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Artist Designs Comprehensive Map Of Central Park Detailing Every Tree, Pond And Trail

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Central Park is loaded with nature, history and places for recreation. Now, thanks to one map designer, there is a way for visitors to easily find anything in the park.

The park is considered Manhattan's jewel of nature, featuring 843 acres and home to 19,933 trees. How do we know? Ken Chaya and an associate counted them and put them on a map.

"This map is the most detailed map of Central Park," Chaya told CBS 2's John Slattery.

The map is called "Central Park Entire: The Illustrated Folding Map." It pinpoints all the trees in the space. So whether you are looking for the location of a particular Eastern White Oak or the park's only Pig Nut Hickory, you can find it.

Each tree is depicted on the map and you can identify the species on the legend. It's not just trees that are featured, but also every lake, pond, rock formation and trail.

Central Park Map
Ken Chaya speaks about the map with CBS 2's John Slattery. (credit: CBS 2)

"There are over 200 illustrations of every statue, every building, every bridge and archway that occurs in this park," Chaya said.

The research took Chaya two and a half years. The commercial artist said it was a labor of love.

"I began to wonder 'is that a Honey Locust or a Red Oak? What is it?' Once I learned tree identification, it opened me to the park in a way I'd never never seen it before," he said.

The detailed work shows ball fields along with courts for tennis, basketball and handball.

"As a work of art, it comes with a message, and that message is 'open your eyes,'" Chaya said.

Now those who love the park can do more than just go there, they can follow the road map, which is the only one of its kind.

The folding map costs $12.95 and is available at the park's two visitor centers. A larger poster that comes in a tube and can be framed costs $35 and can be purchased at centralparknature.com.

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