Prospect Park
Brooklyn, New York
One of the most diverse parks in New York City, you can enjoy numerous recreational and cultural attractions, as well as viewing reptiles, amphibians and dozens of forest and water bird species in this unique mixture of woods, wetlands, ponds and a lake created by the same team that designed Central Park.
Wildlife to Watch
- Red-tailed and other migratory hawks
- Black-crowned night heron, great blue herons and green herons, great and snowy egrets
- American coot and wigeon, mallards, pied-billed grebe, Canada geese, and many other varieties of migrating waterfowl
- Various migrating warblers and other forest songbirds
- Red-bellied, downy and hairy woodpeckers
- Chipmunks (only remaining population in Brooklyn)
- Largemouth bass and other familiar freshwater fish species
- Snapping turtles and painted turtles, spotted salamanders, wood frogs, Fowler's toads and spring peepers
Where to Watch
- Freshwater wetlands
- Forests and meadows
- Glacial kettle ponds and the open water of the lake
Recreational Opportunities
- Hiking, including several photography and birding lookouts, and interpretive signs on trails
- Fishing, paddle boat rentals, and ice skating
- Bicycling, horseback riding, picnic grounds and a carousel
- Audubon Center (educational programs)
- Prospect Park Zoo and Botanical Garden (fees charged)
- Sports facilities and accessible playgrounds
Accessible Features
This New York City Department of Parks and Recreation site has accessible features that include a nature center. A full list of DEC's accessible recreation destinations is available on the DEC website.
Size
526 acres (208 acres of which are set aside as "Forever Wild")
Directions
See Google Maps and enter your address for step by step directions to Prospect Park (This link will open a page outside of the DEC website. Hold "Shift" down while clicking on the link to open it in a new window)
Contact Information
Telephone: 718-965-8951
Address: 95 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Website: Prospect Park (This link leaves DEC's website)
Photo Credits: DEC and New York City Department of Parks and Recreation