Fairview Park Hiking Trails

The 23.5 acre Fairview Park is located in the Charleston neighborhood of Staten Island. The area was once known as Androvetteville, named after the family who settled there in 1699. In the 1840s, Balthasar Kreischer bought the land, renamed the area Kreisherville and built the Kreischer “Fairview” mansion. The site was home to the sprawling Kreischer Clay Works which operated at the site until 1906. The land has transformed from its industrial past into a sprawling green refuge. Park visitors can enjoy grasslands, trails, recently restored sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) and red maple (Acer rubrum) upland forest and a vernal pond provides an excellent opportunity to view the various migratory birds that visit each year.

The park is also home to the Sandy Ground Woods, which was named in 2020 by NYC Parks to commemorate Sandy Ground as part of a NYC Parks initiative to honor black legacies and history in the city. Sandy Ground is the nation’s oldest settled free black community and was founded In 1828 when John Jackson was the first Black person to purchase a home in the area the year after New York abolished slavery. Fairview Park is a great place for naturalists, bird watchers and active recreation on the South Shore of Staten Island. There is a diverse array of recreation amenities in the park which include a new multi-purpose athletic field, workout equipment and tennis courts.

Sandy Ground Trail: Named after the nation’s oldest settled free black community, this 0.38 mile long trail is the shortest trail in the park. The trail begins off of the Fairview Park parking lot and features a beautiful native grassland full of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). The trail continues along a vernal pond which contains a wide diversity of wildflowers like goldenrod (Solidago spp.) and Late Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum), making it an ideal location for spotting pollinators such as butterflies and birds. There is also a recent forest restoration upland planting which contains pin oak (Quercus palustris), sassafras (Sassafras albidum) and American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) trees. The trail also traverses the site of the former Fairview Mansion and Kreisher Clay Works.The loop trail finishes off adjacent to the recreational fields near the parking lot.

Blue Trail: The 0.61 mile Blue Trail traverses most of the park from the Sandy Ground Woods in the western corner to the active recreation amenities in the southeast area of the park. The train begins near Bricktown Commons and features a seasonal overlook of the Outerbridge Crossing which is best viewed in the late fall and winter months. The trail continues alongside the Sandy Ground Trail and contains a lovely sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), oak (Quercus spp.) and Sumac forest (Rhus spp.) that was recently planted by NYC Parks. Take note of the white tree guards that have been installed to protect the young trees from deer browse.

Interactive Map

Download the Fairview Trail Guide.

Points of Interest

Freshwater Wetland

Visible from the Sandy Grounds Trail, the vernal pond is surrounded by native grassland as well as a recently restored sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) and red maple (Acer rubrum) upland forest. It provides an excellent spot for birding and wildlife sightings in the park. It is best seen during late fall and winter months. This scenic viewpoint is a quick walk from the Fairview Park parking lot.

View Freshwater Wetland on the map

Outerbridge Crossing

Named in honor of Eugenius H Outerbridge the Port Authority’s first chairman, the Outerbridge Crossing spans the Arthur Kill between New Jersey and Staten Island. Opened in 1928, the bridge was built to accommodate increased traffic following World War I and was one of the first facilities constructed by the Port Authority. This overlook is especially visible during the late fall and winter months while the trees are bare. The scenic overlook is best accessed from the Blue Trail entrance to the park, adjacent to the Bricktown Commons mall.

View Outerbridge Crossing on the map

Hiking in NYC Parks

Visit our Hiking in NYC Parks page to find more nature trails in parks across New York City.