Perhaps that's how the conservationists want it. It took them 20 years – from 1963 to 1983 – and a lot of dogged negotiating, to cobble together this 2,800-acre greenspace, and for those who remain, or have followed in their path, disturbing the area would border on sacrilege.
Still, it was always something intended to be enjoyed, while at the same time treasured.
A new hard-cover book titled "High Rock and the Greenbelt: The Making of New York City's Largest Park" and published just last year, tells the story of how this largely untouched natural area came to be. It's not the first telling of this struggle, but the original has been expanded upon, and there are many new photographs, a guide to key features, and even a discussion of the park land's future, included in this 165-page volume.
Conservationist John Mitchell, who wrote the first history of High Rock, noted that the Greenbelt's roots lay in the threatened development of a valued tract – 72 acres of upland woods known as High Rock Camp, located at 200 Nevada Ave., Egbertville. The camp was owned by the Girl Scouts of America until 1963, when it was put on the market to "cash in on real estate prices that had inflated by 3,000 percent in the 12 years the Scouts had owned the land," Mitchell wrote.
The bump in value, noted Mitchell, was largely due to the pending opening of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, which, indeed, triggered a sea change in environment and culture on Staten Island. The borough was almost instantly transformed from a rather isolated, quiet group of tiny towns, to a place that, today, teems with cars and was recently the fastest growing county in the state of New York.
Though Gretta Moulton, a Scout leader and activist, and others, persuaded the city to purchase High Rock, the ink was barely dry on the deed before the pressure was on to build a highway, the Richmond Parkway, a spur of the Staten Island Expressway. That highway's southbound lanes were originally mapped to course along the edge of the new city park land.
Ms. Moulton and other conservationists were up against a titan – Robert Moses, who (in today's dollars) constructed some $50 billion worth of highways and other public works in and around New York City during his time in public service, which began in the 1920s.
Remarkably, this tiny group of environmentalists was successful in putting a stop to the Richmond Parkway construction, though not before an exit ramp and overpass were constructed. These can still be seen on the Staten Island Expressway between the Clove Road exit/entrance and that for Todt Hill.
In the end, High Rock's 72 acres became "the buckle" of a Greenbelt that today can be accessed from each of Staten Island's four shores.
If you live on the South Shore, you can access this vast tract from Great Kills Beach, part of the Gateway National Recreation Area. A resident of the East Shore has many points of entry, ranging from the Egbertville Ravine to Historic Richmond Town and the communities of New Dorp and Todt Hill.
A West Shore resident, too, has many points of access. High Rock is situated on the border of Egbertville and Sea View; Willowbrook Park and the Carousel for All Children in Bulls Head are part of the sprawl, as is the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge in Travis.
North Shore residents can pick up the Blue Trail in Sunnyside, behind the Petrides Educational Complex, and hike across a good portion of the borough.
Today, the Greenbelt – which is a mix of protected park land and several privately held parcels – features over 35 miles of marked hiking trails.
The Greenbelt Conservancy is a non-profit group that works with the city's Department of Parks and Recreation to help maintain these vast holdings and promote judicious use of the space. The conservancy helps support the Greenbelt Nature Center at 700 Rockland Ave., Sea View; the Environmental Education Department at High Rock Park, 200 Nevada Ave., Egbertville; Willowbrook Park and the Carousel for All Children, 2 Eton Place, Bulls Head; the Greenbelt Recreation Center, 501 Brielle Ave., Sea View, and the hiking trails.
"High Rock and the Greenbelt" is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand and tap into the wonders of the woods and other natural areas. Learn about Heyerdahl Hill, one of the highest points on the Atlantic seaboard and the former Heyerdahl house and vineyard; Moses Mountain, a manmade 260-foot climb created out of landfill when Robert Moses began construction of the Richmond Parkway; Reed's Basket Willow Swamp, one of the most isolated of all the Greenbelt's parks in its northeast corner, and 17-acre Lake Ohrbach, created by a dam paid for by the owners of Ohrbach's Department Store.
The book is available at the Greenbelt Nature Center or online through the Greenbelt Conservancy. The cost is $29.99 plus New York sales tax, for a total of $32.60. Add $4 for U.S. shipping. If you purchase at either of these two locations, you support the work of the conservancy.
"High Rock and the Greenbelt" is also available at Clove Lake Bookstore, 1174 Victory Blvd., Sunnyside; Barnes & Noble, 2245 Richmond Ave., New Springville, and on amazon.com.
Hike the Greenbelt
There are more than 35 miles of trails to traverse in the Greenbelt’s 2,800 acres. Here’s a look at the major routes.
Provides an easy/moderate level hike that is 12.3 miles one way. This trail ascends from Staten Island Boulevard in Sunnyside to one of the highest points on the eastern coast (between Maine and Florida).
An easy/moderate hike, this trail measures 7.6 miles one way. Its southern end connects to Great Kills Park (Gateway National Recreation Area).
This is an easy/moderate, closed circuit hike that measures four miles in the middle of the Greenbelt. This loop begins and ends at Historic Richmond Town and St. Patrick’s Place off Richmond Road, in Richmond.
This moderate/difficult trail is eight miles one way, and brings hikers through Reeds Basket Willow Swamp. It ascends Todt Hill and then parallels the Blue Trail. Moses Mountain is located off the Yellow Trail.
Nature Center Trail
This one-mile trail begins at the footbridge called Mitchell Crossing to the left of the Nature Center, 700 Rockland Ave., Sea View. The level terrain is suitable for novice hikers. After the trail turns eastward, there is a native fern garden stretching out under a canopy of tall tulip, beech and birch trees. In spring, Canada mayflower, trout lilies and wild violets proliferate. This loop trail ends at the opposite side of the Nature Center from where it began.
SOURCE: Greenbelt Trail Map