Hike the Staten Island Greenbelt

The white trail offers one of the two more ambitious hikes, passing through Egbertville Ravine, Heyerdahl Hill and Buck’s Hollow parks on Staten Island, offering an up-close view of the forest and marshland that once covered the island. About midway, the trail also passes the Greenbelt Nature Center, and connects to the other trails on the network, including a short Nature Trail for budding naturalists. The Nature Center is also a good place to stop for a picnic. But most of the trail is surprisingly solitary - you're just as likely to run into one of the whitetail deer in the area as you are any other people.

The white trail does cross two or three residential streets - and one of them can get a bit busy, trafficwise - but the white blazes usually do a good job of marking where you need to re-join the trail after crossing the street. Also, the surrounding housing developments close in tight in places upon the last mile or so of the white trail at the southern end. But the very end of the white trail connects you to a regular bus stop (if you're done for the day) or to Great Kills Park, part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, so if you push on just a bit more you are rewarded with a rest on the beach with a view of the open Atlantic.