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    Great Kills Park

    4.3 (25 reviews)

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    Randall M.

    Great kills Park in Staten Island is one of NYC's hidden gems. The park is very nice, there is a beach, and a marina. There is an impromptu automobile show most Saturday's and Sunday's, weather permitting. Access to the park is by automobile only, but there is plenty of free parking. The beach is fairly nice, the sand is clean, and the bathrooms are reasonably clean. You may spot some extra's from the set of the "Soprano's" at Great Kills Park, but I can assure you that they are all harmless.

    All alone at the docks.
    Nadia Z.

    I am on a fence about this park. Literally. Those fences, "danger" signs and environmental reports are a bit scary. Radiation clean up is no joke. But - it is rather safe in public areas, as my dear friend assured me, and I somewhat trust those findings. Great Kills Park is beautiful. There is a running trail from Hylan to the beach, with clear markers on miles. There are several sandy beaches. Nicely built marina with paved paths and picturesque docks. And seagulls that are the size of the large dog. Not kidding. It's also the best place to sunset-watch on the Island. I do hope officials will hurry up and clean mess behind fenced areas. Soon. *Dedicated to someone I will always keep in my heart, and to dear friends who always keep me safe*

    Sunset is lovely
    Christie S.

    A great marshland/waterfront park in New Dorp, SI. Less than .5 mile from my family's home, it is a cool place to run, walk, bike, blade, swim at a tiny beach and take in the views. New Jersey is close across the harbor. The running/biking path has mile markers, the beach has a Lifeguard in summer, the playground is AoK, all kinds of "ball" courts, waterfowl and critters dashing about; while the Marina, docks and Boardwalks are relaxing havens. Some come out here to cast a fishing line, too. Several people have mentioned the radiation signs, which are somewhat disconcerting. For these people, I have some advice: don't climb over the fences and play in the "radiation warning" areas; find another park; could be worse, could be NJ. It's a choice only individuals can make, kind of give the Park Service props for putting them up...because NJ's "Welcome" sign should have one. Soooo, The dunes are finally coming back after most of the Island was devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Outstanding to see nature coming full circle; especially this little gem in the Gateway National Park System. Running and biking next to non man-made bodies of water is not an option where I currently live, so I'm all over it as soon as I'm home. As a person who thrives by the sea/on a beach, and loving the outdoors, this will always top my "steps away get away" list on SI. Serenity is just a sunrise or sunset run away, while breathing the sea air with the sand under my feet. Fangirl status

    Annamarie T.

    So Great Kills may not be no Central Park, but doesn't make me love it any less one of my favorite parks in Staten Island. It's a great local park perfect for a stroll, jogging, bike riding, or rollerblading. There is a beach, not one of the best beaches ever but nice if you want to lay out in the sun and don't feel like heading to Jersey. Now for my favorite part of Great Kills Park.... the Marina, such a peaceful spot and the sunsets are gorgeous! PS: Just a quick heads up for those driving in be careful not to go over the speed limit, there are often state police along the road watching for speedy drivers

    Anne T.

    Beautiful park on Staten Island. Its great to visit during the summer time. Lovely place to ride your bike, take a walk, swim and other activities. Great space and lots of parking spaces available. Its such a peaceful and beautiful place.

    Sara K.

    A gorgeous park! I really enjoy walking from end to the other in any season. There is an array of wild life: deer, rabbits, geese, owls, loons, sea birds, ferrel cats. Stunning views, from beach to fields to woodland. I wish they would complete their "cleanup" of the interior parks of the park so they could be further explored.

    The beach
    Nataliya K.

    I had very peaceful and relaxing time with my family! The sunset was simply amazing . You can sit on the sand and watch it or be in the car in chilly day

    The beach is _constantly_ like this..way before any hurricanes

    I have mixed feelings about this place. Sometimes it's picturesque and great to bike and walk. Other times it's the most disgusting trashy beach I've ever seen or smelled. The fact that the water is brown and waves nonexistent is insignificant compared to all the trash this place contains at various times in the year. Tampons, condoms, broken glass. Pesticides have been sprayed all along the Orange Trail which makes you feel like you are doing a tour of mankind's destruction of nature. At least those are labelled properly.... Read on! While Googling information about this place, I stumbled on the fact that there are "hot spots" of Radium (radioactive material) inside the park. Seriously. Google it. Right now. The unlawful, immoral dumping was discovered in 2005. It is now July 2012 and guess what NO CLEAN UP has even been started. The EPA and government have basically done nothing except close the closest section of this park and they didn't even do a good job of that: The worst thing about this is the lack of warnings. There are a "Do Not Enter or "Closed" sign here or there but no mention about the reason why. Surely, it would be more effective to state the reason why. Surely the public deserves to know. Just for instance, how many teenagers have wandered by and in the area unaware of the true, invisible danger? It's not like it's completely locked. People can get in. Any "unsafe conditions" signs are not clear enough. There should be large clear signs about the radiation clearly stating "DANGER: RADIOACTIVE HAZARDOUS AREA. RADIATION RISK" Something that would truly WARN the public. PS The cops love handing out tickets to people "speeding" on the road toward the beach. If you do get pulled over, don't consent to an unconstitutional search, cite your 4th amendment right!

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    21 days ago

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    2 years ago

    Park is kept exceptionally clean. Unfortunately, the fish are not biting! You feel secure in this park because police do their job here.

