Leon Levy Preserve Outer Loop

November 9, 2025 – South Salem, NY

Issue: Simple – reasonable

Size: Roughly 3 miles

Max elevation: 764 ft. – complete elevation achieve: roughly 400 ft.

Route sort: Circuit

Map: Leon Levy Protect Path Map 2021 – Leon Levy Protect Avenza Map

Trailhead parking: Smith Ridge Rd (NY-123) South Salem, NY 10590

The primary entrance and car parking zone is on Route 123 (Smith Ridge Highway), simply south of the intersection with Route 35. A white signal marks the doorway.

There aren’t any restrooms on web site, so please plan accordingly.

 

Overview:

Tucked into the rolling woodlands of the City of Lewisboro, New York, the Leon Levy Protect spans almost 400 acres of forest, ravine, and wetland habitat. As soon as a part of a grand Nineteenth-century property owned by chemist Dr. James M. Crafts, the land is now a peaceable haven for hikers and nature lovers.

The protect options about 5 miles of trails that wind via hardwood forest, previous quiet wetlands, and alongside broad, historic carriage roads as soon as utilized by horse-drawn carriages.

Alongside the way in which, guests encounter remnants of the property’s storied previous—stone foundations, a towering chimney from Crafts’s former chemistry laboratory, and the moss-covered outlines of an previous mansion web site.

Pure magnificence is in all places right here. The Purple Path meanders via tranquil wetlands alive with frogs and songbirds. In spring and summer season, native wildflowers like blue cohosh and purple milkweed brighten the understory, whereas fall brings an explosion of colour that transforms the forest right into a glowing cover of reds and golds.

With its mixture of historical past, ecology, and scenic tranquility, the Leon Levy Protect is an ideal spot for a half-day hike, a little bit of quiet exploration, or just a stroll via one in every of Westchester’s most atmospheric landscapes.

Historical past:

The Leon Levy Protect occupies land as soon as owned by Dr. James M. Crafts, a famend Nineteenth-century chemist and former president of MIT, who established his nation property right here within the late 1800’s. Crafts used the property not solely as a retreat but in addition as a web site for experimentation, developing a chemistry analysis laboratory and an elaborate system of carriage roads that also kind the spine of right now’s path community. After his loss of life, the property modified palms a number of instances earlier than falling into disuse, forsaking evocative ruins—stone foundations, a towering chimney, and moss-covered partitions that now mix into the encompassing forest.

In 2005, the Leon Levy Basis, in partnership with the City of Lewisboro and the Westchester Land Belief, preserved the land to guard its wealthy ecology and interesting previous. As we speak, the protect serves as each a pure sanctuary and an open-air museum, the place historical past and wilderness coexist in quiet concord.

Need to dig deeper into the protect’s fascinating previous? Click on right here to study extra.

Trails Overview:

The path system at Leon Levy Protect covers about 5 miles and provides a rewarding mixture of easy-to-moderate terrain, scenic highlights, and historic intrigue. The community is designed as a sequence of color-coded loops and connectors that make it straightforward to tailor a hike to your pursuits or time. Lots of the trails comply with the protect’s historic carriage roads, extensive and gently graded, whereas others department off into narrower footpaths that wind via forest, wetland, and rocky upland terrain.

The numbered junctions all through the Leon Levy Protect kind an intuitive wayfinding system that helps guests navigate its community of intersecting trails. Every junction is marked with a quantity that corresponds to areas on the official path map, making it straightforward to trace your place and plan your route. This technique is particularly helpful since lots of the trails loop and intersect—permitting hikers to customise the size and issue of their stroll with out getting disoriented.

A purple blaze over one other colour blaze signifies that the path is shared with horses.

Hike Overview:

I’ve visited the Leon Levy Protect a number of instances since 2016, and it has developed a bit through the years. As we speak, the paths and junctions are clearly marked, and the path map is extra detailed and informative—highlighting factors of curiosity alongside the way in which and making it a lot simpler to navigate all through the protect.

