On September 14, 2026, the Village of Irvington announced that dogs are welcome on the paths throughout Scenic Hudson Park. It called the change the result of "months of planning." That makes the riverfront the last of Irvington's major parks to let in leashed dogs. The village got there over more than a decade, one park at a time. The final push came from an argument about who could reach a park at all.
Eleven Years, One Park at a Time
The Scenic Hudson Park rule wasn't the first one to change. The record shows a long process, with each step opening one more park:
- October 2015. The Hudson Independent covered a fight over a proposed off-leash dog park in Irvington Woods. Neighbors raised concerns about the environment, the trails, and parking.
- December 2015. A Hudson Independent viewpoint column reported that a petition with 125 signatures asked Recreation & Parks to reconsider the Woods site and take another look at Matthiessen Park. The same column repeated a point made publicly at the time: of the 60 Scenic Hudson parks along the river, Irvington's was the only one that didn't allow dogs.
- 2021. Local Law #5 barred pets from park areas, with an exception for service dogs. It allowed leashed pets at Halsey Pond and Irvington Woods, and it required a valid New York dog license.
- September 2024. Then-Mayor Jon Siegel said the Board had discussed rules for leashed dog walking at Matthiessen. A Recreation & Parks Advisory Committee hearing was set for October 9.
- November 2024. The Village posted that leashed dogs were allowed in Matthiessen Park.
- June 15, 2026. At a Board of Trustees meeting, a resident asked the board to make the dog rules for Scenic Hudson Park match the other parks. Trustees referred the matter to the ARPAC parks committee.
- September 14, 2026. Scenic Hudson Park's paths opened to leashed dogs.
The 2015 debate was about building a separate place for dogs. Over the next ten years the village went a different way: it opened the parks it already had, with leash limits, and left the idea of a fenced dog run behind.
The Argument That Moved the Riverfront
According to a Citizen Portal summary of the June 15 meeting, the resident submitted a letter and also spoke in person. The resident said the uneven rules were unfair to people with mobility impairments, and to dog owners who had to drive to parks in other towns.
That argument explains why Scenic Hudson Park mattered more than any of the earlier changes. Irvington Woods and Halsey Pond had allowed leashed pets since at least 2021. Trail walking in the woods doesn't work for everyone. A shared riverfront path does. Scenic Hudson describes the park as 12 acres of walking paths, ball fields, and a senior center, and says it can be reached by train. A Hudson River shoreline study describes nearly a mile of paths around open lawns, running alongside both the river and the Metro-North tracks.
Three months passed between the June referral and the September announcement. The public record we found doesn't include a committee timeline or a recorded vote. The Village's own notice says only that the change followed months of planning.
Where the Rules Now Line Up
Now that Scenic Hudson Park is open, the riverfront rules mirror the ones Matthiessen adopted two years earlier. Both parks cap the leash at 6 feet, allow no more than two dogs per handler, and require a license and vaccinations.
| Park | Dogs allowed | Dogs kept out of | Hours on record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scenic Hudson Park, 29 Bridge St. | Designated paths, on a leash of 6 feet or less | Ballfields, playgrounds, restrooms, the Senior Center, the 9/11 Monument | Not listed in the September notice |
| Matthiessen Park | Leashed, during park hours | Fenced children's playground, buildings | 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., March 1 to December 1 |
| Halsey Pond Park | Leashed pets | Not specified in the 2021 law | Sunrise to sunset |
| Irvington Woods Park | Leashed pets | Not specified in the 2021 law | Sunrise to sunset |
The Scenic Hudson notice adds a few rules of its own. Dogs must stay on designated paths, keep away from plantings, trees, and plaques, and be under the handler's full control at all times. Matthiessen's notice also asks owners not to let dogs urinate on trees, plantings, or garbage pails. It says to report rule violations or aggressive dogs to Recreation and Parks at (914) 591-7736 or the Irvington Police Department at (914) 591-8080.
