Jane E. Lytle Memorial Arboretum

The pace of development in Westchester County has made green spaces more precious than ever. The original 20 acres for a nature preserve in the heart of the village of Croton-on-Hudson were donated by philanthropist Samuel Rubin with deed restrictions limiting its use to “wildlife habitat and conservation education”. This was the start of the Jane E. Lytle Memorial Arboretum.

The arboretum is a 22-acre nature preserve of woods, streams and a large wetland swamp in its center. A rough hiking trail circles the perimeter of the wetland, with several branches leading to secluded observation points. In addition, a ¼ mile long accessible boardwalk trail provides a level surface for people with impaired mobility or eyesight to safely enter the woods and cross the wetland. Pull-offs with benches along the boardwalk allow approaching wheelchairs to pass easily and also provide seating to quietly enjoy wildlife. The boardwalk trail passes through a gazebo for secretly observing or photographing wetland wildlife.

Throughout the year, we hold a number of hikes guided by experts in various fields.

In 1994, we created The Croton Arboretum and Sanctuary, Inc, a nonprofit organization to make this vest pocket preserve a vehicle for promoting wider understanding throughout the community of the critical ecosystem services which intact woods and wetlands provide to stabilize climate, purify water, support wildlife and create opportunities for recreation and education.

The preserve depends upon your efforts and donations. To learn more see our How to Support Us page.

The preserve is an evolving project of The Croton Arboretum and Sanctuary, Inc. To learn more about the history and the mission, please look at our About Us page.