With rain within the forecast, I needed to squeeze in a fast hike earlier than the skies opened up. Having explored a lot of the trails right here, I used to be conversant in the terrain. This route follows varied coloured trails across the protect’s perimeter, bypassing a few of the inside factors of curiosity, however providing a peaceable loop via quieter sections.

The viewpoints at Leon Levy Protect aren’t the sweeping vistas one may anticipate. As an alternative, they provide modest overlooks of the encompassing panorama, which turn out to be even much less seen when the bushes are in full bloom.

This counterclockwise loop covers about 3 miles alongside the protect’s outer perimeter, primarily on extensive carriage roads with occasional narrower footpaths. On our go to, the paths and junctions had been clearly marked.

The graph beneath illustrates the modest elevation achieve on this loop hike.

Parking:

Parking is accessible totally free at Leon Levy Protect. The primary lot is on Route 123 (Smith Ridge Highway) in South Salem. The spacious car parking zone accommodates common autos (and horse trailers). Whereas enough for regular visits, on very busy days you might wish to go early to safe a spot.

The Hike:

This hike begins on the kiosk on the Blue Path, marked by three blue blazes on a tree. Observe the path to a T-intersection at a big boulder and switch proper. Proceed previous the metal bollards and head uphill, the place the path quickly passes a stone basis and chimney.

The laboratory ruins of James M. Crafts, a distinguished natural chemist recognized for the “Friedel–Crafts response,” served because the fifth president of Massachusetts Institute of Expertise from 1897-1900. After his educational tenure, he constructed his summer season property “Black Mansion” right here on a wooded hillside, and among the many outbuildings was a devoted chemistry laboratory. What stays right now features a tall chimney, stone basis partitions, proof of a flagstone patio and walk-ways.

Whenever you’re accomplished exploring the stone ruins, proceed uphill on the Blue Path. Shortly forward, you’ll attain the positioning of James Craft’s Reflecting Pool ruins, situated simply to the left of the path.

Not a lot stays of the Reflecting Pool, because it was full of gravel shortly after the protect was established in 2005. As we speak, a bench overlooks the spot the place it as soon as stood.

Whenever you return to the Blue Path, flip left, then left once more at Junction 2. Observe the Blue Path a brief distance to its junction with the Yellow Path, and switch proper.

Observe the Yellow Path a brief distance to a fork. Whereas the path continues straight forward off the asphalt highway, flip left and keep on the paved highway to succeed in the ruins of the Black Mansion.

Earlier than you lie the stone ruins of the primary ground and partial basement of a three-story fieldstone and shingle mansion, as soon as an opulent summer season dwelling heated solely by giant fireplaces.

Right here’s a glimpse of the mansion in 1973—be aware the stone columns on the entrance porch. Just one nonetheless stands right now.

The primary ground featured a number of spacious reception rooms, a grand entryway, a paneled library, and a music room with an Aeolian organ. Its ceiling was painted to resemble a blue sky full of birds. On the second ground, an extended corridor related the bedrooms and an artwork gallery, whereas the attic provided sweeping views of Lengthy Island Sound.

Fragments of stone mark the place the Black Mansion’s western round porch as soon as curved gracefully, providing sweeping views of the encompassing grounds.

The Black Mansion’s round porch alongside the western aspect provided a sweeping, panoramic view of the encompassing panorama. Designed for leisure and entertaining, it curved gracefully from the primary construction, permitting residents to benefit from the afternoon solar and the tranquil surroundings of the grounds.

 As we speak, solely fragments of the stone basis trace on the porch’s elegant curve and former allure.

The coated porch of the Black Mansion was a sublime function that wrapped across the entrance of the house, offering a shaded area to benefit from the open air. Supported by sturdy stone columns, the porch provided a grand entrance and a spot for summer season leisure, mixing seamlessly with the mansion’s fieldstone and shingle design. As we speak, solely a single column stays as a silent reminder of the porch’s former grandeur.

