Local Guides World
Top Nature preserves in Staten Island, United States
Top Rated Nature preserves in Staten Island
Top Reviewed Nature preserves in Staten Island
Seaside Wildlife Nature Park
New Dorp Park
Mount Loretto Unique Area
Greenbelt Nature Center
Mount Loretto Unique Area
North Mount Loretto State Forest
Clay Pit Ponds State Park
Blue Heron Park
Arden Heights Woods
Greenbelt Nature Center
Park
Old Place Creek Park
Reviews
An excellent example of natural beauty on Staten Island and NYC, places like this are worth conserving, unfortunately littering is a massive issue as the roads that segment the park are immediate areas where drivers discard their trash, which then migrates further into the wooded areas and bodies of water.
New Dorp park is my stomping grounds since I was a teenager. Likes of fond memories of getting laid there 😀as a horney 16 year old.
I love to walk and take a photo over there. It’s clean and safe.
If walking thru the woods is your thing, this is the place for you. Dogs not allowed.
I think Google Maps should partner up with New York State Parks to make them more navigable for New Yorkers and tourists alike. Also, there is a lot of history here that is not mentioned on the kiosks.
Lovely area with plenty of trails to explore, birdwatch or enjoy with your dog! There are accessible paved trails, but also non-paced ones that are harder to manage. One trail leads to the Princess Bay Lighthouse. Lots of birds, groundhogs and turtles. May have spotted an eagle! No swimming at the beach. Plenty of parking, but did not see any bathroom area/s. Free.
I really liked the park. The trails and ponds were peaceful and scenic. The signs and exhibits in the Nature Center and on the trails were very helpful in explaining the history of the park.
Nice jumping off point for a day hike. But I warn you now....BRING INSECT REPELLANT!
Download the trail maps before you go, they have paper ones there, but they are photocopies of copies.
Download the trail maps before you go, they have paper ones there, but they are photocopies of copies.
Great park to do some walking and have the views of the shore .
Take your doggie for a walk or ride bicycle
Anything is possible
The park provides benches for your convenience
Pay a visit as you can see the eagle nest in this park and snapping turtles
As some of the animals you spot in here
Take your doggie for a walk or ride bicycle
Anything is possible
The park provides benches for your convenience
Pay a visit as you can see the eagle nest in this park and snapping turtles
As some of the animals you spot in here
This is not a NYC Park. It is managed by NYC DEP. Not open to the public. NYC DEP is restoring the natural landscape and cleaning out the stream that runs through the property. The property was once part of a very large farm owned by the Barnes family that stretched all the way to Woodland Beach.
Very big park.. I loved walking there .. it was hot so make sure to put sunscreen ..
I consider it local so I am here often.
Park is big and beautiful. I know that there are nicer parks, but worth a visit.
Park is big and beautiful. I know that there are nicer parks, but worth a visit.
Not many herons but still a nice park for a walk
The park has beautiful peacocks, chickens and all kinds of birds. Did not come across a fox but the ranger told me there are a couple of fox families living there.
Amazing place. Very neat, pleasure to explore
Hidden park land that is bug enough to spend some time exploring and also appreciating a lot of wildlife and natural stuff. Parking lot and picnic area available with a small playground. We saw a lot of fun stuff near the pond.
Great trails. What a way to escape the hustle and bustle and just take in nature for a few hours. On this trip we saw deer, countless birds, a snake and a red fox but he was to quick to get a photo of. I suggest going on a dry day and not after a rain storm so you can really enjoy.
Nice time of year to walk the trails
Great hiking trail
In my view best time to visit is winter and early spring due to swampy terrain in some places (bugs would be an issue). Great variety of trails and visitor center open all winter. Clay pit pond trail CPP is my favorite one (lots of pines).
Nice trail and a good hike next to the city! We walked for a bit more than an hour, but I am sure there’s more to it! We will come back! Recommended!
extremely crowded and not enough slides, could be a lot bigger.
Enjoy Staten Island wildlife, plants and views 🌅 . Perfect for a nature stroll, it has paved paths and also woody trails I love walking and biking here all the way to the hill.
Great park. No trail map but trail is marked
Beautiful forest with a good parking lot and a nice seating area at the trail head.
My only complaint is that parks department needs to place trash cans here because many people do not pack out their trash.
My only complaint is that parks department needs to place trash cans here because many people do not pack out their trash.
Nice little known place. Small but peaceful. Some wildlife.
Not a park. Its woods, and its fenced off
Located at the base of Great Kills harbor this oval shaped park has scenic views of nearby Marina. Many benches and a walkway that leads to a tidal marsh. A smaller park also on site with swings , slides and climbing structures for children.
love this place, good hiking trails & many spots for relaxing/photography/video
Great place to walk. Avoid the paths not paved after inclement weather. Accessible to everyone for free. Many informative billboards along the way giving the history of Mt. Loretto, the pavilion, the grotto and wildlife. In the Raritan Bay you may see seals resting on the rocks or swimming by. Bird watching! Please don't feed the animals. Wooden benches to relax.
