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Staten Island Parks
This ride takes you to three very distinct Staten Island parks. The first, Snug Harbor, is a cultural center and botanical garden that started off as a hospital for aging seamen. The second, Clove Lakes Park, is a “forever wild” site, a designation the city’s parks department bestows to preserve natural spots that are of unique ecological value. The third, Silver Lake Park, is Staten Island’s Central Park, with a serene lake at its heart. Spring bloom and fall foliage make this ride particularly enjoyable, so try to go in spring or fall.
Start: St. George Ferry Terminal, opposite Staten Island Borough Hall
Length: 11.9-mile loop
Approximate riding time: 2 hours
Best bike: Hybrid, road, or mountain bike
Terrain and trail surface: The trail is paved throughout and hilly. Bement Avenue takes you up 130 feet. From the north end of Clove Lakes Park to Victory Boulevard, it goes up another 100 feet along a steady upward slog. Victory Boulevard then takes you downhill, only to go up again toward Silver Lake Park.
Traffic and hazards: While this route visits three Staten Island Parks, it also travels along residential and urban roads with light to moderate traffic, so some urban cycling comfort is required. Victory Boulevard has no bike lane and moderate traffic, but the road’s breadth gives bikers ample space.
Things to see: Snug Harbor, Chinese Scholar Garden, Clove Lakes Park, Silver Lake Park
Maps: New York City Bike Map, Snug Harbor Cultural Center map: www.snug-harbor.org/plan-your-visit
Getting there: By public transportation: Take the Staten Island Ferry from Manhattan’s Whitehall Terminal to Staten Island’s St. George Terminal. To get to Manhattan’s Whitehall Terminal, take the R subway to the Whitehall Street station or the 1 subway to the South Ferry station. By car: If using the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, exit toward I-278 W / New Jersey and take exit 14 on the left toward Narrows Road W/Hylan Boulevard. Turn right onto Fingerboard Road. Turn left onto Bay Street and follow Bay Street until you reach the St. George Ferry Terminal where there’s parking.
If using the Bayonne Bridge, take exit 13 to turn right onto Morningstar Road toward Richmond Terrace. Turn right onto Richmond Terrace, heading east. Follow Richmond Terrace to the ferry terminal. GPS coordinates: N40 38.555’ / W74 04.512’
THE RIDE
From the Staten Island ferry terminal, you’ll head north toward the Staten Island Yankees baseball stadium, home of Staten Island’s minor league baseball team. You’ll cycle down to the water’s edge from here, where a waterfront esplanade takes you northwest along Staten Island’s north shore. You’ll pass the borough’s September 11 Memorial along the water’s edge on your right and have sweeping views in multiple directions. Across Upper New York Bay to the east you can spot the Brooklyn shore. To the north, if you strain, you might see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Across Kill Van Kull, glancing northwest, you’ll see industrial harbors of New Jersey.
At the western end of the esplanade, the route returns to Richmond Terrace, where a bike lane continues westward. You’ll pass Gerardi’s Farmers Market on your right and then soon reach Snug Harbor Cultural Center up ahead on your left. You can enter Snug Harbor via the gate on Snug Harbor Road and follow the road as it veers to the right and past a string of red cottages along Cottage Row. The cottages once housed bakers, butchers, sailors, and other merchants. Today, they serve as residencies for interns and emerging artists. Heading east along Chapel Road, you’ll then pass Snug Harbor’s Sailors Chapel before veering left along a narrow pathway that leads toward the heroic Neptune Fountain, where Neptune sits atop a serpent, poised to tackle.
Returning westward along a park pathway, you’ll travel past five landmarked Greek Revival–style buildings (Snug Harbor Buildings A through E) on your left, the first of which—Building C in the middle—stems from 1830. Once you’re back on Cottage Row, you’ll continue southward through the park, past a Chinese Scholar Garden on your right and a lovely archway of hornbeam trees on your left. Lock up or walk your bike to explore other parts of the park—the glass house, the herb garden—before exiting the park at its southern edge onto Henderson Avenue.
Biking through Clove Lakes Park. The park is home to a more-than- 300-year-old tulip tree.
A left onto Bement Avenue soon takes you into the residential neighborhood of West Brighton, where you’ll go steadily uphill along one-family houses with pleasant front yards. Next, you’ll reach Clove Lakes Park on Martling Avenue. Before crossing the bridge, turn right into the park, with the lake on your left. Heading north along the pathway, yield to pedestrians and joggers along the way. You’ll then cross the lake via a picturesque red-railinged bridge to head south along the lake’s opposite shore. You’ll pass another quaintly arched bridge on your left before following the path as it climbs back up to road level to your right, returning you to Martling Avenue.
