Hike #570; Staten Island Greenbelt and Beaches
7/17/11 Staten Island Greenbelt and Verrazano Narrows with Jack Lowry, Susan Duncan (and Flip Flop), "Commando Tom" Petrucci, Laura Allen Cunningham, Jim "Uncle Soup" Campbell, Teun Ott, Brian Coen, and Krithika Raman
Some of the group at the end of the hike,
My next hike would be another on Staten Island. One would think that I couldn't squeeze so many hikes out of Staten Island. Even Jack, who grew up there was surprised not only by the parks themselves, but with the courtesy of the people. "Where'd all the jerk offs go?" he would bring up several times. He was right, in that we did not really come across any mean people.
We started by parking on a side street off of Richmond Ave just south of Rt 278. We figured out which roads to walk form the beginning to reach the northern terminus of the white trail, one of many trails that made up the State Island Greenbelt system. We'd done a bit of the white trail before on it's south end, but the other main trunk trails, blue red, and yellow were more the subjects of the previous SIGB hikes.
North end of White Trail, Staten Island Greenbelt
We crossed over Victory Boulevard and entered Willowbrook Park and began on the White Trail. I found the triple blaze for the trail's start pretty easily, but they were older blazes and we soon found they'd be more difficult to see than the rest of the greenbelt system.
Staten Island Greenbelt, White Trail
Staten Island Greenbelt
The trail led us on a paved path along the eastern shore of Willowbrook Lake through the park. It was actually quite pleasant. While these little parks may by no one's definition be a destination for anyone but locals, the sum of the parts of the hikes justify our visit here, and it is of course very pretty.
We continued along the shore which led us out to some restrooms and the "Carousel For All Children", supposedly a famous merry go round in the park. We assumed "all children" meant adults could ride too...?
I noticed when we arrived that we had lost the white blazes. I backtracked and found that the white trail turned off of the paved path and was just a foot path through a stretch of woods, but then crossed a park road to emerge on the opposite side of the Carousel For All Children.
Carousel for All Children
The trail wrapped around the back of it, then turned and went into woods.
ruins along white trail, Staten Island Greenbelt
Giant Red Oak, Staten Island Greenbelt, white trail
The next section soon became very secluded, surprisingly so even for me because I'd looked at all of the maps ahead of time.
The white trail meandered through the woods and came to areas where we could not hear the slightest sound of any traffic or people, and there were no buildings to be seen. I again brought up to the group how Staten Island is much a land of misconception like all of NJ is.
The trail became rather difficult to follow. It made turns that were not immediately obvious. We continued at one point to a chain link fence that had been erected through the woods, tried to parallel it, but couldn't get through. There were blazes leading up to it, although vague, but we had to go back. We ended up finding a small stream crossing that was now the route of the white trail. There was an old asylum, now part of a college nearby, and I wondered if that might have something to do with the closed property.
We regained the white trail, which took us past a giant old chimney, probably a former homestead. I was upset that I'd forgotten my camera, and was relying on my cell phone for a camera. Fortunately, later Uncle Soup lent me his so that I could capture the rest of the hike when my phone died.
We continued through woods and passed by a giant Oak tree along the way, as well as plenty of other really large trees.
Staten Island Greenbelt, Eggbertville Ravine
Susie had to turn back somewhere aroun here, because her new puppy wasn't yet up for the high mileage. She named him Flip Flop, and for some reason I couldn't remember that, and kept calling him stuff like "Zip Line".
We eventually came to the sounds of nearby people. Probably a little league field or the college nearby. We passed through a rather dense area of non abrasive undergrowth, and then crossed I believe Forest Hill Ave. Jack had his great carbon fiber guitar, playing away most of the time, with a list of great songs.
We must have eventually crossed Rockland Ave somewhere in here. I remember being surprised at the signs we saw at each road crossing that read that smoking was no longer allowed in the parks. I hadn't seen many parks that had a ban on smoking altogether.
