The trails at Greenbelt Conservancy are always good to visit, but one of the best times to come is in 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. read more

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The Greenbelt - heart of New York's green side, park of all parks (almost 3000 acres of it!), and largest 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 read more

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My husband and I had our wedding ceremony and reception (~65 people) at the Greenbelt Nature Center and 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. read more

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I feel so lucky to have this stunning and spacious wooded park less than 5 minutes from my home. I hiked along one of their trails in the autumn (best time to go) and recently, I came here for a meet-up event hosted by Greenbelt - watercoloring painting. In a nearby cabin, a group of us sat and painted with a variety of natural, plant-derived paints made from berries found right here in the Greenbelt! They also had store-bought watercolor paints as well. I used both natural and artist watercolor paint in my piece. After we finished painting, most of us left for a 30 minute walk through the area. We found some of the berries we painted with earlier along the trail and walked across a small bridge over a pond on the way back. Although it was a very hot day, the variety of tall trees that surrounded us provided a leafy canopy, creating a path that is cooler than the city sidewalks and nearby golf course. You can lose track of time and forget very quickly you are in the fast-spaced city once you step inside these quiet woods. What I recommend for a visit here: A bottle of water Some bug spray A good pair of sneakers A small snack like a granola bar And of course, your phone or camera read more

Greenbelt Conservancy - Watercolor painting (painted with artist paint and natural, plant-derived paint) - Parks Near Me - Staten Island, New York

Having an entry to the Greenbelt literally steps away from my family's home is a real treat for this nature loving NYer who is stuck in a desert with landscapes that while beautiful in their own right, are not the woodsy, lush and forest-like which I prefer. Every day I made sure to at least take a short journey "Into the Woods" aka my Happy Place. There's quite literally something for everyone here and at more than three times the size of Central Park, plenty of space: trails, ponds, wildlife, flora and fauna abound. Another place that makes it fun to get outside and enjoy the beauty of my home state :) read more

Hop on the ferry and about 30 minutes later you're in the middle of a forest that rivals anywhere on the east coast. A hidden gem, it quickly became my favorite park in the 5 boroughs. Natural and preserved, it completely changed the way I see the city and what it can offer. read more

Just came back from a thoroughly successful day of adventuring on Staten Island. We started with the yellow trail on Todt Hill Road (it's a 20 minute walk to the trail head from the Dongan Hills SI Railway station, past an incredible mansion with some out o this world lawn decor. Dinosaurs, zombies, a fire-breathing dragon, a life-sized Tarzan - this merely scratches the surface of what we found ). We had heard the yellow trail was the most challenging and we were looking for a more strenuous hike. Instead we ended up meandering onto the red trail about halfway through, then the blue trail, and then finally the white trail out near the carousel and onto Victory Blvd, from where we just hopped the bus to Bay Ridge. We walked through all kinds of terrain, from hills to swamps, from open plains to forests, for a good four hours and only encountered five other hikers on a Sunday afternoon. I highly recommend this untapped gem. It was also fun to explore the most marginalized of the five boroughs. It really seems to incubate its own culture, which is very cool. read more

This place is truly a gem right here on Staten Island. I feel like I am in another place in the country. There are miles of paths and wonderful scenery. There are restrooms at the Nevada Ave entrance. You do have to walk into the park for them. Anytime is a good time to visit. Late summer when all the pond and lake flowers bloom is a special time. There are many events here as well, check in with visitors center. read more

This is the gem of Staten Island outdoor activity. You can hike for hours and not come across the same path. The trails are well preserved and if you're into birding there are a decent number of species to see. read more

Greenbelt Conservancy - Parks Near Me - Staten Island, New York

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love love love!! trees trails bugs and more. animals rodents and have i said, bugs galore. quiet shade and peace. ponds ducks amphibians and geese. all for you and me how happy can we be? read more

It's larger than Central Park. That's how large it is. Lots of trees, and squirrels and birds. If you feel like getting away to wander around in the wilderness, but only have a Metrocard, this is a great place to go. read more

Took a hike through here last week with some friends, the blue trail and lavendar, yellow whatever! It was a great hike, so much to see, beautiful ponds with Heron's and big frogs, some birds I couldn't quite indentify, you feel like you just stepped out of SI and into the wilderness, which is what it is! read more

I have never been here for walking,biking etc. but I have taken the boy I babysit to a kids class. It's VERY educational and fun for them. Sometimes places are educational but don't know how to make it fun for kids. The teachers are very friendly and attentive towards the children. They play music, read and have a project all dedicated to the animal they are learning about that day. There is also a nature walk at the end of the class. Very cheap as well. Just $6 for members and $8 for non members. The bathrooms are also very clean.There is a lobby with real nests, a snake and educational pictures. Very very nice for the kids. Thumbs up for this place ! read more

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I LOVE this nature preserve. It's really my favorite place to go on Staten Island. We haven't begun to explore all of the trails and we'd like to try one of the more challenging ones. So far, we've only taken the trails beginning at the Greenbelt Center on Rockland Ave. It is pet friendly so I'm able to bring my love along for the hike. It's just a peaceful, nature filled, wonderful place. read more

I feel lucky that we have places like this on Staten Island. I would like to explore more of these beautiful trails. I wish there were less people trashing it with beer bottles and garbage. When the weather gets nicer I plan to go up and clean as much as I can. There are definitely great views and lots of different paths to take. Explore Staten Island! read more

The fact that the Greenbelt exists makes me happy to be a New Yorker.

there is so much wildlife here! trails are great, go off trail to see some really cool animals and mushrooms. very quiet. never mobbed like the more popular parks around nyc. a real jewel of staten island. read more