High Rock Park

High Rock Park is part of the Staten Island Greenbelt, one of New York City's wildest and most pristine landscapes, and is a pawfect place to take your pup for a walk in the woods. Home to the headquarters of the Greenbelt Conservancy, the park primarily serves as a nature preserve and a site for educational programs. 

The park has amenities including parking, bathrooms, and picnic areas, and pawtastic woods and trails to explore. This is the place to come when you want to escape the frenetic pace of city life and disappear into the timelessness of the natural world. Miles of trails wind through this 90-acre park, including segments of two longer Greenbelt trails, the Blue Trail and the Yellow Trail. A short hike along the Yellow Trail will take you to the crest of the 260-foot-tall hill known as Moses' Mountain, which is where you'll find one of the best scenic views in all of New York City.

Along the trails in High Rock Park, you'll encounter a diversity of landscapes. Trees cast their leaves into tranquil Walker Pond and spring peepers sing along the banks of Loosestrife Swamp. Jewelweed grows where marsh and forest meet, speckling lush green foliage with sparks of orange when its beautiful flowers bloom. You may spot egrets, great blue herons, and muskrats foraging for food in the ponds and swamps. Deeper in the forests, some people have even seen pileated woodpeckers here.

High Rock Park is accessible by public transportation, with a few bus stops and a train station within a half-mile of the park's different entrances. You will need to have your pup in a carrier to ride the bus or train. Local access by car is definitely easiest. However you and your pup get here, you'll be glad you came to this pristine natural escape to reconnect with your wild side.