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    10 years ago

    Love it here love to jog bike ride or just sit in my car at 1 of the many parking areas and watch the beautiful views

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    17 years ago

    Great place for a bike ride or jog. You get an amazing sunset from the end of the peninsula.

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    Ask the Community - Great Kills Park

    Is there a place to picnic?

    There is a small picnic area at Great Kills Park located within Crooke’s Point on Harbor Road about halfway between the start of the road… Read more

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    Review Highlights - Great Kills Park

    There is also cannoning,fishing piers, and great areas for walking.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Greenbelt Conservancy - Last rays of sunshine

    Greenbelt Conservancy

    4.9(17 reviews)
    2.7 mi

    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.

    My husband and I had our wedding ceremony and reception (~65 people) at the Greenbelt Nature Center…read moreand it was great. We found it while doing an online search for intimate, outdoor wedding venues and were surprised to find such a nice space for a reasonable rate. Christina, the onsite coordinator, was very helpful in getting us started and working with our requests and ideas. Our wedding day was rained out so we had to move our ceremony indoors, in an exhibit room next to the reception area, but it worked out well (the outdoor terrace is really nice though and once the rain cleared, our guests were able to take their photos backed by the nice fall foliage). The center accommodated the move and it was the perfect space for the amount of guests that we had. The site is beautiful and well-maintained. It has a naturally built-in rustic decor, so we didn't need to go above and beyond for decorations. Their staff helps with set up and breakdown of tables and chairs and there's a good-sized kitchen/service area. We had a lot of guests complimenting our choice and asking how we found this place (Staten Island is sort of the forgotten borough, sorry!). It was the perfect space for our special day and we'd definitely recommend it to other couples seeking an intimate wedding venue.

    Photos
    Greenbelt Conservancy - Fall is here

    Fall is here

    Greenbelt Conservancy - First look on the bridge at the nature center

    First look on the bridge at the nature center

    Greenbelt Conservancy

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    Wheeler Park - The bigger slides

    Wheeler Park

    4.7(7 reviews)
    8.5 mi

    This review is for the awesome splash pad that is located in Wheeler Park. Every time we go we…read morehave a blast! I am also so happy that Wheeler park welcomes everyone from all over NJ (and elsewhere). Coming from out of the county will cost you a bit more, but not much. If you live outside of Union County it is $4.00 for kids ($2.00 in county) and $6.00 for adults ($3.00 in county). This splash pad has every water feature a kid could ever need - from bigger twisty water slides, to a small dragon water slide. Also, water guns that you can shoot each other with, a pirate boat, water shooting up from the ground, and much more. My kids spent a little over 2 hours here and had an absolute blast. We've been here about 3 times and it never disappoints. Just be sure to bring some sort of shade covering. There isn't much cover at the splash pad so we usually bring our small beach tent with us. There is also a dry playground in the splash pad gated area where kids can play too. They have staff who help keep the kids safe and to make sure everyone goes down the water slides safe and sound. I highly recommend Wheeler Spray Park on a hot summer day.

    Came to the waterpark for my niece bday. The park is clean and gets plenty of sun. Cute small…read morewaterslides and water sprays everywhere!!! They allow you to bring food and lay blankets of the grass! Great day to bring the kids for a fun in the sun day and to wear them out lol! Its a county park so u have to pay a small fee at the gate. Under $10

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    Wheeler Park - Small dragon slide

    Small dragon slide

    Wheeler Park - Water features galore!

    Water features galore!

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    Fort Wadsworth

    Fort Wadsworth

    4.6(54 reviews)
    5.6 mi

    Very nice location. I was able to visit for the 2025 5 boro bike tour event. Great views of the…read moreVerrazano bridge. Next time I visit SI, I will plan to explore Fort Wadsworth better. Alot of information surrounding Fort Wadsworth.

    Before artillery and ordinance became too powerful, coastal defenses were a critical part of…read morenational war efforts to protect our young cities from naval bombardment. The Narrows dividing Upper and Lower New York Bay were the best spot to position those military efforts and the Fort Wadsworth complex on northeastern Staten Island was selected to build those primary fortifications. As we know, the British occupied New York City and Staten Island early in the Revolutionary War. The Reds were aware of the value of this locale, but did not fear the fledgling American Navy. It was not until after independence that our weak central government began to take steps to utilize the area for defense of what became our most important harbor. First sandstone, later granite, were set to allow over 200 cannon to be placed facing the lower harbor to repel invaders. The War of 1812 and the Civil War saw the most activity and growth, until Fort Wadsworth was the largest and most formidable redoubt on the Atlantic seaboard. By the early 20th Century coastal defenses were no longer relevant due to the firepower on ships and the birth of the modern Air Force. Today, the fort has been decommissioned and become part of the Gateway National Recreation Area run by the National Park Service. The 226 acres bracketing the north end of the Verrazano Bridge is now a great place to walk, explore the old naval station and see a spectacular view of Lower Manhattan from the promontory facing Upper New York Harbor that sits directly under the bridge. This whole stretch of eastern Staten Island is mostly deserted in winter, making an ideal time to visit and allow your imagination to run wild with how different this spot was earlier in our national history. I have driven over the VNB hundreds of times, remarked on the fantastic view of city and harbor from the steel span, but never realized Fort Wadsworth was there beneath me. I guess getting onto the Belt Parkway required all my attention. Now that I know and have visited its historic granite walls, I will at the very least acknowledge its stony presence and tip my cap in passing to thank all who served there in defense of our young nation.

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    Fort Wadsworth
    Fort Wadsworth
    Fort Wadsworth

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    Great Kills Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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