The Black Mansion was famend for its intricate architectural particulars, from ornate woodwork to expansive home windows that stuffed the rooms with gentle. Although a lot of the construction has vanished, the format and remaining stonework trace at a house designed for each consolation and spectacular social gatherings. A fireplace on January 28, 1979 destroyed a lot of the Black Mansion, leaving solely its stone partitions and ruins to inform the story of its former splendor.

After exploring the Black Mansion ruins, look west for a wood publish marked with a yellow blaze. Observe the Yellow Path westward for about 250 yards till you attain Junction 5, the beginning of the Inexperienced Path. From there, comply with the inexperienced blazes because the path descends and curves southwest.

The Inexperienced Path on the Leon Levy Protect provides a peaceable, secluded hike that showcases the protect’s wealthy pure variety. Winding via hardwood forests, alongside wetland edges, and over light slopes, the path highlights the tranquil and restorative aspect of the protect.

From Junction 5, the Inexperienced Path leads hikers downhill and southwest via peaceable hardwood forests and alongside light slopes. The path steadily opens to the Valley View overlook.

Perched above the protect, Valley View provides a quiet spot to soak up sweeping pure surroundings and the peaceable forest beneath.

From the Valley View overlook, the Inexperienced Path continues downhill, winding via quiet hardwood forests and alongside gently rolling terrain. After a scenic stretch, the path reaches Junction 7, the place it meets the Purple Path within the West Valley part of the protect.

From Junction 7, comply with the Purple Path via the West Valley, crossing a number of wood footbridges and lavatory walks that carry you over damp areas. The path winds via combined hardwood forests and serene wetlands earlier than reaching the Orange Path, providing a peaceable and scenic connector via the quieter elements of the protect.

The Purple Path concludes at a stone wall marking its junction with the Orange Path. From right here, flip left and comply with the Orange Path because it traces the japanese boundary of the protect, providing light terrain and views of the encompassing forest.

The Orange Path ends at a junction with the Blue Path. Proceed straight on the Blue Path (don’t flip proper) for about 140 yards, passing via shaded forest, till you attain the junction with the Yellow Path.

From the junction with the Blue Path, comply with the Yellow Path north alongside the gorge. The path meanders via forested terrain till you attain the North Gorge Rim Overlook, providing views of the ravine and surrounding woods.

On the finish of the Yellow Path, flip proper onto the Blue Path. Cross the historic Gorge Stone Bridge, taking a second to benefit from the view beneath, then comply with the path because it begins its regular climb up the hillside via shaded forest.

The Blue Path leads hikers via shaded woods and mild slopes, showcasing the protect’s serene magnificence.

From Junction 33, comply with the White Path because it winds downhill via a mixture of hardwood forests, moss-covered rocks, and gently rolling terrain. The path provides occasional glimpses of the wetlands beneath and the encompassing wooded hills.

Alongside the White Path, The forest ground is dotted with ferns, moss-covered rocks, and patches of low shrubs, making a lush, textured underbrush that provides to the path’s tranquil, woodland environment.

On the finish of the White Path, flip proper onto the Blue Path and comply with it a brief distance again to the car parking zone, the place your hike started.

Evaluation:

Leon Levy Protect provides a peaceable and scenic mountaineering expertise via a mixture of quiet forests, and gently rolling hills. The well-marked trails and extensive carriage roads make it straightforward to discover at a relaxed tempo, whereas the sounds of birds and rustling leaves create a relaxed, pure environment. Historic ruins and stonework add curiosity alongside the way in which, giving the hike a way of quiet discovery. It’s a great spot for anybody trying to unwind in nature and luxuriate in a tranquil stroll via one in every of Lewisboro’s most stunning preserves.

Professionals:

Scenic panorama, peaceable forested areas, well-marked trails, historic ruins, light elevation modifications, seasonal foliage shows.

Cons:

No restroom services

Take a hike!

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