The Ramble
The Ramble is the most well-known of the Park’s three woodland landscapes, which offer visitors an experience of the woods in the center of New York.
Its 36 acres were designed to look like the forests of upstate New York and include winding paths and trails, rustic bridges, a meandering stream, dramatic rock outcroppings, and dense plantings. The Ramble is a popular destination for exploring and enjoying nature and is also one of the best places in the Park for birdwatching. Located in what is known as the heart of the Park, the Ramble is near some of Central Park’s most important scenic landscapes and features, including the Lake, Bethesda Terrace, and Belvedere Castle.
As part of their vision of the Park as a refuge from the pace and pressures of city life, the Park’s designers created a variety of landscapes, including densely planted and wooded areas. In the 19th century, these were often called picturesque landscapes and now are commonly referred to as woodlands. Inspired by places like the Catskills and the Adirondacks, their design was intended to evoke the wilderness and provide opportunities for a more intimate and immersive experience of nature. Spending time in nature, the designers believed, would help city dwellers relax, benefiting their mental as well as physical health, something that scientists have now proven to be true.
The Ramble Stroll
A birder's paradise, the Ramble is visited by over 200 bird species each year. If you listen closely, you'll hear their cheerful songs.
The design of the Ramble was intentionally intricate, with twisting paths that encourage wandering and create a sense of mystery and surprise, but also make it challenging to navigate. The Ramble is located along the Lake and some of its most beautiful scenery is found along its shoreline. Other notable features include Azalea Pond, named for the shrubs that bloom along its shore in the spring; the Cave, a geological feature that Park visitors could enter from a boat on the Lake (the opening is now closed); and the Ramble Stone Arch, a bridge designed with rough-hewn stones to look like it naturally formed.
Creating a patch of seemingly wild nature in the center of the City and making it accessible to all urban dwellers posed various challenges. Park co-designer Frederick Law Olmsted described the Ramble as a “wild garden” to evoke a place that appeared wild but was in fact heavily designed and managed. The substantial upkeep needed to maintain this type of landscape was a challenge and for much of the 20th century, the Ramble and the Park’s other woodland landscapes suffered from neglect, essentially treated as self-sustaining natural environments. This resulted in many problems, including deteriorated infrastructure and the rise of invasive plants. Since the 1980s, the Conservancy has developed a woodlands management plan that addresses the needs of these landscapes, aiming to balance design, ecology, and use. In 2018, the Conservancy substantially completed a multi-year effort to renew and sustain the landscapes of the Ramble.
The Park is an important stop along the Atlantic Flyway, the migratory path for birds traveling to and from their nesting grounds, and many of these birds are drawn to the wooded landscapes of the Ramble. The landscape also draws local birdwatchers as well as visitors from all over the world, particularly during migration season. Birders record their sightings in a logbook located in the entryway to the Central Park Boathouse.
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Things you can do here
Guides
Guide to Fall Foliage in Central Park
Tags: Plants and Trees
Activities
Running Guide
Tags: Health & Fitness
Guides
Birding Guide
Interested in birdwatching? Learn how to respectfully spot the more than 210 bird species that make an appearance in Central Park.
Tags: Wildlife
Guided Tours
Family Tour of The Ramble
Explore a real woodland in the middle of the City during this intergenerational spring experience for families.
Tags: Kids and Families
Tours
Central Park Woodland Walk: The Ramble
2:00 pmIn this nature walk, Conservancy guides will lead you on an immersive exploration of the Ramble: a delightfully serene woodland just steps away from the Park’s west side entrances.
Tags: Art & Architecture / Plants and Trees
Self-Guided Tours
A Walk Around the Lake
Tags: Art & Architecture
Self-Guided Tours
The Ramble Self-Guided Tour
Wander through the naturalistic beauty of the Ramble, the most intricate and detailed landscape in Central Park.
Tags: History / Art & Architecture / Plants and Trees
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8 Secrets of Central Park
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Programs and Events
New Yorkers Celebrate Spring in Central Park
A full day of free special events and programs unfolded across Central Park on March 20 to celebrate the first day of spring.