We continued on, and then eventually turned left onto a trail with I think a blue blaze with letters on it, line an "N" or something. This took us along a higher elevation out to the Greenbelt Nature Center. I had been wanting to get to that point for a while, and it was just never something that would work out with the previous hikes. Along the way, there was a little outdoor classroom area, and we stopped for a break. Jack and I used it like a stage, and sang and played "Besame Mucho" for everyone.
restroom inside Greenbelt Nature Center, Staten Island
When we got to the Greenbelt Nature Center, we wandered around, collected a few maps, and sang some songs in the corridor. There were pretty good acoustics in there. I recall doing Simon and Garfunkle's "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy)". When we used the restroom, Commando Tom and I ended up singing Boz Scagg's "We're All Alone". Always a funny restroom song.
We left the Greenbelt Nature Center and turned right, heading back onto the trail we followed in, but in the other direction which took us back to the trail system we had been on. I wanted to go to a spot where there was some ruins in a hollow or something. We never found the correct turn to take us there, so we continued out to Blood Root Valley across Eggbertville Ravine.
Wetlands in Eggbertville Ravine, Staten Island
Along the yellow trail below Moses Mountain
On Moses Mountain, Staten Island Greenbelt
Along Staten Island Greenbelt
Historic marker on the greenbelt
Puncheons on SI Greenbelt
Eggbertville Ravine on the white trail
We headed across I think Rockland Ave again on part of the yellow trail which made sort of a loop in the vicinity. This section took us into more deep woods, but close to homes at first, and over a series of simple puncheons. It reached an intersection where we went left. I couldn't quite figure out exactly what the map was compared to what I saw on the ground, but we made due. We soon reached some big rocks at the base of Moses Mountain. This mountain was supposedly a fill created by Robert Moses way back when the Staten Island Greenbelt was supposed to be a highway called the Richmond Expressway. The fill is now covered in trees (a lot of invasive Ailanthus) . We scaled the mountain, which was the only really steep spot on the hike. The route was only vaguely marked as a trail here and there.
The top of Moses Mountain afforded us a bit of a view to the south over lots of woodlands, more than you'd imagine would be out there, and across to the Raritan Bay and the Atlantic Highlands beyond. It wasn't the greatest view, but it was pretty cool. We then descended Moses Mountain on the east side. This was a much easier descent, and had a few more old yellow blazes on it.
We turned right on the main yellow trail below, which took us right back out to where we left off on the white trail, across Rockland Ave. From here, we turned left and descended via the white trail into more of Eggbertville Ravine. In this section we saw the first other hiker I can think of that we saw all day. He was actually probably the only other hiker we saw all day!
Giant tree in Eggbertvlle Ravine, Staten Island
White trail, Staten Island Greenbelt in Eggbertville Ravine
The trail took us through some nice woods, in the sort of gully, but that eventually came out onto Eleanor Street I think it was. From that point were were in a much narrower swath of green space heading south. My first time in this section it was very overgrown and had a lot of blow downs, but since then it had all been cleaned up and was quite pleasant. We crossed a couple streets and then stayed on the trail in the woods parallel with Riedel Ave.
Staten Island Greenbelt, white trail in Eggbertville Ravine
The trail eventually emerged onto the near corner of Clarke Ave and Amboy Road.
Hersheys Ice Cream Store, Staten Island
Hersheys Ice Cream Store, Staten Island
Hersheys Ice Cream Store, Staten Island
Hersheys Ice Cream Store, Staten Island
Directly across Clarke Ave from where we came out was a large strip mall, in which we could see a Hershey's Ice Cream store! We had been talking about ice cream earlier in the day, and so of course we had to make a stop. Jack, Uncle Soup, and I did not hesitate and all and made a bee line for the store. I had a nice cup of mint chocolate chip which was great. Commando Tom and Laura soon joined us inside. I wandered over to a nearby grocery store to get some more iced tea to mix a happy drink with, and then came back to rejoin the others.
We headed down Amboy Road to the left, which had a park sort of in the center, and the white trail went into the woods on the south side to continue.
