QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: N/A
- Trail Mileage: ~1.5 miles
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy
- Sights: pedestrian bridge, causeway, York Harbor, sandy beach, seaside cliffs, historic homes
On my map, Steedman Woods is in blue. The trail there connects to the causeway and to Fisherman’s Walk, which will bring you close to the start of the “official” Cliff Walk (shown in yellow on my map).
In this historical part of York, you can walk a bit more than 1.5 miles along the expansive York Harbor to the mouth of York River, on a popular and well-used trail. The trail sections — which vary from gravel, to pavement, to dirt — pass in front of stately old homes, as well as cross a short pedestrian bridge named for the slight jiggle it makes when you cross. The Wiggly Bridge connects a wide causeway to a wooded peninsula where you can explore the unmarked but easy-to-follow trails in the small patch of Steedman Woods. (Warning: There is no place to park at Steedman.)
The best place to park if you are permit-less is closer to the Cliff Walk, along Route 1A near Hartley Mason Reserve. There are two-hour parking spots stretching between Hartley Mason park and Norwood Farms Road. Every other parking spot I saw close to the path requires a permit.
This trail system, while short, is diverse. If you start at Harley Mason Reserve, you begin in a pleasant park with paved paths before heading down to the Cliff Walk, which continues out in the direction of the ocean.
If you go right, you head down to the sandy beach and small parking area (for permitted cars). From here, you can cross a grassy park toward the river. In a couple hundred feet, you’ll spot the opening to the gravel Fisherman’s Walk — a continuation of the seaside path. This section is flat and easy, and wheelchair friendly.
Cross underneath the Route 103 bridge and head up a dock to access the causeway (or you can go up and cross the street). The causeway and Wiggly Bridge were my favorite sections of the walk — the tidal mouth of York River is wide and beautiful. The woods section of this walk is not wheelchair friendly.
Directions: If you’re walking, you can access the path in many places, from Route 103 at the end of the bridge, or from one the little lanes running from Route 1A (York Street). You can also pick it up at York Harbor Beach or Hartley Mason Reserve. For those with cars and no permit, there are several two-hour parking spots along Hartley Mason Reserve. If you have a permit, you can park at Harbor Beach or near the Wiggly Bridge on Route 103.
