Come to Freshkills Park on August 2 for an opportunity to discover the trails and hills of the landfill-to-park project! The Freshkills Alliance is opening up the future North Park and miles of additional interior trails along East Park for walking, bicycling, jogging and exploring. Spectacular landscapes and panoramic views await you!
Kayak Staten Island will lead a free kayaking program from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the Fresh Kill and Main Creek waterways, bicycles will be available for riding around the trails, and a bus to the scenic overlook will run throughout the day. Guided tours on wildlife, landfill infrastructure, and park planning will also be offered; artist Tattfoo Tan will lead a group bike ride as part of his project NERTM; and kite making and kite flying returns to the overlook. Visitors are encouraged to bring their sketchbooks and cameras to document the park in progress, bring their walking shoes and water to hike the site, and to pack a picnic or get lunch from event food trucks.
Shuttles into the site will run continuously from parking at Wild Avenue to the creek of North Park, and on a scheduled basis from St. George Ferry Terminal (see below for the shuttle schedule). Visitors including bicycle riders and dog owners can walk or bike into the site at 350 Wild Avenue and do not need to take a shuttle.
All ages are welcome, and this event is free. The site will be open from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., with the last entrance at 3:30pm.
SHUTTLE BUS SCHEDULE: From St. George Ferry Terminal to Freshkills Park, departing at 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. From Freshkills Park to St. George Ferry Terminal, departing at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 4 p.m. (last bus).
Please note that visitors are encouraged to bring water, as there are limited locations inside the site where water will be available. Visitors may bring their dog on a leash and personal bikes, but personal kayaks or canoes will not be permitted. Standard NYC Parks rules apply: remain on paved trails, no smoking, no littering, no consumption of alcohol, do not enter restricted or closed areas, do not tamper with infrastructure, no unleashed dogs, no feeding or disturbing wildlife, no barbequing or open fires, no unauthorized vehicles or ATVs, and no unauthorized commercial activity.
The Freshkills Park Alliance is the not-for-profit partner with the City of New York in its work to develop Freshkills Park. The Alliance helps ensure the Park’s evolution and continuing operation by raising necessary financial resources, promoting environmental research and ecological restoration, engaging advocates and volunteers, and sponsoring a broad range of recreational, cultural, and educational programs for the public.
The Freshkills Park Alliance supports the transformation of the Fresh Kills Landfill into an extraordinary 2,200 acre urban park that will be a model for sustainable waterfront land reclamation, a source of pride for Staten Island and New York City, and a gift of open space for generations to come.