Date visited: 6/1/2024

There are actually three separate paths here. There's the main boardwalk, a paved bike trail, and a sand trail. They all run parallel to each other. The elevated boardwalk is the main attraction. The exits and entrances to the boardwalk are few and far between, so once you're on it, you're on it for a while. The beach is okay. I've been spoiled by Rhode Island beaches. This does not compare to those! While they are welcome on the boardwalk year round, dogs are only officially allowed on the beach from October 1st through the day before Memorial Day. That being said, it was hot on the boardwalk, and we found some unguarded areas of the beach where they could cool off. Also, just north of the beach is Fort Wadsworth Beach, and dogs are allowed there any time. The boardwalk is about two miles long, and we walked most of the length of it, alternating between the three different paths. In addition to the beach and paths, there are playgrounds, park areas, some monuments, and a crazy fountain in front of a restaurant all located here.

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Date visited: 6/1/2024

This half-mile long beach is located between South Beach and the Verrazano Bridge. It's actually part of a Coast Guard base, but the public is allowed to use the beach. It's also part of Gateway National Recreation Area. According to Google, dogs are allowed here year round. There were actually quite a few people walking their dogs here during our visit. The beach is un-guarded, and not as well kept as South Beach. There's an area near the rocks, on the far north end where the waves are mild, and the dogs took the opportunity to lay down in the water for a bit.

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Date visited: 6/10/2023

This was my first trip to Staten Island ever. We've now visited all five New York City Boroughs. This is a nature preserve, with some mowed trails and paved walking paths. One of the trails also leads to a beach area. As the name says, this is a unique area! Especially when we visited. Across the street from the parking area, a Food Truck Festival was happening at the community center. There was a band playing hard rock/metal music very loudly which I could hear clearly the entire hike. On our way to the beach area, as we were passing through an open meadow, I saw a bald eagle in the air. I didn't really get a great photo, but I included one in the photos below anyway. We wound up hiking a loop, as well as a spur out to the beach. It was exactly two miles. This was a good hike, and worth the visit if you find yourself on Staten Island.

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Date visited: 9/2/2024

It's the unofficial end of summer, so a good time for a trip to NYC! I actually planned on coming here last Labor Day Weekend, but wound up going to Coney Island instead. I was saving this for for a hot day, since dogs are allowed on the beach here in the summer, but forgot about until now. There is a picnic area near the old Conference House, and a nice raised pavilion to view the bay. The park includes New York's "South Pole". It's a pole in the ground that marks the southern most part in New York State. The beach is not the best one I've visited, but certainly not the worst. You can see across the bay to Raritan Bay Waterfront Park, a place we visited last year. We actually walked about two miles of beach here, and then returned via the walking trails. There's an area near the parking lot with sculptures, but they are hard to see amidst the shadows and the vegetation. This is a nice park, but probably not worth going too far out of your way for. Fortunately, I somehow made it to Staten Island without hitting any real traffic whatsoever! A Labor Day miracle perhaps!

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Date visited: 9/2/2024

This is another good sized park on Staten Island. There's a popular beach area here, that's free. It was labor day, so the parking lot was full, but I was able to snag a spot as someone was leaving. Dogs are allowed throughout most of the park year round, but only on the beach in the off-season (October 1st to May 1st, I think). That being said, the beach is quite long, and we had no problem walking on the part of the beach used mostly by people fishing, away from the main guarded area. The park also includes a paved walking trail, and a number of wooded trails, as well as a monument commemorating the Battle Of The Bulge. We didn't really visit any of the wooded trails at all, but walked most of the paved walking area. There's also a pond here, that the park and beach are named after. I made sure to take one photo near the pond. We visited this park after Conference House Park. I definitely thought the beach here was nicer than that one, but nowhere near as nice as some of the beaches we've visited in other states. Still, it's a great place to bring the dogs if you are in the area.

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