Southern part of the white trail, Staten Island Greenbelt
white trail going under Staten Island Railroad
White trail coming to it's southern terminus at Great Kills Park
This next section had much more dense undergrowth as we continued south. Fortunately, it looked as though it had recently been cleared along the trail route. We passed beneath the Staten Island Railroad, where on our first trip here we saw the living room set. There was no sign of this any more.
The trail took us off to the left, to the dead end of a couple streets, then came back into the woods and continued unbroken on out to Hylan Boulevard.
Small tributary east of Great Kills Park
Crossing a tributary in a neighborhood, Staten Island
Little light house in someone's yard
Old road
Approaching the bay
This old road was our intended route through, but didn't work out.
Abandoned, burned house
Abandoned, burned house
Abandoned, burned house
Abandoned, burned house
Abandoned, burned house
Abandoned, burned house
Abandoned burned house
Abandoned, burned house
Abandoned, burned house
Abandoned, burned house
Waterway off of the bay
Waterway off the bay
On our last trip, we made the mistake of trying to get through by way of a dead end trail in Great Kills Park, but there was no bridge if we followed that ahead. This time, we turned left on Hylan immediately. I didn't realize we could probably have followed a path into Greyson Street from Hylan, but I didn't notice it until later.
My phone was dead by this time, so fortunately Uncle Soup and Commando Tom let me use theirs for the GPS and maps options I had intended to use on mine. We followed a series of side streets, and I think at the end of Brook Ave I thought we'd be able to get down to a beach access. Unfortunately, it was not an easy spot to get through. There was a bridge, but it had a ton of fencing around it which we'd have to climb, and then cross the bridge, pass a building, and climb around more. It would have been more feasible, but the ground was covered in very abrasive, terrible weeds. We all turned back, and I made the first right on Tarrytown Ave hoping to find a better way through. Furtunately, there was a path heading down across a small tributary and up to the other unconnected end of this road. We turned right on Guyon Ave, and then another right on Falcon Ave, then left on Adelaide Ave, right on Lynn Street, and left on Aviston.
From here, we followed Mill Road to a left turn onto Tarlton Street heading south.
As we walked down the road, we went by an abandoned house on the right hand side with lots of fencing around it. There were some cars that went by us, but then after no one was around, i ran through a hole in the fence and wooden gate, then up into the house to take some pictures.
This was an eerie place, and the look and smell of it freaked me out. The house had been burned and nearly gutted. It reminded me of my own house in Port Colden, and that it was now coming up on a year since I nearly died in that fire. No one else followed me in, and I stood by myself for a few seconds getting lost in flashbacks of charred timbers in my former home.This building was different though; it had nothing left in it at all. No burnt stuff laying around, nothing to be recovered. It was probably already vacated when the blaze happened. It did surprisingly have nice large boat sitting in the driveway for some reason. It's surprising there were no squatters in this place. The building overall was still sturdy and not a total loss.
Roads approaching the bay
This was the road we originally intended to come in on, but it was blocked.
Approaching Raritan Bay
The road curved to the left, and there were some beach access points straight ahead, but I wanted to get to as far along it as I could. There was quite a nice spot on a side road from the end of Tarlton. There was a group having a picnic right there at the entrance. We followed the sandy path that that led from the end of the road out to where we could see the nearby tributary coming into the bay, with a view back toward the mouth of the Raritan to the west.
Approaching Raritan Bay
Looking out the pier from the access off the end of Tarlton, Staten Island.
Raritan Bay from Staten Island
Raritan bay from Staten Island
Raritan Bay on Staten Island
South shore along Staten Island
Oakwood Beach, Staten Island
Oakwood Beach, Staten Island
Oakwood Beach, Staten Island
Oakwood Beach, Staten Island
There was a group of people fishing on a concrete pier that jutted out onto the bay a bit, so we weren't going to try to swim and disturb them. We turned left and followed the beach to the east, which was very pretty. The views across the Raritan were clear on this occasion and quite nice. We could see all the way down the beach to the top of the Verrazanno Narrows Bridge, near our destination.
When we were far enough away from the fishermen, but not too close to where the public swimming beaches were to the east, we jumped in for a great swim. It was possible to walk quite a ways out without the water getting too deep. No one came and bothered us for swimming there. The water looked so clear, and felt great.
