Forest Park

Forest Park is a 538-acre park stretching across the neighborhoods of Woodhaven, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, and Richmond Hill in central Queens. The park preserves one of the last remaining stands of native hardwood forest in the city, with mature oaks, hickories, and tulip trees growing on the terminal moraine, the ridge of glacial debris that bisects Queens.

The park's forest is an ecological treasure: unlike the designed landscapes of Central Park and Prospect Park, Forest Park's woodland represents a natural forest that has grown continuously on this site since the retreat of the Wisconsin glacier over 10,000 years ago. The forest supports populations of hawks, owls, woodpeckers, and over 100 species of migrating birds.

Forest Park's Oak Ridge Trail, a 3.5-mile hiking loop, is one of the finest urban forest walks in the metropolitan area. The trail passes through mature forest, along rocky ridges, and past the park's many glacial erratics (boulders deposited by the retreating ice sheet). The forest canopy creates a cathedral-like atmosphere that feels far removed from the surrounding city.

The park includes the Forest Park Golf Course, a challenging 18-hole public course set amid the old-growth trees; the Seuffert Bandshell, an outdoor concert venue; an historic carousel; horseback riding trails; tennis courts; baseball diamonds; and multiple playgrounds. The park's Victory Field track serves runners and walkers year-round.

Forest Park sits atop the terminal moraine, the geological formation that marks the furthest advance of the glacier across Long Island. This ridge creates the hilly terrain that gives the park its dramatic topography and distinguishes central Queens from the flat coastal plain to the south.

Forest Park is one of New York City's most significant natural parks, preserving an ancient forest within one of the most densely populated metropolitan areas on Earth. For the neighborhoods that surround it, the park provides daily access to a wilderness experience that most urbanites can only find hours outside the city.