Best Public Parks

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Explore All The Best Public Parks in NYC & Vicinity

These city, state or county owned parks warrant a visit, each for their own reasons…

Jump to Best Public Parks in: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, Long Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Upstate NY, Pennsylvania

MANHATTAN

  • Battery Park (City) – Luxury neighborhood (formerly known as a landfill) filled with some of the best playgrounds in the city, esplanade with river views and proximity to Battery Park proper…
  • Hudson River Park– 4-plus miles along Hudson on the West side of Manhattan (from Chambers St to W 60th) , with many piers with tons of activities…
  • Riverside Park– Long and storied park with green spaces, playgrounds and walking/bike paths along the Hudson from 72nd St to 158th…
  • Central Park– Probably the most famous park/urban oasis in the world with many playgrounds and activities for kids…
  • The Highline– Old elevated 1.5-mile rail line with great views, plenty of fun food options and one of a kind vibe…
  • Bryant Park– Next to the main branch of NY Public Library and tons of free events and food options around…
  • Riverbank State Park– Built on top of a water treatment plant, it just might be one of the last hidden gems in Manhattan
  • Governor’s Island– Green open spaces, food trucks and a s***ton to do from hammock grove, trashyard play-ground and longest slides in NYC to rental surreys, it’s day-trip-worthy for kids including a short-and-sweet-ferry-ride…
  • Ft. Tryon Park– Great views off Hudson, medeval monastery/museum and a cool playground complete this hilltop park…
  • Inwood Hill Park– Oldest and last NYC’s natural forest, and one of the best spots in the city to see bald eagles…
  • Randall’s Island Park– Massive open fields and many events through the seasons…
  • Madison Square Park– Walk your dog, eat burgers and watch people… playground too…
  • Little Island– Newest addition to NYC cityscape with a crazy design…

BROOKLYN

  • Brooklyn Bridge Park– A waterfront park with great landscaping, fun piers with activities and programming and the “water-lab playground”…
  • Prospect Park– Meadows and fields, a zoo and ice skating in the winter/splash pad in the summer…
  • Domino Park– This former sugar refinery site is now a riverfront park with great views, green spaces and an awesome little playground…
  • McCarren Park– Popular spot with ball-playing fields, a track, skate park and olympic size pool…
  • Sunset Park– Park on a hill with green lawns, a pool and awesome views of Manhattan in the distance…
  • WNYC Transmitter Park– “Somewhat rugged” but it has great views of city skyline and is usually emptier than others on Brooklyn waterfront, nice pier to walk on too…
  • Marine Park– Largest park in Brooklyn, it has a nature center and a trail through the salt marshes, plus a skate park and a kayak launch site…
  • Owl’s Head Park– A park with sweet views, splash pad and a skate park in Bay Ridge… plus a great sledding hill in the winter…
  • Highland Park– Straddling the space between Brooklyn and Queens with a reservoir in its center, it has great views from hills, children’s farm gardens and walking paths to explore…

QUEENS

  • Flushing Meadows/Corona Park– Huge iconic park with 2 World Fairs to its credit… amusement abounds from NY Hall of science to Queens Zoo, with trails, fields and playgrounds thrown in…
  • Jacob Riis Park– From the beach to wandering among an abondoned army base to putt-putt golf, its a place to discover…
  • Floyd Bennett Field– Aviation museum, lots of park land, Green Meadows Farm, an ice skating rink and an archery range are just a few activities possible at this former air field/public park…
  • Gantry Plaza State Park– A small park best for city views from the renovated piers, but has a playground and a splash pad for kids in the summer, plus a fishing pier with a cleaning table…
  • Alley Pond Park– Home of the largest and oldest living thing in NYC (yes, it’ a tree), it also has massive lawns, an adventure course (the largest in Northeast) and many fun trails…
  • Astoria Park– Skate park, a massive pool, play grounds and great views from underneath/of RFK nay Triboro bridge…
  • Forest Park– Large forested park with trails for walking, bike riding and yes, horseback riding (you can take lessons at GallopNYC), plus an amusement village for smaller kids…
  • Kissena Park– A velodrome for kids to zoom around in on bikes, plus a pond and many trails to wonder and playgrounds to explore under weeping willows…

BRONX

  • Pelham Bay Park– NYC’s largest park with a beach, hiking paths and a mansion… plus seal exploration trips…
  • Van Cortland Park– Massive ball fields, long winding trails, a pond to fish in and a pool to splash in, plus public horse stables on premises…
  • Bronx River Greenway– Winding along for tens of miles along NYC’s only freshwater river, it connects multiple parks and activities from canoeing to splash pads with a cool “fish ladder” and NYC’s greenest building thrown in… best explored by bike, but plenty of individual points of interest available… check the website for details…
  • Roberto Clemente State Park– Waterfront park on Harlem River boasts an Olympic size pool, a waterfront promenade and other usual park amenities… plus of course, ball-fields…

