If you've ever visited Central Park, chances are you have ridden the carrousel, walked about the lake, climbed to the top of the Castle, and sunbathed on the Lawn -- and if you are nostalgic for the Beatles, visited Straberry Fields. But have you ever climbed up into the Ramble? There are 38 acres of wilderness where the city is a distant memory, where racoons and squirrels make their homes, and warblers, catbirds, and orioles rest before continuing their migration.

The Ramble is a magical forest full of mysterious crisscrossing paths:


Where wooden bridges span pretty ponds:


Waterfalls splash downhill to the lake:


And people find quiet moments to just sit and enjoy the sun:


It is startling to realize that all this was literally carved out of a hillside; everything was planned, down to the last bridge and step. The illusion of the Ramble is so successful that it feels as if the park and the city had grown around it. So next time you visit Central Park, climb up into the wildnerness.