Gorgeous grounds! Lovely trails and much beauty to be seen. Many types of wildlife and different types of ecosystems all in one huge park. Very relaxing and a great place to take a walk and unwind with nature.
My first time there and I can't imagine why I waited so long to go! A beautiful, well kept respite from the noise and hustle of Hylan Blvd. As you get deeper in, you can immerse yourself in nature and just enjoy some downtime. There is coastal area, woodlands, wetlands, a beautiful lake, and paved paths throughout. There is a picnic Pavillion right on the bluff that overlooks a stunning coastal view.
As a person who is physically challenged, I was pleasantly surprised at the accessibility of most areas. The only thing I found to be an issue, is that if you do walk the entire path in a loop, the only way back to the parking lot is unpaved. Either the woodland trail or the public "sidewalk" area will get you back, but they are both unpaved and difficult to navigate if you have any physical challenges. If you were to double back on the paved path, it is nearly a 2 mile walk back to your car. A paved path or an actual sidewalk outside the fence would be a great addition.
Overall, my husband and I LOVED MLUA, and plan on going back often.
As a person who is physically challenged, I was pleasantly surprised at the accessibility of most areas. The only thing I found to be an issue, is that if you do walk the entire path in a loop, the only way back to the parking lot is unpaved. Either the woodland trail or the public "sidewalk" area will get you back, but they are both unpaved and difficult to navigate if you have any physical challenges. If you were to double back on the paved path, it is nearly a 2 mile walk back to your car. A paved path or an actual sidewalk outside the fence would be a great addition.
Overall, my husband and I LOVED MLUA, and plan on going back often.
Inaccessible. Just a fenced off wooded area.
I've seen so a number of people post pretty pictures of a pond and other nice locations, but i was not able to see any of those places..
I went on a trail and was attacked by mosquitoes from the start till the end.
Although it was torturous, it was hilarious.
However, i do not recommend coming here around this time of the year.
I went on a trail and was attacked by mosquitoes from the start till the end.
Although it was torturous, it was hilarious.
However, i do not recommend coming here around this time of the year.
Love this area of Staten Island. If you're relatively quiet you can watch the groundhogs at the edge of the fields. There are a few nice trails, both paved and not, and you can walk along the beach.
I love coming here for peaceful and fun walks. Often, when I get too lazy to finish the trail, I create my own trail(shortcut), and it becomes a little adventure!
I have encountered so many deers as well as other animals such as a garter snake, which gave me quite a scare!
I have encountered so many deers as well as other animals such as a garter snake, which gave me quite a scare!
This is not a park, this is a wooded area that is fenced off which you cannot enter. Don't waste your time.
I wish people would stop dumping in there and the Park dept would clean up the overgrown trails, but otherwise it is a very tranquil, lovely place for a hike.
Nice, easy walking trails right in your backyard. They are super quiet and peaceful. Multiple connecting trails and ones that are round. All of the trails are superbly marked.
Nice walking area. Went because it was listed in the New York State parks book. Will be back in the summer.
Lots of restricted areas though 🤔
Lots of restricted areas though 🤔
Great place to hike, trail maps and super clean rest rooms. Professional staff. They are very organized and strict on covid protocol 👍👍We hike it all the time. love doing trail maintenence hikes with the staten island hikers to show our respect to the park!
Excellent walking trails tucked away in the Annadale neighborhood. Did a majority of the trails available with my partner and it amounted to 3 miles or so. Nice ponds and ducks to see. Also some vast open space, albeit wet, behind admin building on orange trail. Great peace and quiet.
My favorite place to watch sunrise and sunset. This place is so relaxing with amazing views.
This is an amazing little park. It has swings, two big sized play areas and for the little ones a gated play area as well. It also has a really nice splash zone. One of the water splash zones has sand in it so its simulating like you are at the beach. Also there is a little beach area but it is a little difficult to get down to there but so worth it.
This park has a quarter mile walking track, open lawn space, some shade trees and several benches. Favored by older people and mothers with young kids. It has a short extension to walk through a salt marsh and a path to a kids playground that is nautically themed. Croquet is often played most mornings by Senior Olympians.
Sucked trails sucked and no trail maps
It was a good Trail for a hike with the kids. Especially during quarantine we really appreciated to find this park, There were not a lot of people everybody was keeping to themselves if they were a. There is free parking available and also those a sign for everyone to wear a mask. The only thing is it's such a huge park a definitely takes more time till discover it also we probably could have found more such as a Palm. Recommend this for a good trail at walk.
