs. “You can even make out the historic Parachute Jump.”

The Lullwater: This landscape takes its name from the calm branch of the Prospect Park Lake it encompasses. Tucked away amidst woodlands, and buffered from outside noise, a walk across its spectacular bridge “is about as peaceful and quiet as it gets,” recommends Jessica Jamhoury, Director of the Volunteer Program.

The Long Meadow: Director of Individual Giving Kate Davis loves “the experience of walking or running through untouched snow.” As one of the Park’s most popular destinations, the Long Meadow is hardly a secret; but start your morning with the sunrise following a snowstorm, and you might just leave the first footprints on this longest stretch of unbroken meadow in any urban park.

Boulder Bridge: A favorite spot of John Jordan, Director of Landscape Management, Boulder Bridge spans the bridle path, and offers great views of the surrounding woodlands. Tucked between the Ravine and Midwood, the bridge itself is also beautiful, especially following snowfall, when the boulders that make up the bridge become encased in snow.