One of the few spots in the city where visitors can get happily lost, the Ramble, at thirty-six acres, offers a variety of intimate scenic enclaves that include the Gill, a tiny stream that wanders through the area, and the Ramble Arch. Located on the west side of the Ramble, hidden in the dense foliage of trees and shrubbery, the Ramble Arch carries a narrow walkway above with an intersecting footpath below it is one Central Park’s most picturesque bridges.

Created by Olmsted and Vaux as an untamed counterpart to the more formal designs of the Mall and Bethesda Terrace the Ramble was still the product of painstaking planning. Virtually every feature was carefully placed to give the illusion of untouched, completely natural woodland. At almost every turn along its meandering trails the visitor is presented with another visual treat.

The Ramble is also a bird watchers paradise where more than 270 species have been spotted in one year alone. The city is right in the middle of one of North America’s busiest migratory routes and the birds, like millions of other of the city’s visitors, stop by to take advantage of the many amenities. The Ramble offers an inviting spot water and eat in preparation for the trip north.

Location: Mid-Park from 73rd to 79th Streets