3. Alley Pond Park, Queens

Its renowned dedication to preserving the environment and wildlife, Alley Pond Park is thus one of the best places to explore nature. Due to its glacier-formed moraine, the park has several wetlands, tidal flats, meadows and forests. Though its trails are shorter than those on this list, there’s a great abundance of them.

The Blue, Green, Orange, White and Yellow Trails as well as the Ralph Sloman trail all start on Winchester Boulevard and wind through kettle ponds and a hardwood forest and provide stunning marsh views. The Tulip Tree Trail starts on Cloverdale Boulevard. All of these trails are actually less than a mile long, so you might want to map out which combinations to try before coming. This park is easily accessible by taking the E or F train to Union Turnpike and then the Q46. The adventurous can go in search of the oldest tree in New York City, located in Alley Pond Park.