Trail Trips for South Brooklynites

Occasional weekend and holiday bus service from major transit hubs in Southern Brooklyn to trailheads of the Staten Island Greenbelt, the 2,800-acre, tree-covered trail network that runs through the center of the borough. (It's an underutilized resource, and a bucolic hidden gem!) A similar program exists in Seattle (https://trailheaddirect.org/) that makes more rustic hiking more accessible to residents without private vehicles.

Residents of Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Borough Park don't have a ton of access to large park space. Local neighborhood parks like Bush Terminal, Sunset Park, and Owl's Head Park are great, but don't provide the awe-inspiring sense of being in nature like many of the city's far larger parks do. There's tons of research highlighting the mental and physical health benefits of exposure to natural settings like the Greenbelt. Plus, the short bus ride would provide for community-building opportunities among hiking enthusiasts and the hiking curious.

Youth (under 24)

Older Adults (65 +)

Limited English Speakers

Immigrants / Migrants

Parents