We're excited to announce that we're teaming up with the Staten Island Greenbelt to do a guided 5-mile hike to kick off the 2019 campout (plus, follow the hike with the 5K trail race for a "duathlon"!)
In case you've never heard of the Staten Island Greenbelt before here are our top three reasons you need to Visit Staten Island this summer:
“One of New York City’s best-kept secrets”
1. It's 3 times the size of Central Park
There's a reason Staten Island is called the greenest borough and the Greenbelt is one of the main contributors to this. Not only is it more than 3x the size of Central Park it also has New York City’s largest remaining forest preserve. The 3,000 acres of protected nature includes lakes, trails, meadows, woodlands and plenty of wildlife from birds to turtles to deer.
Aerial view from visitstatenisland.com
2. The Greenbelt offers 35 miles of marked and maintained trails
The Greenbelt isn't just trees, but trails open to hikers, runners and (sometimes) mountain bikers. The extensive network of hiking trails offers 35 miles to explore through 6 main trails ranging in difficulty from gentle to rugged.
The Greenbelt map can be downloaded here or you can pick up a copy at the Greenbelt Nature Center
3. The Greenbelt Conservancy leads free hikes every week
Not only does the Greenbelt offer a ton of nature to explore but also a community to explore with. The Conservancy, which maintains the majority of the park, leads free hikes and trails runs almost every Wednesday year round for all levels. Check their calendar to find upcoming hikes.
Photo by Dorothy Reilly, Director of PR at The Greenebelt
Want to explore the Greenbelt and support it at the same time? Register for the OutdoorFest campout on June 1st (including a guided hike) and a portion of the proceeds will go to helping the Greenbelt maintain their wonderful trails.