The property extends across parts of the Village of Sleepy Hollow, the Hamlet of Pocantico Hills and the Town of Mount Pleasant. Its 860 acres of Hudson Valley vistas, laced by 20 miles of carriage paths, plus a 24-acre lake, support an abundance of wildlife.
Many local people use it weekly or even daily.
He said that the Friends group was formed as a non-profit organization to help maintain the Preserve beyond the limitations of New York State. The group plans to coordinate conservation, education and maintenance activities, following the model of successful Friends groups for state park properties elsewhere in New York. The Preserve was established in the 1980's with the donation of land and funds to New York State by the Rockefeller family. The Friends group has mounted a general fund raising campaign and begun an initial mailing to 50,000 households in communities that surround the preserve. Subsequent mailings will be made at regional and national levels since the lower Hudson Valley and the preserve have become increasingly important attractions for regional visitors and tourists across the United States and around the globe.