About The Park

Respect Nature in the Park: Tread Lightly!

Mianus River Park is a nature preserve, established in accordance with the community's recognition of the immense value in preserving natural areas, wildlife, and water quality.

The eight-plus miles of trails allow visitors low-impact access to the preserve's woodlands, wetlands, and riverbanks.

The forest is made up of hardwoods such as maples, elms, oaks, tulips, ashes, hickories, cherries, birches, sassafras, tupelos, hackberries, and beeches. Conifers include hemlock and white pines. Squirrels, raccoons, possums, screech owls, tree swallows, and woodpeckers nest in holes in standing dead trees ("snags"). Hawks like the tops of tall trees; robins prefer the lower branches; owls often choose conifers.

Where the understory is undisturbed, the shrub layer is equally diverse, including sweet peppers (Clethra), spicebushes, winterberries, witchhazels, shads (serviceberries), mountain laurels, maple-leaf viburnums, arrowwood viburnums, blueberries, and tree saplings. Many songbirds nest in the shrub layer.

At ground level, there are ferns, grasses, toadstools, and wildflowers. Grouse, thrashers and rabbits nest under the shrubs; foxes, skunks, and tiny rodents dig burrows. Box turtles bury their eggs in loose soil. Chipmunks and snakes often make their homes in the old stone walls.

Along the water, look for cottonwoods, willows and sycamores; shrubs include elderberries, alders, and silky dogwoods. Blue herons and Baltimore orioles often nest in tall trees near water. Weasels, minks, and muskrats burrow in the riverbank. Mallards nest along the riverbank. Painted and snapping turtles bury eggs along the riverbank. Salamanders, toads, and frogs lay eggs in the wetland pools. Fish eggs, fingerling fish, and crayfish are found in the nooks and crannies of the riverbed.

Because the park suffers from heavy visitor use, and in order to preserve the parkland for this and future generations, we request voluntary compliance with the Regulations and suggested Behavior.

Why You Should Stay on the Trails

The forest floor and river banks provide wildlife nesting, feeding and roosting habitat. These areas are too fragile for human and dog traffic.

Off-trail humans, on foot or bike, and off-trail dogs step on and kill delicate wildflowers and tree saplings. Off-trail traffic also permanently damages the roots of the hardwood trees that make up the forest, shortening their lives. Further, humans and dogs disrupt the soil surface, allowing foreign weeds ("invasive plants") to take hold. Every invasive plant that takes the place of native plant directly or indirectly reduces the amount of food available for wildlife. For example, many birds raise their young solely on native insects which, in turn, eat only native plants.

Off-trail traffic also leads to soil compaction and erosion. Soil compaction makes it difficult or impossible for plant life to regenerate. Erosion quickly strips away years of accumulated mulch and nutrients vital to the plants and trees; moreover, the resulting sediment pollutes Mianus River and Long Island Sound.

All off-trail areas in the park are needed by wildlife for roosting, feeding, and nesting. Off-trail humans and dogs interfere with these activities. Most wildlife will not nest in an area that has been disturbed by humans or dogs. Off-trail traffic can damage the eggs, young and/or nests of ground animals including ground birds, box turtles, rabbits, and salamanders.

Why You Should Keep Your Dog on a Leash

Off-leash dogs in the park are illegal under state and municipal law.

Off-leash dogs are not "harmless fun" for the wildlife or for many human visitors.

The park is home to many wildlife species, some rare or endangered. Off-leash dogs, intentionally or not, drive off, stress, and kill these animals and their young.

Wild animals, often stressed by the rigors of outdoor life, can weaken and die due to interactions with unleashed dogs. For example, running dogs can scare wildlife so severely that the animals abandon their young, leaving the babies to starve or be eaten. Likewise, pregnant and newborn wildlife, migrating birds, and wildlife already chilled and hungry due to winter conditions do not have the reserves to repeatedly flee dogs. Repeated disruption of feeding, at any time of the year, can drive animal outs of the park or cause fatal illness.

Unleashed dogs can be stressful for humans as well. Many people are afraid of dogs or allergic to them, and feel threatened when approached by an unleashed dog, especially one that jumps or barks. Loose dogs are a particular concern for small children, the elderly, and the disabled.

Likewise, interactions between leashed and unleashed dogs can be stressful, even dangerous, for the leashed dog and its owner.

Why You Should Stay Out of the Water (unless you’re a fisherman)

Mianus River supplies drinking water for up to 150,000 areas residents. For health reasons alone, humans (other than licensed anglers in protective footgear) and dogs should stay out of the water.

The river banks and adjacent plant life are particularly important to wildlife. Playing in the river and off-trail along the banks can be fun for children and dogs, but the activity destroys the banks and river bottom, causing loss of protective vegetation, erosion and sedimentation. Further, playing or swimming in the river harms fish habitat; stirs existing sediment; and kills eggs of fish and amphibians. A single romping dog can dislodge enough amphibian egg masses to negatively impact the entire annual population.

Remember:  Unless using a hardened river access point for fishing purposes only, always avoid walking near or along steep river banks.