Tags: Families / Conservancy Staff / Spring
Park Information
A Reflection of Nature Itself: The Different Landscapes of Central Park
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About the Conservancy
Urban Wildlife in Central Park: Understanding our Human Impact and the Hazards of Feeding Wild Animals
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Tags: Conservancy Staff / Pollinators / Nature Lovers / Landscapes
Park History
From the Archives: Fall Foliage in Central Park Over the Years
The colorful spectacle of fall foliage in Central Park never loses its appeal. We turned to our archives to see how the Park has evolved from one fall to the next.
Tags: Fall / Highlights / Staff Picks / Nature Lovers / Plants and Trees / Landscapes
Restoration and Maintenance
Restoring Central Park in 2018
We completed several restoration projects in 2018—read more about our recent work and see before and after photos.
Tags: Playgrounds
Park History
Bethesda Fountain’s Place in LGBTQ+ History
As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Central Park’s Bethesda Fountain, delve into the story of the Angel of the Waters statue, its place in LGBTQ+ history, and its significance as a symbol of connection and healing for New York City.
Tags: Park Design / Monuments / History / Art Lovers
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Central Park’s Most Instagrammable Wintertime Spots, Part II
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Tags: Tips for Visiting / Winter / Highlights
Things to See and Do
From the Mailbag: Solitude, Sports, and Skyline Views
We received curious inquiries on everything from the best places to take skyline photos to the history of the Minton tile ceiling in the Bethesda Terrace Arcade.
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Stories from Central Park
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Tags: Families / Summer
Things to See and Do
Make Central Park a Part of Your Thanksgiving Tradition
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Tags: Families / Fall / Tips for Visiting
Q&As
5 Questions with Phil Rosenthal, TV Writer and Producer
Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal shares his fondest memories of the Park, his idea of a perfect picnic there, and what he’ll do when NYC opens up after pandemic closures.
Plants and Trees
What Are Central Park’s Most Colorful Fall Trees?
In appreciation of this photogenic time of year, we asked a Conservancy arborist what trees you should look for this autumn and where to find them.
Tags: Fall / Trees
Wildlife
Wintering in Central Park: How Urban Wildlife Survives Seasonal Change
The mammals, birds, and reptiles that call Central Park home have adapted to survive the cold.
Tags: Winter / Nature Lovers
Plants and Trees
Urban Forest Bathing: Cultivating Calmness in a Chaotic City
“I don’t know if the founders of the Conservancy knew the term ‘forest bathing, but they clearly understood the Park’s potential as a space for wellbeing and rejuvenation—it’s right there in the Conservancy’s mission statement!” Meet the individuals who are introducing forest bathing to the busy New Yorker.
Tags: Park Design / Trees / Nature Lovers
About the Conservancy
A Shared Space: Finding Connection Through Conservation
Urban greenspaces like Central Park connect city dwellers to the intricate and dynamic ecological systems we need for reflection and recreation, and other species count on for survival.
Tags: Conservancy Staff / Pollinators / About the Conservancy / Nature Lovers
Things to See and Do
The Ramble: ‘A Sense of Mystery’ Across 36 Acres
The Ramble is the landscape that most embodies Central Park’s enduring purpose as an urban oasis.
Tags: Park Design / History / Nature Lovers / Park Experts
Park History
See Newly Digitized Images of Winter in Central Park
Snowy scenes from the 1980s and 1990s are some of the Central Park Conservancy's recently digitized images.
Tags: Conservancy Staff / History
Things to See and Do
10 Date Ideas in Central Park
Tags: Tips for Visiting
Park Information
Sculpted Nature: Landscape Architecture in Central Park
Tags: Park Design
Restoration and Maintenance
A Look Back: Improving Central Park in 2017
Park History
Concerts of Note: Central Park’s Musical Highlights
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Tags: History / Art Lovers
Park History
From the Archives: Winter in Central Park
Go back in time with us to the 1980s and '90s. Some things look very different. But New Yorkers’ love of ice skating in Central Park and the serene beauty of its snow-covered landscapes remain timeless.
Tags: Winter / History / Landscapes
Wildlife
Getting to Know Central Park’s Squirrels
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Tags: Nature Lovers
Wildlife
Flying in Plain Sight: The Bats of Central Park
Nine species of bats live in New York State, and Central Park’s 843 acres of sprawling meadows, woodlands, and water bodies play a crucial role in their health.
Tags: Pollinators / Nature Lovers