Central Park, Oct 10–16: the loop opens Monday, then East Drive goes again Wednesday and Thursday

A week with two separate road closures and a narrow gap between them. The triathlon holds every drive through Sunday. It lapses Monday — and then an all-day permit takes East Drive from midnight to 8 PM on both Wednesday and Thursday. Your clear window is Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

Weather this week

Saturday 70° and partly sunny, dry. Sunday 64° with periods of rain at 93%. Columbus Day Monday 69° with a 49% chance. Tuesday 73° and mostly sunny before a 28% afternoon storm risk. Wednesday 66° and mostly sunny, Thursday 63°, Friday 64° and 43% showers. Nights in the low 50s.

Sat Oct 10 – Sun Oct 11 — the triathlon finishes

The Big Apple Triathlon holds Cherry Hill, Wagner Cove, Center Drive, the Lower Loop, West Drive and East Drive on all-day permits both days. Saturday is 70° and dry; Sunday carries a 93% chance of rain over the whole thing.

The loop is unavailable both days. Bridle path and the Reservoir track are untouched, and that is where your weekend miles are.

If you are out on foot: Pilates in the Park has the Great Lawn Saturday 10 AM–12 PM, which is the first real sign that lawn is back in business. Birding Basics meets at Belvedere Castle at 10 both mornings — migration’s last good weeks — and the Iconic Views tour goes at 2.

East Meadow is closed both days, with 38 private bookings Saturday.

Mon Oct 12 — the drives come back

Columbus Day, 69°, a 49% chance of rain, and the triathlon permit has lapsed. One event in the whole park (skate circle at Dead Road). The loop is clear for the first time since Wednesday the 7th.

Take it even if it drizzles — the next clear day after this is Friday.

Tue Oct 13 — 73° and nothing booked

The warmest day of the week, nothing scheduled anywhere, drives clear. Mostly sunny in the morning with a 28% storm chance later.

This is the day. Go early and go long.

Wed Oct 14 – Thu Oct 15 — East Drive is held, twenty hours a day

An all-day permit holds Cedar Hill, the Hans Christian Andersen Statue and East Drive from midnight to 8 PM — both days.

The feed titles it only “Party,” which tells you nothing about the twenty hours of East Drive it actually covers. Plan the east side out of both days. A clockwise lap on West Drive and the cross drives still works, and the bridle path is clear.

66° and mostly sunny Wednesday, 63° Thursday — annoying weather to lose.

Fri Oct 16 — clear road, wet sky

64° with a 43% chance of showers and nothing on the drives. Open House New York opens at Grand Army Plaza 10 AM–6 PM, so the southeast corner is busy.

Steady all week

Bethesda Terrace and Fountain is closed all day, every day, and the permits have extended a fifth time — now November 9. Eight weeks elapsed.

Bird Watching with Birding Bob runs five mornings from Loeb Boathouse at 7:30 and 8:30. Fall migration is close to done, so these are the last of them.

East 106th Street lawn out Monday–Thursday; East Meadow closed both weekend days.

Quick recap

• Triathlon holds every drive Saturday and Sunday. Bridle path and Reservoir instead.
• Sunday is 93% rain on top of it.
• Monday the drives come back — the first clear day in five.
• Tuesday is the week: 73°, nothing booked, clear road.
• East Drive held midnight–8 PM Wednesday AND Thursday under a permit titled only “Party.”
• Bethesda Terrace extended again, now through November 9.

Monday, Tuesday and Friday are yours, Central Park Guide