NYC Parks Most Photogenic Woodland Areas

On your next trip, you can prove that New York City isn't just concrete and tall buildings. Venture into New York City's forests and natural areas to find majestic oaks and pines, and many animals such as birds and squirrels who call the city's wooded areas their home. 

Help Grow NYC's Forests

We’re making NYC greener by planting more trees in parks and caring for our young forest! Trees clean our air, keep our city cool, and provide food and safe homes for wildlife. Want to help out? Volunteer with our Stewardship Team

Forest Park, Queens


Photo by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

Forest Park is home to the largest continuous oak forest in Queens and this lovely pine grove that was planted in 1914. Most of the trees in this pine grove are Eastern White Pines, the largest conifer species in the Northeast. Learn more about Forest Park

Clove Lakes Park, Staten Island


Photo by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

Venture through a preserved forest at this Staten Island Park that's gorgeous year-round. It is very green in the summer and a kaleidoscope of colors come fall as the leaves change colors for the season. Clove Lakes Park is also home to Staten Island’s largest living thing—a tulip tree that is over 300 years old and about 119 feet tall. More information about Clove Lakes Park

Prospect Park, Brooklyn


Photo by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

This popular park in Brooklyn is no secret to tourists and New Yorkers alike looking to escape into New York City’s natural world. Take the Center Drive or East Drive to the Ravine—Brooklyn’s only forest. More information about Prospect Park

Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan


Photo by Malcolm Pinckney/NYC Parks

Inwood Hill Park is home to Manhattan's only remaining natural forest. In addition to its magnificent views, you can spot eagles, hawks, owls, and other large birds of prey that live high up in the trees. More information about Inwood Hill Park

Bronx Park, Bronx


Photo by Malcolm Pinckney/NYC Parks

The Bronx River runs through this park where red maple hardwood swamp and floodplain forest grow on the riverbanks. More information about Bronx Park

Kissena Park, Queens


Photo by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

If you want to see some of the most exotic trees in the world, head to the Kissena Grove at Rose Avenue and Parsons Boulevard in Queens. The historic grove that was once part of a 19th-century horticultural nursery for the New York area. Some of the grove’s most notable trees include the katsura, baldcypress, and Persian ironwood. More information about Kissena Park

Greenbelt Park, Staten Island


Photo by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

The Greenbelt is a collection of 3,000 acres of parkland at the heart of Staten Island. The park’s rich greenery includes natural areas like Bloodroot Valley, Egbertyville Ravine, Buck’s Hollow, and the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge. The Greenbelt is both a sanctuary for birds and also a great place to go hiking among a variety of trees. Here at Willowbrook Park, you can enjoy the view from the lake or venture out on the trails that lead to other woodland areas and parks in the Greenbelt. More information about the Greenbelt

Hunter Island at Pelham Bay Park, Bronx


Photo by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

This island at the north end of New York City’s largest park was declared the Hunter Island Marine Zoology and Geology Sanctuary by local law in 1967. Reachable by foot, the island holds the largest, tallest, and oldest oak tree forest in the park and includes other species like white pines, Norway spruce trees, and black locust trees. More information about Pelham Bay Park

Alley Pond Park, Queens


Photo by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

This park is home to the largest and oldest tree in New York City—the Alley Giant. It is a tulip tree that is about 350 450 years old and about 133 feet tall with a 18.6 feet circumference. The Tulip Tree Trail winds through a native oak-hickory forest, tulip trees, and kettle ponds. Enter at Cloverdale Boulevard’s east entrance. More information about Alley Pond Park

Blue Heron Park, Staten Island


Photo by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

Explore Staten Island’s wilder side at Blue Heron Park. There are eight hiking trails, with paths through the park’s ponds, forest, and wetland marsh. Learn more about Blue Heron Park

Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx


Photo by Malcolm Pinckney/NYC Parks

Head out into the thick, lush woods of this very large park in the Bronx. The Croton Woods is full of tulip, oak, and maple trees. There’s also a pine grove, and a memorial grove honoring Bronx men who served in World War II and in the Korean War. More information about Van Cortlandt Park