New York's Central Park is home to a great variety of ornamental bridges and arches. I wanted to walk over or under all of them in one day, but the park is large and winding, so a little advanced planning was in order.
Finding an efficient route through every bridge and arch is a variant of the classic Traveling Salesman Problem. That seemed as good an excuse as any to play around with Google's OR-Tools suite.
Presented here is an optimized (but not necessarily optimal) route to visit “all” of the park's bridges and arches. The source data contained a few errors and omissions, which are repeated here, but there are worse places to get lost than Central Park.
Locations and descriptions are from the Central Park Conservancy.
Hover over the numbers for photos and descriptions.
Oh, and when you're walking under bridges,
Beware of the trolls
110th St. Bridge
The stone structure carrying traffic from Central Park West to the West Drive.
Huddlestone Arch
A marvel of engineering and construction, Huddlestone Arch is considered by many to be the most surprising of Central Park’s arches.
Springbanks Arch
A charming stone span on the northern edge of North Meadow near the Loch, Springbanks Arch is one of the least known of Central Park’s arches.
Glen Span Arch
Spans the Loch and is one of two rustic arches that form the boundaries of the Ravine, the stream valley of the North Woods.
Bridge No. 28
Often called Gothic Bridge because of its reference to Gothic design, it is officially known as Bridge No. 28 and was designed in 1864.
Bridge No. 27
One of the three decorative cast-iron bridges that spans the bridle path near the 86th Street Transverse road.
Bridge No. 24
One of the oldest examples of cast iron bridges in America, Bridge No. 24 is located near the south gate house of the Reservoir and spans the Bridle Path. It was restored by the Central Park Conservancy in 1989, and again in 2012.
Greywacke Arch
Named for the variety of Hudson Valley sandstone with which it is built featuring trefoil design and a pointed arch.
Glade Arch
Constructed in 1862, it originally carried carriage traffic to Fifth Avenue. Today it provides a wide walkway for visitors.
Trefoil Arch
This ornamental archway made of brownstone is unique in that its east and west side walls have distinctly different looks.
Winterdale Arch
Carrying the West Drive at 81st Street, this granite and sandstone arch was a key feature of the Winter Drive.
West 77th Street Stone Arch
The Park’s only double arch, this stone structure carries an access road to the West Drive from Central Park West.
Balcony Bridge
Supporting the West Drive, this stately stone structure spans a small inlet connecting the Lake and what was originally the Ladies Pond, now Naturalists’ Walk. It is named for the two bench-lined balconies on its east side.
Oak Bridge at Bank Rock Bay
This footbridge crossing Bank Rock Bay was originally built of white oak—hence its early name, Oak Bridge.
Ramble Stone Arch
This rough stone arch stands in a cleft between two high rock outcrops. It is considered one of the most picturesque of Central Park’s bridges.
Ramble Rustic Bridges
The rustic bridges on the Ramble compliment the picturesque landscapes.
Azalea Pond Rustic Bridge
This rustic bridge, created by Conservancy craftsmen, spans Azalea Pond and the Gill that flows down to the Lake.
Gill Rustic Bridge
Fed by a tumbling stream called the Gill, featuring a rustic bridge and benches for admiring the spring azalea blooms.
Bow Bridge
The first cast-iron bridge in the Park, the bridge is named for its graceful shape, reminiscent of the bow of an archer or violinist.
Riftstone Arch
Arching over the Park’s bridle path, Riftstone is built with blocks of Manhattan schist that had been blasted from the Park’s rock outcrops.
Dalehead Arch
Dalehead Arch carries the West Drive over the bridle path that leads westward to the Heckscher Ballfields.
Greyshot Arch
Carries a steady flow of bikers, runners, rollerbladers, and carriages over the West Drive.
Pinebank Arch
Pine Bank Arch is one of Central Park’s seven original cast-iron bridges, and one of just five of the original remaining.
Dipway Arch
Set beneath the Park Drive and measuring more than 15 feet wide, Dipway Arch’s underpass leads around Heckscher Playground and north toward the Carousel.
Driprock Arch
Driprock Arch originally stood over the bridle path that was destroyed with the expansion of Heckscher Playground in the 1930s.
Playmates Arch
Links the Dairy and the Carousel, and its light-hearted name comes from its position in the Children’s District.
Willowdell Arch
This sandstone-and-brick arch stands at the East Drive between the Mall and Fifth Avenue.
Denesmouth Arch
One of Calvert Vaux’s earliest arches, Denesmouth supports the 65th Street Transverse and it is the only Transverse Arch that is highly ornamented.
Inscope Arch
Connecting the Zoo with the Pond, Inscope is a striking example of Ruskinian Gothic architecture.
Green Gap Arch
Originally serving the bridle path going toward the Scholar’s Gate entrance of the Park, Green Gap Arch is now closed and part of the Central Park Zoo.
Gapstow Bridge
Curving gracefully over the neck of the Pond at 59th Street, Gapstow is one of the iconic bridges of Central Park.