Oakwood Beach, Staten Island
Oakwood Beach vicinity, Staten Island
Oakwood Beach vicinity, Staten Island
This pier had been burned...
A burned wooden jetti pier.
Oakwood Beach vicinity, Staten Island
We continued on, and there were a couple places where there were jetties or water breaks going off into the water. We had to climb around those along sections of rocky coast line in order to get to the next beach sections.The area that seemed so vacant on the previous trip out here was now full of people walking around. The houses out on the roads still looked vacated, but the rest of the place was quite active.
Oakwood Beach vicinity, Staten Island
Oakwood Beach vicinity, Staten Island
Oakwood Beach vicinity, Staten Island
Oakwood Beach vicinity, Staten Island
As we continued to the more active section of the beach, we were rejoined by Susie, who brought the puppy home and was able to make it back.
Around this time also, someone on an atv, like a kawasaki mule, pulled up to us basically to see what was going on. We let them know we were hiking, and they were all very friendly and fine with us passing through. We asked them if they had some blister stuff for Krithika's foot as well.
Oakwood Beach vicinity, Staten Island, as Susie rejoined us
Oakwood Beach vicinity, Staten Island
Oakwood Beach vicinity, Staten Island
Oakwood Beach vicinity, Staten Island
Oakwood Beach vicinity, Staten Island
We continued walking along the beach, and I think it was even before we got to the main part where most of the people were swimming, the guys in the ATV showed up and gave us bandages or something as I recall. Actually my memory is rather blurry around this time.
We continued walking through the beach area, and as we continued the board walk started up on the left hand side of us. We opted to stay on the beach this time, since I had walked this section of boardwalk the previous fall.
Krithika was hurting pretty bad, probably because the beach walking treats your feet differently than standard trail, and so Susie helped her by taking her back to her car.
Oakwood Beach vicinity, Staten Island
The rest of us continued on along the beach. We did head up to the boardwalk for a little bit, and followed it until where it ended on it's east side. We then continued back down to the beach on out toward the Verrazanno Narrows.
On the beach, south end of Staten Island
Verrazanno Narrows Bridge from Staten Island
Sort of dock out onto the Raritan Bay
Verrazanno Narrows Bridge from Staten Island
Verrazanno Narrows Bridge from Staten Island
Verrazanno Narrows Bridge from Staten Island
Dock on the Raritan Bay, Staten Island
Man hole in the dock?
Raritan Bay view, Staten Island
Raritan Bay view, Staten Island
Old dock/pier on Staten Island
Board walk on Staten Island
Also in this area, there was a big old concrete pier of some sort. We of course had to go out on that one as well. We continued along the shore from here which looked less and less like beach and more like a rocky coast as we approached the Verrazanno Narrows. There was a giant ship coming up toward the Narrows as we approached, and the light of the sun was going down and made for the perfect temperature and visibility.
Verrazanno Narrows Bridge from Staten Island
Looking off onto Raritan Bay
Big ship on Raritan Bay
Where the last bit of sand ended, there was a foreboding sign posted on the rocks as we started making the corner to the Narrows.
Sign approaching the Verrazanno Narrows
The views of the Verrazanno Narrows Bridge as we approached were absolutely outstanding.
Verrazzanno Narrows Bridge from Staten Island
Verrazzanno Narrows Bridge from Staten Island
Verrazanno Narrows at Fort Wadsworth
In the Verrazanno Narrows at Fort Wadsworth
Verrazzanno Narrows Bridge from Staten Island
Verrazzanno Narrows Bridge from Staten Island
Verrazzanno Narrows Bridge from Staten Island
Verrazano Narrows at Fort Wadsworth
Verrazzanno Narrows Bridge from Staten Island
Verrazano Narrows at Fort Wadsworth
View up the Verrazano Narrows
Verrazzanno Narrows Bridge from Staten Island
Verrazzanno Narrows Bridge from Staten Island
Verrazzanno Narrows Bridge from Staten Island
Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Fort Wadsworth
Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Fort Wadsworth
Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Fort Wadsworth
Fort Wadsworth
Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Fort Wadsworth
Fort Wadsworth
We made our way around the rocky shore line, and the it was amazing how huge the bridge is when we got to see it up closer. I was blown away at the thought of where I was when I was standing directly underneath the bridge looking across toward Long Island.
