Nature walk at Cranberry Lake Preserve

This weekend I was lucky enough to have my Mom visit. While we really wanted to do something to get into the Christmas spirit, all the events I could find are taking place in December. But when I saw a posting for the "Great Turkey Walk-off" at Cranberry Lake Preserve I thought it was the perfect way to exercise off our holiday food indulgences.

The nature preserve is large (190-acres) with 4 trails. The trails are fairly easy to navigate but with all the fallen leaves covering the path this time of year we had to look down a lot to make sure we didn't trip over hidden rocks. Cranberry Lake is the obvious focal point of the preserve and the paths take you right down to the water's edge. According to the History Trail pamphlet the lake was formed by glaciers 18,000 years ago and the lake is named after the abundance of cranberries that grow on the south end of the lake.

You can learn more about Cranberry Lake Preserve on the Westchester County Parks website and download a copy of the trail map. One of the best things about this county park: it's free!