Why are y’all,,,,leaving reviews,,,,about the woods,,,,,this just goes to show how there’s really nothing better to do on Staten Island 💀💀
Anyways stan LOONA
Anyways stan LOONA
What a beautiful park! We took the Nature center trail, a very short and easy to do with a walking toddler! Trail is well marked, we let our little one run around finding the next N. So pretty and wonderful, nature right at your backyard!
Staten Island is a hidden gem!
Wanted to also mention the sparkling clean restrooms at the Nature center itself, and how well kept the entire place is.
Staten Island is a hidden gem!
Wanted to also mention the sparkling clean restrooms at the Nature center itself, and how well kept the entire place is.
A Great Place to Experience America's Greenbelt right here in Staten Island!!! The Center has activities for Kids, Adults and Everyone and every like in the Great Outdoors!!! The Staff is the Best !!! Always looking to Help with Directions on your Hike & Amazing amount of Activities!!! Parking and Restrooms are available !!! Staten Islanders take the Massive Park for Granted so it's never overcrowded. Amazing Natural trails and Hills to Climb. No Bikes are Allowed so you might want to go to Wolfs Pond Park for that. Great for Whole Family!!!
Some of these comments are fabrications! This is a dangerous overgrown lot which has a closed in chain link fence with no gate or entrance..rocks, broken glass, etc. Just trees and bushes..No Access! Are you kidding...and it's been this way for decades! Borough President Oddo? Where are you on this sir?
My kids love the playground in this park. There is no parking lot and street parking is your only option. I believe there is no public restrooms 🤔
Very nice, clean, safe park. The children are all very friendly. Nice view. We saw 5 swans! Very beautiful. Further down theres a large area of green grass to sit down and relax. In the playground there's a section for the older children and another section a few feet away for the smaller children. I like that. Theres also a trail on the edge of the water which is very nice for a family day walk!
Great lake and trail. Very clean and relaxing. Dog friendly.
I've been going to the Monmouth Park Race Track for 30 consecutive yrs. Never had a single complaint.
Great place to visit and relaz at the beach or atthe park. Barbecue area and free parking.
nice park with some nice views. lots of paths for running or walking and lots of activities to make a day out of it. great place to go when the weather is nice, will be going again soon
I love coming here, so beautiful and easy trails. Great place to go walking with children or dogs. The parking lot can fill up quickly on nice days, so be mindful. The beach offers a great view, and the staff manning the park is very friendly.
Not really much of a park. More of a empty lot to me.
Great trails. Be prepared for mud, but it is fun!! Saw 11 deer including many tagged bucks. Enjoy the pond on the orange trail. Be patient...big Tom, the turtle might just greet you and you might see the little blue heron catching fish. I loved the more woodsy yellow and blue trails especially. Warning: ticks are active. Shower when you get home.
Up and coming area
Love to come here and relax
One of the best parks on the island. Great for waking, running, biking, bird watching and even a picnic. There are even decent hiking trails that are short but pleasent. The views are great and it's very very well maintained. The only issue is that the parking lot is small and it gets busy on nice days.
It was awesome
Mount Loretto State Forest has been beautifully renovated in recent times. It’s a great place to go and forget that you’re in Staten Island. Wonderful for dogs as well.
Nice park to take a walk, visited few times and not ones have I've seen anyone walking on any trails around 3pm. I would recommend using bug spray, decent amount of mosquitoes around. While there we have encountered rabbits, frogs, different types of birds and of course squirrels.
Lovely park. Nice ranger. Watch out for ticks but thats anywhere on staten island. Saw a dozen ground hogs and bunnies. An osprey. Just a nice day.
All well and good with nice paths and grass. Areas in the park intermittently over the next year, but overall if you skirt the anchor fencing, orange hazard barriers, and wooden tree guards, this is a cute little park.
These woods have some nice trails to walk on. You can also ride a bike through there if you choose to do so. It also helps you get through to Arden ave from Aspen knolls. There are also some lakes in there and just a fun place to get away from all the busy traffic and populated areas in Staten island.
Way too small to call a park more like a really small park
This place is beautiful, peaceful,serene, well kept and much better cared for than the Conference House Park. Wish it was bigger but it's still a great place to go for a walk and spy on nature. Looking out over the water to the Highlands you would swear you were a hundred miles away. A real treasure.
This park is simply amazing. The workers at the visitor center are friendly and full of wonderful information. The park itself is a relaxing Haven on Staten Island. There are quite a few trails which lead through breezy forests and lush golf courses. I'm sure the fall colors here must be gorgeous. The trails and walking paths are well maintained and not at all crowded. All trails are dog friendly and there is even a water dish at the visitor center. Great park! I will be returning for another visit and walk through nature.
Un lugar bonito para relajarse
Needs to be clean up trash all over