- Troop 2 Scarsdale
- Saturday, November 4, 2023
- 6 scouts, 4 adults
This day hike took us on part of the historical trail designed by the Kintecoying OA Lodge in NYC (https://nycscouting.org/historicaltrails/). We had last done this trip about 4–5 years ago, at which time we did it in its entirety. In the past we rode Metro North from Crestwood into Grand Central and then took the subway south to the start point. We took the subway back north.
This installment found us with a group of younger Scouts, so we only did about the first third of the route. We drove in this time and didn’t use the subway. Some parents expressed safety concerns about NYC in general and the subway in particular.
Starting at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, we ended in Little Italy for a total of approximately two miles of hiking. We had pizza lunch before heading back north to our cars. It was a cool fall day, perfect for walking. We bumped into another Troop from New Jersey also hiking the route. Nice to see other scouts out and about.
A few tips:
- There are public washrooms in Washington Square Park. Worth stopping as facilities are otherwise tricky to find.
- We had scouts take turns reading aloud the description for each stop. That kept them engaged.
- The youth/parent ratio was important as it’s tough to keep eyes on everyone in the city.
- Having gone in by train and by car, I’d take the train in the future.
- Order the pamphlets from Kintecoying Lodge well before your planned trip so you can receive them via mail.
- There’s also a Revolutionary War Trail at the north end of Manhattan. Also a worthwhile trip.
- There’s a pair of patches available for the two hikes. Together they form a square.