STATEN ISLAND

  • Seaside Wildlife Nature Park– Watch the boats in the marina, walk on the boarded paths through wild-life, or play at a nautical themed playground with a splash pad…
  • Silver Lake Park– Staten Island’s response to Central Park or Prospect Park… picturesque and serene with a lake at it’s center piece and occasional wild turkeys wondering around…
  • Willowbrook Park– Neighborhood park with carousel, archery range, playground and pretty trails around the lake…
  • Clove Lakes Park– A forever wild site with a 300-year old Tulip tree and a great ice-skating rink along with playgrounds and sports fields…
  • Great Kills Park– Trails, 4 beaches and a salt marsh area to explore
  • Wolfe’s Pond Park– Choose your own adventure between a pond and trails, an ocean beach or BBQ areas with great water views…

WESTCHESTER

  • Croton Point Park– Hudson-front park with a river beach (w/ kayak rentals), camp sites, fishing from long docks and nice shady areas for picnics…
  • Saxon Woods Park– Swimming pool is for residents only, but there’s mini-golf, a play ground, great “deep in the woods” trails appropriate for little feet (with stream access) and a nature center close by…
  • Harbor Island Park– A small beach and spray- ground near a marina with all other usual park equipment and facilities…
  • Sal J Prezioso Mountain Lakes Park– Miles of breathtaking hiking in a rugged park with a ropes course… plus 5 lakes and canoe rentals…
  • Tibbet’s Brook Park– Just north of Van Cortlandt Park with a mini-waterpark (access for residents only) and a pond with trails and a waterfall open for all…
  • Franklin D Roosevelt State Park– Massive (twice the Olympic size) pool, plus lots of trails, row boat rentals, trails and large picnic areas, plus disc-golf…
  • Croton Gorge Park– At the base of a dam, it has a cool water view, plus picnic areas, hiking trails (start of Old Croton Aqueduct) and a playground…
  • Rockefeller State Park Preserve– Large, well manicured, park with streams, old carriage roads and amazing views, “plus an odd witche’s hut”…

LONG ISLAND

  • Sunken Meadow State Park– Big park with beach and boardwalk, grassy green areas under the trees and high sandbanks/hills right on the sound to hike/climb on…
  • Belmont Lake State Park– A state park with a lake to walk around, paddle boat rentals and horseback riding opportunities/lessons near…
  • Blydenburgh County Park– A park with a hiking trail around a lake and row boat rentals available…
  • Captree State Park– Fishing and picnicking haven near Jones Beach…
  • Cathedral Pines County Park– Camping and mountain biking spot right next to Prosser Park with it’s majestic white pines…
  • Cedar Point County Park– Boat rentals, fishing, camping and a lighthouse at this Montauk location…
  • Heckscher State Park– Robert Moses had to fight for this one on the South shore of LI. It has green areas, swimming in the bay, trails to hike and Fire Island to look across the bay… and they have cottages for rent…
  • Hither Hills State Park– Ocean side park in Montauk with a large campground and beach plus dunes and hiking trails through pines… good for day visits too…
  • Montauk Point State Park– Rocky beach where ocean and sound meet, best known for it’s lighthouse and Instagram worthy views…
  • Orient Beach State Park– Maritime forest, bay-front beach to swim in and playground on the sand…
  • Robert Moses State Park– A much chiller beach scene than Jones beach, make sure to check out the lighthouse too…
  • Wildwood State Park– A 2-mile beach, hardwood forest and cliffs- plus shady picnic/grill areas…
  • Jones Beach State Park– Massive ocean beach park with lots of other activities…
  • Nickerson Beach Park– Expensive for non-residents, but way less crowded than other beaches around during peak season, clean and with lots of other activities and concessions around…
  • Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve A former estate offers miles of excellent paved paths to the beach, around a manor house and past horses…
  • Cold Spring Harbor State Park– Great, very hilly, New England feeling park, with great views from hiking trails to stretch the muscles…
  • Camp Hero State Park– Historic military installation and trails through wooded areas and rocky beaches, including dramatic vistas and ocean bluffs in Montauk…
  • Hallock State Park Preserve-Another dramatic Montauk spot to enjoy hiking and views…

CONNECTICUT

  • Burr Pond State Park– Swimming beach, hiking trails, kayak rentals and not overly busy…
  • Satan’s Kingdom State Recreation Area/ Farmington River Tubing– A small spot with rapids to go tubing with kids…
  • Sleeping Giant State Park– An easy hike on the trails to the remains of a cool look-out castle on the top…
  • Gillette Castle State Park– Something straight out of middle ages. Tour the castle and wonder on the grounds of a former home of actor William Gillette…
  • Wadsworth Falls State Park– Gorgeous falls to look at, hiking trails with stone bridges and abandoned building amongst lush greenery and a sandy swimming beach…
  • Sherwood Island State Park– A beach park on the sound with grassy areas, lots of geese and a model aircraft area…
  • Squantz Pond State Park– Sandy beach right next to grassy field… some hiking trails around…tranquil during the week, crowded on weekends…
  • Talcot Mountain State Park– Incredible views of CT landscape from the Heublein Tower on the top with tables and toilets for picnics on top…