Just beyond the bridge was an old building, apparently part of Fort Wadsworth. Up until the place closed in 1994, it was the longest continually manned military installation in the world. This place was a military installation dating back as far as 1663! It was later called Fort Richmond and other things for years, and was eventually named Fort Wadsworth after Brigadier General James Wadsworth who died in the Battle of the Wilderness during the Civil War. The remaining block building we were approaching, as I understand it dates back to at least 1870 or earlier.
Fort Wadsworth
Fort Wadsworth
Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Fort Wadsworth
Fort Wadsworth
Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Fort Wadsworth
Verrazano Narrows
Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Fort Wadsworth
Verrazano Narrows at Fort Wadsworth
Swimming in the Verrazano Narrows!
Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Fort Wadsworth
Verrazano Narrows
Verrazano Narrows
Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Fort Wadsworth
Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Fort Wadsworth
Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Fort Wadsworth
Along Verrazano Narrows
Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Fort Wadsworth
Beach along Verrazano Narrows
Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Fort Wadsworth area
We climbed to the stone block platform that wrapped it's way around the old stone building at Fort Wadsworth, under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, and admired the incredible building that stood there virtually isolated from the metropolis around us. The walkway around the outside was perfect. Once we got around a corner, there was a little cove that was hidden away from the view of the immediate area. I decided this would be another great place to take a swim, and so Commando Tom and I both jumped in. The water looked crystal clear, to my great surprise. It didn't smell or have anythign floating in it.
There was a little bridge area that crossed to a section of block jutting onto the water that sort of hid us a bit. We knew right away that it was incredible to be able to say that we'd swam in the Verrazano Narrows. Who'd have thought that it would be a good place to swim, or as beautiful as it was?
We soon left here and made our way down onto a section of stony beach north along the Narrows.
Ladder ascending the cliffs from the Verrazano Narrows
View onto the Upper New York Bay from Verrazano Narrows
Verrazano Narrows Bridge from the ladder up the cliffs
A fisherman out on the Narrows
Climbing the cliffs of the Verrazano Narrows along a fence
Climbing the cliff fence along the Narrows
We made our way along to a spot where a lot of Hispanic fishermen were hanging out on the shore. We saw ladders in a couple spots going up over and next to chain link fences above vertical drops. I asked "Is that how we get out of here", they said something and motioned, pointing at the ladder. We really had no choice other than to try it out.
We climbed the ladder up and then followed an insanely steep chain link fence up the cliffs of the Narrows. There were ropes tied to the fence to guide us up without falling backward. This was yet another really incredible little spot certainly only locals know of.
Climbing the cliff fence along the Narrows
Climbing the cliff fence along the Narrows
View of Verrazano Narrows Bridge from Arthur Von Briesin Park
Arthur Von Briesin Park
View from Arthur Von Briesin Park
The fence and rope led us up to a spot behind the guard rail of a scenic overlook. We were now in a place called Arthur Von Briesin Park. As it turns out, this is where we parked for the end point of the hike, but I didn't realize where we were just yet! There was a nice view of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, and northeast toward Manhattan.
The access to this crazy little path beyond the guard rail was completely obscured from the view point unless you knew what you were looking for. We had found an awesome spot.
Susie stretching over the rail in Arthur Von Briesin Park
Verrazano Narrows Bridge view from in Arthur Von Briesin Park
We headed along the paved trail down into the rest of the park. Along the way there were some great big tress. When we walked into the parking lot where our cars were, I was shocked to see where we were. I figured we had a little ways to go before reaching this point.
Big tree in Arthur Von Briesin Park
We had finished in very good time, and had a very interesting hike. Commando Tom, Laura, and I had some Burger King before heading home.
Big tree in Arthur Von Briesin Park, Staten Island
Some of the group at the end of the hike,
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