Staten Island Greenbelt

Photo

Walker Pond in Staten Island Greenbelt. Photo by Dorothy Reilly.
Park Overview:

A greenbelt in the center of Staten Island that incorporates several parks and provides a multitude of recreational opportunities.
Trail Uses:Hiking, Bridle path, Handicapped
Dogs:Dogs on leash
Trail Miles:28 miles
Park Acreage:2500 acres
City/County/
State:		New York City/Richmond/NY
Park Description:

The Staten Island Greenbelt is preserved open space in central Staten Island. It includes Willowbrook Park, La Tourette Park, High Rock Park, and Clove Lakes Park. These parks maintain a huge variety of recreational, educational, and natural programs and facilities. There are long range plans underway to incorporate the Fresh Kills landfill site into the Greenbelt, almost doubling its size, and creating one of the world's largest urban parks.
Trails Overview:

4 major marked trails wind though the Greenbelt, often following corridors reserved for parkway construction that was successfully blocked by community and conservation groups in the early 1980s. There are additional small connectors and loops.

  •        The Blue Trail [11.1 miles] makes a large u-shape, but has a connector that can make a shorter loop. One trailhead is at Forest Ave. on the north side of Clove Lake Park. The other is on Brielle Ave. near the Sea View Hospital. This trail follows a multitude of surfaces and landscapes, including several roadwalks, along it's route.
  •        The Red Trail [3.1 miles] is a "lollipop" trail with an access trail attached to a loop. It passes almost entirely through woodlands. The trailhead is at St. Patrick's Place and Richmond Road in Historic Richmond Town, a village whose architecture represents 300 years of American history.
  •        The White Trail [5.9 miles] runs north-south. It has a northern trailhead on Victory Blvd. north of Willowbrook Park and connects to Great Kills Park at it's southern terminus.
  •        The Yellow Trail [7.4 miles] trailheads are onSpring St. in the northeast and Forest Hill Rd. on the west side.

Trail maps are available at the Greenbelt Conservancy website.
Directions:

Staten Island is accessed by ferry from Battery Park in Manhattan, the Verazzano Bridge from Brooklyn, and the Goethals Bridge from New Jersey. From the Ferry Terminal on Staten Island, several buses service locations in the Greenbelt.
Contact Information:Greenbelt Conservancy Inc.
718-667-2165
Region:New York City
Fees:None