NEW JERSEY

  • Allaire State Park– Huge park with old steam trains you can ride, a museum and a historic 200-year old village in addition to hiking trails for long or short hikes…
  • Cheesequake State Park– A large park with fairly easy hiking trails, lake beach and a nature center…
  • High Point State Park– Great views from the monument on the highest point in NJ, plus a swimming lake, trails, x-country ski center and plenty of picnic areas/grills…
  • Jenny Jump State Forest– Hiking/x-country skiing trails offer magnificent views… check out the shelters/cabins available to rent year around on top, too…
  • Palisades Interstate Park– Starting at GWB, 12 miles long and minutes from NYC, this park offers great views of Hudson, hiking trails for all skill levels, picnic areas and a nature center…
  • Stokes State Forest– Forested trails, picturesque ravine and waterfalls, tent sites and cabins, pretty much a hikers’ paradise, including 12 miles of Appalachian Trail…
  • Washington Crossing State Park– Historic site/park with museum, nature center, hiking/biking trails and picnic areas…
  • Wawayanda State Park– 60 miles of trails (climb high to the mountains, or walk around the lakes), plus a great lake beach/rec area, canoe rentals available too…
  • Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area– National park splitting NJ and PA, featuring vast hiking, camping and water sports opportunities among many others… check the website for it all…
  • Round Valley Recreation Area– Chill on the comfy beach by the second deepest lake in NJ or hike to the only wilderness campsite in state (3 miles of rugged trail)…
  • Ringwood State Park– Not too crowded with miles of trails, for hiking and mountain biking (see NYC on clear days) plus a botanical garden and an historical manor near-by…
  • Bass River State Forest– Easy walking trails and a pretty swimming lake amongst some rare pygmy pine trees… camping too…
  • Kittatinny Valley State Park– Airplane watching at the small airport with-in the park limits, butterfly and hummingbird garden and lots of trails of various difficulties… plus a restored 19th century village…

UPSTATE NY

  • Bear Mountain State Park– Watchtower, carousel, lake-side BBQ, paddle boats, a free zoo and an ice skating rink in the winter… what does this uber-popular spot not have…
  • Fahnestock State Park– A sweet lake beach for swimming, camping and hiking trails for miles and a winter park with sledding, x-country skiing and hot chocolate in colder months…
  • Minnewaska State Park Preserve– “Alpine” location, 2 swimming areas, miles of mountain carriage roads for hiking and that’s not even mentioning ice caves to explore…
  • Rockland Lake State Park– A park with a massive swimming pool with slides and spring boards, a public golf course and a nice trail around a pretty lake…
  • Harriman State Park– A massive park with 200 miles of trails, 2 lake swimming beaches and numerous camping sites… plus an abandoned ski resort for x-country skiing and sledding in the winter…
  • Storm King State Park– Rugged park with no amenities, but great hiking trails with awesome views and fairly untouched…
  • Lake Taghkanic State Park– Large lake beach with all the usual water sports fun, a bar to get an adult beverage and hilly wooded trails and campsites with some being very comfy cottages near-by…
  • Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve– Having some of the most famous hiking trails for NYC dwellers with-in it’s borders, this park is near the cute town of Cold Spring and has great vistas to offer both adventurous and beginner hikers, in mostly undeveloped area…
  • Mills-Norrie State Park– “Fabulous trails” for walking/hiking, camping sites (with trains passing by for entertainment) and a cool marina near…
  • Taconic State Park– Rustic hiking and camping, swimming areas in lakes and gorgeous waterfalls… some claim the cleanest of state parks…
  • Walkway Over The Hudson State Historic Park– A scenic walk/bikeway over the Hudson is not for those with height issues (highest pedestrian bridge in the world), but makes for a nice day out…
  • Glimmerglass State Park– Hiking trails, a museum, a covered bridge and a lake beach to retrace the stories from James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales…
  • Kaaterskill Wild Forest– Part of Catskill Park, this park features iconic waterfalls and rugged hiking trails to high peaks… enough of a reason to visit during any season…

PENNSYLVANIA

  • Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area-National park splitting NJ and PA, featuring vast hiking, camping and water sports opportunities among many others… check the website for it all…
  • Tobyhanna State Park– Swim in the lake, picnic, or take on some of the more challenging hiking trails, or trot around the lake… “spacious camping sites near the water” available, boats and kayaks for rent too…
  • Nockamixon State Park– Rent a modern cabin, swim in a pool, or use some of the hiking trails around the lake… or rent a kayak (or a motor-boat) here…
  • Big Pocono State Park– Rugged park on Camelback Mountain with great views to enjoy and picnic areas with views to relax in… near the resorts, it has “ziplines and a summit restaurant” near too…

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