With the 1.58 mile jogging track the Central Park
Reservoir is most familiar to runners who
enjoy the precise nature of their daily run.
Contributing to the exhilarating exercise is
the view.
This 106-acre body of water provides
some of the best views of the City skyline.
Built in 1862 as a fresh source of city water
it no longer serves that purpose. It does
however feed the waters that pour into
the Pool and Meer.
The Reservoir is also one of the Park's main
ecological sanctuaries and a favorite of bird
watchers who are always searching for the
more than 20 species of waterfowl that settle
down onto the pristine waters. Coots, loons,
cormorants, wood ducks, grebes, mallards,
geese, herons, egrets and countless more
can be sighted daily.
With the vast sky reflected in its expansive
surface it can change momentarily as the
clouds disperse and the sun streams
through the erratic breaks.
A low stone wall running from the Southeast
Gatehouse to the Northwest Gatehouse
bisects the Reservoir allowing the closing
of one section or another for cleaning.
