Sprain Ridge Park Climbing

The park’s 278 acres include two picnic areas. The remainder of the park is heavily wooded, with a variety of hiking and mountain bike trails.

Sprain Ridge Park is named for its location on a ridge between the northbound and southbound lanes of the Sprain Brook Parkway. There are several theories as to the origin of the name “Sprain.” It appears in the Greenburgh town records as early as 1743. Some think it is a corruption of the Indian title, “Armenperal” or “Armonsperahin.” Others say it refers to “spraints,” a word for otter dung, as there used to be many otters in the area. Also, to “sprain” is to sow seeds by hand, and possibly the grass around Grassy Sprain had been hand sown.

This land was acquired by the county in 1965 from the Boyce Thompson Institute, a botanical research center. It therefore houses many unusual and exotic woodland plants. The Thompsons were an old Yonkers family that made its fortune in mining.

I found this area had climbable rocks when at a BBQ with family friends. I have no idea about any previous ascensionist or routes that could have been. I see a lot of potential but it would need a full day here, with cleaning equipment for the dirt and mud on the rocks, to make it climbable.