//
Photo: Jim.henderson, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Nature preserve on the South Shore with hiking trails and shoreline access. Fishing is permitted along the beach or the freshwater pond inside the area. Most of the land is minimally developed, and is an excellent place to observe wildlife. An abandoned orphanage on-site, after which the area was named, burnt down in 2000.
Mount Loretto Unique Area is an open space reserve and nature preserve administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation on the South Shore of Staten Island, New York City. The area's total size is 241 acres (98 ha), of which 49 acres (20 ha) is underwater.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
This park is home to the creek that shares its name, as well as a variety of wildlife. One of the most notable is the purple martin. The park has one of the very few colonies in the New York Metro.
Dates back to 1680, and held an abortive peace conference during the Revolutionary War.
A large park on the South Shore known from its large collection of wildlife, from birds to wildflowers. True to its name, the park is a known habitat for blue herons.
Only in the first stages of development, this mega-park is set to be 2,200 acres—three times the size of Central Park. It will cover the wild areas of the Fresh Kills, and the former Fresh Kills Dump. The first section of the park, Schmul Park, in Travis, features a large and colorful playground for kids, along with basketball courts, handball courts, and an open grass field.
This park is home to a large woodland and a number of beaches. A small portion of the beach is closed for radiation screenings.