The next leg of your journey leads along the western edge of Clove Lakes Park. To explore the woods and wetlands in the southern portion of Clove Lakes Park before heading on, turn left onto Martling Avenue and, before crossing the bridge, enter the park to your right (the water will be on your left). Walk your bike as biking is prohibited in this southern portion of the park. When you’re ready to continue, return to Martling Avenue to then go uphill along Slosson Avenue, brushing the park’s western edge.
From the top of the hill, you’ll then go downhill along Victory Boulevard. Stay alert here. Traffic is moderate and travels at a quicker pace. In front of you in the distance, you’ll have sweeping views of Staten Island’s woodlands as they roll into the distance. After passing Woodland Cemetery on your right, the route then goes uphill toward Silver Lake Park. Grab a snack at one of the delis along the way to enjoy in Silver Lake Park just ahead.
Enter Silver Lake Park next to the golf course along the car-free (on weekends) park road. Heading north, the golf course will frame your ride on the left, and you’ll have views across the reservoir on your right. Then, after biking about halfway around the reservoir, turn right to bike across the bridge to the benches along the eastern edge of the water; it’s a lovely spot for a break. To proceed en route, bike back across the reservoir and continue north along Silver Lake Park Road. Brighton Avenue then carries you northward back to the waterfront esplanade via mostly residential roads. Follow the waterfront back to your starting point.
The Largest Living Thing
Clove Lakes Park is dotted with lakes and ponds, all of which were created by a series of dams built across Clove Brook beginning in the 1600s. The water pressure from some of the earliest dams was used to operate the local mills. Today the park’s claim to fame is a 300-plus-year-old, more than 100 foot-tall tulip tree in its northwest section—it’s Staten Island’s largest living thing.
MILES AND DIRECTIONS
0.0From the Staten Island ferry terminal, turn right onto Richmond Terrace.
0.2Turn right onto Wall Street, followed by a left at the water’s edge to bike along the water along the North Shore Esplanade.
1.2Turn left onto Jersey Street, followed by a quick right onto Richmond Terrace.
2.1Turn left onto Snug Harbor Road, followed by a quick left into the gates of Snug Harbor. Follow the road (unmarked, but officially called Cottage Row) as it veers right, slightly uphill.
2.2Turn left onto Chapel Road. After passing the chapel (playhouse) on your right, turn left at the parking lot, onto Melville Road. Veer right when the path splits, heading toward the fountain (the fountain will be on your right).
2.6Turn left to go up Randall Way, followed by a right onto Chapel Road.
2.8Turn left to catch Cottage Row, going south.
2.9The entrance to the Chinese Scholar Garden is on your right.
3.1Exit Snug Harbor and turn right onto Henderson Avenue.
3.7Turn left onto Bement Avenue.
4.3Turn right onto East Raleigh Avenue.
4.5Turn left onto Broadway, followed by a quick right onto West Raleigh Avenue.
4.9Turn left onto Clove Road, followed by a right onto Martling Avenue.
5.0Before crossing the bridge, enter Clove Lakes Park on your right on the park path. Yield to pedestrians.
5.2Turn left to cross the red-railinged bridge. On the other side, turn left to head south along the west side of the lake.
5.3When the path splits, veer left along the lake.
5.7At the end of this northern portion of the park, use the pedestrian signal to cross Martling Avenue. If you wish to explore the southern portion of the park, turn left onto Martling and enter the park on your right. Dismount and walk your bike as biking is prohibited in this part of the park. To continue, catch Slosson Avenue from Martling Avenue, going uphill along the park’s western edge.
6.0Turn left onto Rice Avenue, and follow the road as it veers right and becomes Royal Oak Road.
6.6Turn left onto Victory Boulevard.
7.8After passing Silver Lake Golf Course, turn left to enter Silver Lake Park on Silver Lake Park Road. The reservoir will be on your right.
8.4Turn right onto the bridge across Silver Lake. The benches along the east shore of the reservoir are a great spot for a break. To continue, backtrack across the bridge and turn right to continue north on Silver Lake Park Road.
9.0Turn left onto Forest Avenue, followed by a quick right onto Brighton Avenue. Follow Brighton Avenue as it veers right.
9.9Turn left onto Jersey Street.
10.7At the end of Jersey Street, turn right onto Bank Street and retrace your route back toward the Staten Island ferry terminal.
11.6After the ballpark, turn right onto Wall Street, followed by a left onto Richmond Terrace.
11.9Arrive at the ferry terminal.
RIDE INFORMATION
Local Event/Attraction
Snug Harbor Cultural Center: A cultural center and botanical garden located in what used to be a home for retired sailors. 1000 Richmond Ter.; (718) 448-2500; www.snug-harbor.org
Restrooms
Start/end: There are restrooms at the ferry terminal.
Mile 2.9: There are restrooms in numerous buildings throughout Snug Harbor, for example in the entrance building to the Chinese Scholar Garden.
Fall foliage in Clove Lakes Park.