Hike the Heights

On June 6, 2015, CLIMB (City Life Is Moving Bodies) and its community partners will be celebrating the 11th Anniversary of Hike the Heights, and we want to make this our biggest and best party to date. Hike the Heights is an annual volunteer-planned and community run event that links 2,000+ local residents with their beautiful parks in Northern Manhattan, including the “Giraffe Path,” a trail that connects 7 parks and surrounding neighborhoods from the tip of Central Park to the Cloisters. The event brings together people of all ages for hiking and a community party with arts, games, healthy food, and active fun in their parks.

The event will be a success by the collective effort and work of the hike leaders, activity facilitators, performers, hikers, and all community members who attend and contribute to the potluck. We have applied for grants and and working with community partners to bring all the pieces together. Before the event, hike leaders will be trained, and the Giraffe path and Sunken Playground with be prepped for hikers and party attendees. The co-chairs are working to lock in the food, t-shirts, and large materials like the stage. 

We connect people with the parks in their communities. Hike the Heights shows local residents the natural resources that exist in their own back yard to encourage them to engage with and use the parks, making them safer for everyone. We build community through the arts. In preparation for the event, local children from Head Start groups, pediatric clinical facilities, and local schools work with CLIMB and our community partners to create giraffe statues from recycled materials. On the day of the event, these giraffes decorate the parks and line the hiking trails, lending a playful feel to the volunteer-led tours through parks previously marked by violence. We promote environmental stewardship. Before Hike the Heights, CLIMB and its partners host park clean-up and trail maintenance days so local residents can give back to the parks that give them so much.

CLIMB and Hike the Heights seek to raise awareness and build a sense of pride and ownership by community members for their neighborhoods and parks. Parks are community assests for public health and community well-being. By connecting neighbors with thier parks, we hope to promote healthy lifestyles and community advocacy for these beautful natural assets.