100 Years, 100 Miles: Ward Pound Ridge celebrates its centennial

Clockwise from top left. A meadow trail at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. Bill Cone and Jo Hickey during their wedding ceremony performed by Hickey’s daughter, Kim Squires, under an oak tree at a campsite on Pell Hill in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. Mary Ann Lansdale during a recent hike in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.  Jo Ann Hickey’s 2021 family Thanksgiving in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation during COVID-19. Pictured: Carly Squires, Pat Soper, Joel Wolter, Kim Squires, Jo Ann Hickey, Bill Cone and their dog, Loretta. Jo Ann Hickey snowshoeing in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

By ROBERT BRUM

Jo Ann Hickey got married in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, held her children’s birthday parties there, even celebrated the family’s Thanksgiving there one year during COVID-19.

Naturally she’s all-in on the 100-Mile Hike Challenge in celebration of the 4,315-acre park’s centennial. 

Hickey, who lives in the Lewisboro hamlet of Vista, calls Ward Pound Ridge “just our favorite place in New York,” hiking, running and snowshoeing year-round with her husband, Bill Cone.

“I love that it’s almost always quiet and I’m a big fan of nature, so you can always find a trail and get away from people because of the size of the park,” she said.

Hickey, a camp counselor at the park’s Trailside Nature Museum, had racked up about 42 miles so far in the challenge, which began Oct. 21 and ends May 7. “But I see no problem completing the 100.”

The challenge works on the honor system, is not a competition and there are no prizes, but everyone who completes the mileage will be recognized at a May 17 celebration that will include guided hikes, food trucks, music and kids’ activities.

Online registration is free, although participants pay the usual $10 per car, $5 with a Westchester County park pass (on weekends only through Memorial Day).

The challenge was initiated by Taro Ietaka, the reservation’s supervisor, who got the idea after participating in a 100-mile paddling challenge on the Hudson River in 2024.

As of mid-March, 21 people had completed the 100 miles, 212 people had logged miles online, and a good number of others had registered but had not started logging miles, Ietaka said. The challenge was launched during the park’s slower seasons and participation has been growing as the weather warms up. 

“We have people who participate in weekly runs through the park, those are our big ‘mileagers,’” he said of the signups. “But then we have people that are in their 80s that are participating, we have children, extended family groups, and so many people who’ve grown up in the area and this park has a special place in their lives.”

With 4,315 acres it is Westchester’s largest county park. It attracts between 100,000 to 200,000 visitors a year to its 35 miles of trails, campsites and picnic areas.

During the centennial, donations are being sought to restore the park’s most heavily used areas including the Michigan Road trailheads and Yellow Trail near the former Civilian Conservation Corps camp.

“The park is 100 years old and some of the trails are definitely showing their age,” Ietaka said. “Foot traffic that has increased over the years and really spiked during COVID, combined with a lot of heavy, fast rains lately have caused some trail erosion and some flooding. So in order to start to get our trails back in shape we need money that’s being donated to the event.” 

Ietaka said $9,000 had been raised toward a $100,000 goal that’s expected to include a donation from the nonprofit Friends of Trailside Nature Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. 

The reservation stretches into Lewisboro and Pound Ridge and borders Bedford, so garden clubs from those towns are marking the centennial by renovating the grounds around the park’s Benedict House offices with native plants and perennials.  

The Lewisboro Garden Club’s co-president, Mary Ann Lansdale, is registered for the hiking challenge as well. Lansdale, who lives in Vista, had logged 6 miles by mid-March, “but I have great expectations of finishing,” she said.

Lansdale enjoys greeting the park’s regulars — and their dogs — on her walks along the Brown Trail and the wildflower garden near the Trailside Museum.

“You get to see some real pretty spots and native flowers coming up. The trails are just really beautiful,” she said.

The reservation is known for its varied terrain comprising high ridges, deep hollows, meadows, ponds, rivers, rock formations, old farm roads and wooded trails. Visitors come year-round to enjoy picnicking, camping, fishing and cross-country skiing.

Hikers joining the 100-mile challenge are doing their part to ensure the park’s preservation for the next century, Ietaka said.

“The love they have for the park is showing through and they want to see it maintained, and so their donations are going to be used to keep the park beautiful and accessible,” he said.

Historic purchase

The name “Pound Ridge” is credited to Native Americans who hunted for game in the area. They closed off the land with saplings and drove their prey into the enclosure, or pound, according to Westchester County. The name of the reservation, which later was settled by farmers, was spelled “Poundridge” until 1938. 

Beginning in 1925, Westchester County officials allocated $500,000 to acquire 92 separate parcels from 55 owners to create the park. Some land was taken through eminent domain, according to the book “Images of America: Ward Pound Ridge Reservation,” by Maureen Koehl and Beth Herr.

In 1938, the reservation’s name was changed to honor the county’s Republican leader, William L. Ward, who led the effort to create the park.

Miles to go

To register and log miles, visit Ward Pound Ridge Reservation 100-Mile Hike Challenge at parks.westchestergov.com. The centennial celebration will be held Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m to 4 p.m., in the Meadow, including guided nature walks, music, activities for kids, and food trucks. 

For updates, visit friendsoftrailside.org.

Robert Brum is a freelance journalist who writes about the Hudson Valley. Contact him and read his work at robertbrum.com.