Harry Tappen Beach, Shore Rd, Glenwood Landing, NY 11547, US

Glen Island Park is one of the most widely used parks in the Westchester system, second in popularity only to Playland in Rye. The park has a unique, impeccably well-preserved feel to it. In 1879, Congressman John Starin bought the property and built it into a popular resort. Westchester County acquired the land in the early 1920s and much of the historical architecture remains. Drive over the 1920s drawbridge and you'll enter the park, which has picnic areas (both reservable and open to the public), boat ramp, playgrounds, walkways and access to a beach that overlooks the Long Island Sound.