A nice place to get away from the busy roads of Staten Island. It was slightly confusing finding…read morethe Ohrback Lake since we didnt c the on the right there was another trail. So we made a few circles. Other than that, it was beautiful. We found a swamp that was fillied with frogs and a black and white cat.

The very heart of Greenbelt, High Rock Park is a relaxing place…read more In the middle of Indian summer, I find myself drawn to it ornate gates, hilly hiking trails and beauty of woodlands. With sun touching last of green leaves before fall foliage rolls over, I sit on a fallen tree and enjoy the tranquility of this park. Listen to whispers of the wind in the trees, birds singing, and just quietness. There are several hiking trails here, ponds, bridges and wild life. Love it. (This park is a Forever Wild Site.)

Very nice walking paths and trails with view of the river and Verrazano bridge. Well maintained…read more There was a plethora of construction going on with no forewarning signs and you couldn't drive around which was annoying.

The grounds of this park are nicely kept. It has great views of downtown Manhattan and of the…read moreVerrazano bridge. There is a 9/11 memorial with views of the financial district, and the same trees that line the world trade center area were planted at this site. Its a very unassuming park. It's nice to stroll through if you are in the area. Just remember that there are no restrooms or water fountains. Apparently, "frequent attempts to add active recreation facilities to this site failed as Parks determined that the site remain the most beautiful passive park in the city."

The playground is very well planned out. There is a seating area with a little free library…read more There are no bathrooms yet, but they are under construction. Water features, including sprinklers, a wade pool, and access to the bay. No dedicated parking (that I saw) but plenty of street parking. Not far from Cole's Dockside for lunch. Liked it so much, went back two days in a row.

Cute little park. Nice little seaside path…read more Nice play area if you have kids. Chill vibe. It's a neighborhood park, not necessarily a destination in and of itself. Go if you're nearby.

The trails at Greenbelt Conservancy are always good to visit, but one of the best times to come is…read morein the Winter; that's because you'll pretty much have them all to yourself, and you'll be able to snowshoe. Tip: Another good activity to indulge in when you're here is trail running.  There's not a lot of elevation change on the trails, but there's enough distance to get the job done ;-) Once you get a ways inside the Greenbelt you won't hear a lot of car noise, which is a good thing in my book.

The Greenbelt - heart of New York's green side, park of all parks (almost 3000 acres of it!), and…read morelargest of city's forest preserves. From wild life and bird watching to tennis and golf courses, from hiking trails to just enjoying the beauty of nature, it has it all. With six major trails and more secondary ones, Greenbelt is hikers, runners and bikers dream. Clearly marked, varied in terrain and length, trails spread from Hylan to Victory Blvd with a heart in High Rock Park. Must see: Willowbrook Lake, Nature Center & Carousel for kids. There are also many wild streams, old ruins and foot bridges along the trail - enjoy the walk and the scenery! (wear comfortable hiking shoes and bring your camera!) For more info and map of hiking trails: sigreenbelt.org

It's definitely an underrated gem, which makes it a blessing or curse that their sign is so…read morenondescript. The walkways are well maintained. The crowds are usually just the right amount of thin. Hiking to the fenced off lighthouse is a pleasant stroll with a bench nearby for reflection. This is definitely a worthy destination if you're in the area.

I've decided to explore the Staten Island parks to walk/hike in. Today I came to Mt. Loretto Unique…read moreArea, and that it is! There is a small parking lot, but not too many people that you can't get a spot. There are different trails to walk up and there is a paved trail throughout. There is a wetlands trail and a dry lands trail. I took the wetlands. This takes you to the beach. You're like at the end of the world. I was expecting to see the head from the Statue of Liberty! only.49 miles so I came back and went on the paved trail which also has a few different trails, gentle rolling hills. Easy to do though. I saw birds, wild flowers interesting fields. Before I knew it I walked over 2 miles. There is an area with picnic tables covered by a roof. A few nice decks right by the water with a place to sit and watch the sea birds. Very very clean!. You do see others but no one is in your way. You can bring your dog. There is a pail for your poop bag and I would think it would be nice to walk your dog up there right before you go on the trail. There is a porta John up front in the parking lot. So all in all it was a great place! Will bring bug spray so I can hit a few of the more over grown trails. Taken care of but on the narrow side. Get out and walk or hike!

I came here to explore and clear my head on my lunch break, and just how in the world did I not…read moreknow about this place before??? My little hike started with balancing on stones to cross a small creek and then locating the entrance to the trails in a local neighborhood. This was followed by an excellent, very steep, heart-pumping climb to the top of the "mountain". After about another 1/2 a mile I came to the LaTourette Golf Course and cut across a small parking lot. In the next leg of the hike, I encountered many deer, robins, woodpeckers, big blue jays. bright red cardinals & squirrels. There was a section of the park which turned out to be burned down, I am not even sure if the FDNY is aware of this. I really enjoyed the solace of this place and the way the birds sings and calls echo throughout the forest. There are large trees, some of the largest I have seen on Staten Island. Please be aware of the abundance of poison ivy - stick to the trail!

Acres and acres of woods, miles of trails. It's nestled in the center of Staten Island but gives…read moreyou a great feel of what it all looked like before civilization came along.

This park is great. Nice walking paths. Baseball, soccer and basketball courts here. Lots of…read moreparking. Came out early and enjoyed a good long walk. Clean air and the people are nice friendly. Will be back!!

Nice park with a playground, basket ball court, several picnic benches and barbecues, and a covered…read morepavilion for events. There is parking. There's a bathroom that is kept clean. There is a mile long loop path that encircles the park made of recycled tire - comfortable to walk on and well maintained. Off this main trail is a dirt path that leads to Kean University and food (Panera, Chipotle, Coldstone, and more). There's a baseball diamond and a soccer field, also. The bridge that leads to another hiking trail is closed, but you can easily walk around the stream to get to the trail. The hiking trail itself is not well kept the further in you go, mostly rocks and dirt. It gets very narrow and basically leads to a stream and not much else. There are also many ticks so be careful. Gets very busy weekday mornings with people walking the paths, and weekends staring in the afternoon.

We went there on a gorgeous late October Saturday and practically had it all to ourselves. The…read morepark is part of the NYC Dept. of Parks and Recreation. You'd never know this was once a wasteland filled with many abandoned cars, because it's now a very peaceful and good-sized place with six ponds. The two largest (and most beautiful) are Blue Heron Pond & Spring Pond. The reflection of the foliage in the water was really lovely! There are naturalist-guided walks every Sunday at 1:15 & 2:15 p.m. and they leave from the Nature Center. In addition, there are various other programs (see the Friends of Blue Heron Park web site).

The trails are not very long or challenging, but the strength of the park is its wildlife, many…read morekinds of insects and birds. If you do all the trails (pretty doable in one day) you end up seeing a lot. The forest is fairly picturesque with several lakes and streams.