Matthiessen's winter closing time will matter once December arrives. The 2024 Village notice says 8 p.m. from December to March 1, but the 2021 park law sets 7 p.m. for that season. The posted signs at the park entrance should settle which time applies before evening walks get dark.
The River Side, Park by Park
The shoreline study puts Matthiessen Park directly north of Scenic Hudson Park on the east bank of the Hudson. It notes that Bridge Street Properties and the senior center sit right next to Scenic Hudson Park. With both parks now open to leashed dogs, the whole riverfront stretch of the village can be part of a dog walk, as long as the dog stays off the ballfields and out of the playgrounds.
The material we reviewed doesn't show a continuous public path between the two parks. A pedestrian bridge over the railroad came up in a 2010 Scenic Hudson letter as a proposed improvement, which isn't the same as a crossing you can use today. Until the Village publishes a route, treat the two parks as neighbors, with a separate walk in each.
Higher up the hill, the Old Croton Aqueduct gives longer walks a third option. New York State Parks describes it as a free, 26-mile trail you can reach from many cross streets. It's open sunrise to sunset, and there are no dedicated parking areas. The State Parks page we reviewed doesn't state a dog rule for the trail, so check the signs at the trail access points.
An October to Walk It In
This is the first fall the riverfront has been open to dogs, and the village calendar makes October a full month to walk it.
- Bulldog Gallery, through October 9. The 23 artist-decorated fiberglass bulldogs that have lined Main Street since May are up for auction until 8 p.m. on Friday, October 9. The designs include an apple, a rockstar, a dragon, Batman, constellations, and the Phantom of the Opera. Proceeds are split between the artists and the Arts & Culture Committee.
- Rivertowns Pumpkin Trail. Bulldog Gallery proceeds help fund the trail. The mayor's September 30 message said it was launching that week.
- Harvest Hayride, October 17. Parks and Recreation is hosting a free evening hayride from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 17.
- Living Forest Speaker Series, October 25. At the O'Hara Nature Center, Connor Youngerman of the Cornell Small Farms Program will lead a free program on growing mushrooms and native trees, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Registration is requested.
Two outdoor spots on the route help with the stop afterward. Bliss Bakehouse opened at 94 Main Street in May. The Hudson Independent profiled its owners, Alison Stinson and Jason Breen, in June. The bakery lists a patio and garden space. Red Hat on the River, at 1 Bridge St. near the park entrance, is listed with patio dining and a rooftop bar. Neither business has published a dog policy, so ask before bringing a dog to the table.
The Coyote Question Running Alongside
The riverfront opened just as coyotes became a village issue. In a September 27 message, Mayor Arlene Burgos described incidents involving children and an adult near the Irvington Middle/High School athletic fields on Saturday, September 26. Police Chief Francis Pignatelli was asked to contact the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for guidance. The mayor said the Village had not received confirmation that any particular coyote was rabid. She added that aggressive or unusually bold behavior alone does not mean an animal has rabies.
The Village's guidance is simple:
- Do not approach, corner, feed, or try to handle a coyote.
- Keep your distance. When appropriate, make yourself look large and make loud noises.
- If a coyote approaches, acts aggressively, or won't retreat, move to a safe place and contact the Irvington Police Department.
- Call 911 if someone is in immediate danger.
The 6-foot leash limit at Scenic Hudson and Matthiessen keeps a dog close to its handler, which helps with that guidance. The Board of Trustees will discuss next steps at its meeting on Monday, October 5, at 7 p.m. The mayor mentioned the possibility of hiring a trapper. Residents are encouraged to join by Zoom because the Irvington Court Room has limited space.
Whatever comes out of Monday's meeting, the Scenic Hudson Park rules posted on September 14 still stand: a 6-foot leash, two dogs per handler, designated paths only.
If you're weighing how a home near the river, Matthiessen, or the Aqueduct fits your daily routine, Blanchet Team can walk you through what each part of Irvington offers, block by block. Work With Us.
