On September 14, 2026, Irvington's Recreation and Parks Department posted a short notice titled "Dogs on leash allowed in Matthiessen Park & Scenic Hudson Park." That puts the riverfront on the village's dog-walking map. The parks chapter of the Village code, last amended in 2021, bans pets from park areas other than service dogs. It makes exceptions for leashed pets at only two places, Halsey Pond Park and Irvington Woods Park. Both are away from the Hudson. The two parks named in the September notice sit on the river.
So the center of an Irvington dog walk moves downhill. A loop can now start at the water, and the woods and the Aqueduct take the walks that need an hour or more.
What the September notice allows, and where it stops
The notice is short. It reads as a list of posted rules, not an essay, and it applies to both waterfront parks:
- Valid license and current vaccinations required
- Leash required, 6 feet maximum
- No more than 2 dogs per handler
- Full control of the animal at all times
- Waste cleaned up and disposed of in designated stations
- Designated paths only
- Stay away from plantings, trees and plaques
- Courtesy toward other park patrons
Dogs are not allowed inside the fenced children's playground, the ballfields, the 9/11 Monument, the basketball and pickleball courts, or any buildings. In practice, the dog-friendly part of each park is the path system. The fields and courts that fill these parks on a weekend stay dog-free.
The notice also lists who to call. Report owners who don't follow the rules, or dogs showing aggressive behavior, to the Recreation and Parks Department at (914) 591-7736 or the Irvington Police Department at (914) 591-8080.
Scenic Hudson Park, the anchor at 29 Bridge Street
Of the two newly opened parks, Scenic Hudson Park is the easier one to describe. It is at 29 Bridge Street. Scenic Hudson, the conservation group whose name the park carries, describes a 12-acre, Village-owned site with walking paths and views that run from Manhattan to the Tappan Zee. The group lists walking, paddling and wildlife watching as the activities there and sends park questions to the Village.
The park's walking paths are where the "designated paths only" rule applies. A leashed walk along the river with the Manhattan-to-Tappan Zee view is allowed under the posted rules. A game of fetch on a ballfield is not.
Three leash lengths in one village
The 6-foot limit stands out once you set it beside the other leash rules a walk from Bridge Street can pass through.
| Where you are walking | Leash rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Matthiessen Park and Scenic Hudson Park | 6 feet maximum, 2 dogs per handler | Village notice, Sept. 14, 2026 |
| Elsewhere in the village, under the general animal code | Leash no longer than 8 feet | Irvington Village code |
| State park lands in the region, including the Old Croton Aqueduct | Leash not exceeding 10 feet where pets might disturb the public | NYS Parks regulations |
The waterfront limit is the strictest of the three. Irvington's general animal code allows a leash up to 8 feet and bars dogs from soiling or creating a nuisance in parks and other public places. The state's regional park regulation says pets must be confined "in a cage or on a leash not exceeding 10 feet" anywhere they might interfere with or disturb the public. It also keeps pets away from bathing and picnic areas and public buildings. The state's published copy of that regulation is dated as current through June 2017.
A retractable leash that is fine on the Aqueduct can break the posted rule at the riverfront. A standard 6-foot leash satisfies all three.
This is general information about posted rules, not legal advice. Signs at each park and the Village's Recreation and Parks Department have the final word.
Irvington Woods, for the walk that needs an hour
The waterfront parks are for a short walk with a view. Irvington Woods is for distance. The Irvington Woods Committee describes it as a 251-acre preserve, with the O'Hara Nature Center at 170 Mountain Road.
Irvington Woods has been one of the two code-listed places for leashed pets since well before this fall. Under the parks chapter, pets on a leash are allowed there, and every dog must have a valid New York State dog license. The code sets Irvington Woods' hours at sunrise to sunset, the same as Halsey Pond Park. As the days get shorter through November, that cuts into evening walks. The waterfront parks keep later hours. Matthiessen Park and Scenic Hudson Park are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. from March through November and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from December through February, so the river is the after-work option.
The trail network inside the preserve is the Peter Oley Trailways. The committee describes it as a joint project of the Village, the Recreation and Parks Department, the school district and volunteers. It was overhauled in the summer of 2022, and the committee's page links to a trail map. In a 251-acre preserve, it makes sense to have that map on your phone before you go.
Halsey Pond Park is the other place the code has long listed for leashed pets. With the September notice, Irvington's leash-permitted parks now run from the riverfront up to the woods.
The Aqueduct, connecting the village north to Lyndhurst
The Old Croton Aqueduct trail runs through the village, and the state regulation above covers it as part of the regional park system. The Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct describe the Westchester stretch as about 26 miles of a 41-mile route. It is open dawn to dusk, and some sections are stony, rooty or muddy. The group recommends downloading a map because detours can be hard to follow. The state park page notes that you reach the trail from many cross streets and that it has no dedicated parking areas.
Heading north, the Friends' suggested walk passes the Octagon House and continues to Lyndhurst. The Octagon House is a private home, not a public destination.
Lyndhurst's grounds, open through December
Lyndhurst may be the friendliest of these places for dogs. Its visitor page says "Dogs are welcome on leashes; please pick up their waste." Service animals, as the ADA defines them, are allowed in the public buildings.
The grounds are open seven days a week, April through December, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Lyndhurst closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day and shuts completely from January through March, except for special theater events. That leaves about ten weeks of grounds access after this week. Mansion tours run seven days a week through the end of October, stop for November, and resume the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Parking at Lyndhurst comes with conditions. It is free in the estate's designated areas with a tour ticket or grounds pass. Lyndhurst asks visitors not to park on side streets in the nearby neighborhoods and walk in. If you arrive on foot from the Aqueduct, parking isn't a question at all.
Lyndhurst also asks visitors to carry out what they carry in. Picnics are welcome, but open flames, barbecues and alcohol are not allowed.
Back to Bridge Street, with the dog at the table
Bridge Street is now a dog-friendly street from one end to the other. Scenic Hudson Park is at number 29, and Red Hat on the River is at 1 Bridge Street. In its April 2026 roundup of dog-friendly restaurants in Westchester, Westchester Magazine reported that Red Hat's outdoor seating area can be enjoyed with your dog, and named steak frites, steamed mussels and seared Block Island tuna among the dishes.
Under the posted rules, a Saturday can now run start to finish on Bridge Street. A leashed loop on the Scenic Hudson Park paths with the view to the Tappan Zee, then lunch at an outdoor table with the dog alongside, all on a 6-foot leash.
Wendy has walked these Rivertowns streets for years, and she pays the same attention to the details that make up daily life here, including which parks welcome a leashed dog. If you're weighing a move within the village or nearby and want to know how a place fits your routine, or you're curious what your home is worth, Wendy Holt is glad to talk it through. Request a complimentary home valuation.
