Nestled On Staten Island Is New York's Scenic State Forest With Trails, Wildlife, And Wetlands

Staten Island is often called the Forgotten Borough of New York City since it stands apart in both its location and demographics. That isolation isn't always a bad thing, though. In a city short on space, the least-populated borough has been able to leave nearly 3,000 acres undeveloped. Some of them have been protected as North Mount Loretto State Forest, where you'll find animals and trails among its forests and wetlands.

If Staten Island is considered a distant part of New York City, then Richmond Valley feels utterly remote. The neighborhood, in the southwest corner of the borough, is wedged in between Tottenville and Charleston, which is home to the Tides, New York City's retirement haven. It's also bordered by the Arthur Kill to the west and Raritan Bay to the south. So it's not surprising that this waterfront area is full of creeks and streams, marshes, and wetlands. To protect this region from further development, the Trust for Public Land (a nonprofit that conserves public land) purchased 600 acres. In 2008, 74 of those acres were designated as North Mount Loretto State Forest by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

North Mount Loretto State Forest now straddles Cunningham Road in Richmond Valley. When you arrive at the main entrance along the state forest's northern edge, you'll find a parking lot with an information kiosk. Its mixed hardwood forests and vast wetlands lie just to the south of that. There's no cost to visit or park here.

Five short, color-coded trails start near the parking lot. "The trails are peaceful and perfect for a long walk if you want to get away from the city noise for a bit," according to one local Google reviewer. One of the trails is wheelchair accessible, two miles of them are open to bikes, while four trails combine into the North Mount Loretto Blue, Red, Orange, and White Trail Loop. This 1.6-mile trail circles through beech and oak forests in the state forest and around the water in adjacent Long Pond Park. Be on the lookout for geese, hawks, frogs, and salamanders as you follow this wet but easy trail. Rabbits, raccoons, and white-tailed deer live inside the state forest, as well.

Given its location in New York City, it's relatively easy to reach North Mount Loretto State Forest. The closest airport is 20 miles across the New Jersey border. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) might be a U.S. East Coast hub known for cancellations, but it receives nonstop flights from cities all around the world. You can also ride the Staten Island Ferry from the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Lower Manhattan to St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island. Once you disembark from the ferry, which lets you see the Statue of Liberty up close for free, you can either ride the Staten Island Railway to Richmond Valley or hail a taxi for the less-than-15-mile ride to the state forest.