Most people who take the Staten Island Ferry — and it’s worth taking for the views alone — walk off at St. George, look around for fifteen minutes, and get back on the boat. They are missing the island’s best-kept secret: a ride to the southern tip on the Staten Island Railway, one of the most underrated transit experiences in New York City, leading to one of its oldest and wildest landscapes.
Conference House Park sits at the southernmost point of New York State. It combines coastal preserves, maritime forest, beach trails, and the oldest stone house in New York City — and on most Saturdays, you can walk the whole thing without seeing more than a handful of other people.
The Staten Island Railway: A Hidden Pleasure in Itself
Start your day with the Staten Island Railway — the only rapid transit line in New York City that doesn’t connect to the subway system. Board at St. George Terminal (accessible directly from the ferry) and ride it all the way to Tottenville, the last stop. The ride takes about 45 minutes and passes through a cross-section of Staten Island that most visitors never see: mid-island residential neighborhoods, wooded hillsides, and the gradually quieting streetscape as the island thins toward its southern tip.
The railway is included with a MetroCard or OMNY tap — no additional fare — and the ride itself is worth doing for the views and the novelty of riding a line that feels genuinely different from the rest of the MTA system.
Conference House Park
From Tottenville station, it’s a short walk to Conference House Park, which occupies the southwestern tip of Staten Island. The park takes its name from the Conference House at 7455 Hylan Boulevard — a 1680 stone manor house that is one of the oldest surviving structures in New York City and a National Historic Landmark. The house was the site of a failed 1776 peace conference between British Lord Howe and American representatives including Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, a meeting that failed to end the Revolutionary War. The house is managed by the Conference House Association.
The park itself offers several miles of trails through coastal forest, along bluffs above the Arthur Kill waterway, and down to sandy beaches on the island’s southern shore. The Greenbelt trail system extends north from here into the 2,800-acre Staten Island Greenbelt, meaning you can walk as far into the island’s interior as you want from this southern entry point.
The bluff trails above the water offer views across to New Jersey’s Raritan Bay — on a clear day you can see the shore of Sandy Hook in the distance. The maritime forest along the trail is dense and old, quite different from the manicured parks of the more visited northern shore.
Lemon Creek Park
On the way back north, if you have time, detour to Lemon Creek Park on the southern shore — accessible by the s78 bus along Hylan Boulevard. Lemon Creek is a quiet neighborhood park with a tidal creek, salt marsh, and a small beach that draws local families. It’s a good spot for birdwatching: the marsh habitat supports herons, egrets, and shorebirds, and the area is known as a migration corridor in spring and fall.
Snug Harbor (Northern Shore)
If you’re doing a full-island day, the northern end of Staten Island — accessible from St. George via the s40 bus — offers Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden at 1000 Richmond Terrace. The grounds of the former Sailors’ Snug Harbor (a 19th-century retirement home for sailors) include Greek Revival buildings, formal gardens, and a Chinese Scholar’s Garden that is one of the most authentic outside of China. The grounds are free to walk; individual garden and museum admissions vary.
What You Need to Know
- Getting there: Free Staten Island Ferry from Whitehall Terminal in lower Manhattan to St. George | Then the Staten Island Railway to Tottenville (last stop) — fare covered by MetroCard/OMNY, about 45 minutes
- Conference House Park: Walk from Tottenville station toward the water (south and west, about 10–15 minute walk); trails begin at the park entrance near the waterfront
- Conference House address: 7455 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10307
- Snug Harbor: 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island | s40 bus from St. George | Grounds free; individual attractions vary
- Time: Ferry + railway + Conference House walk = half day minimum; full island day is easily filled with these stops
- Best day: Saturday — the railway runs on a regular schedule, the park is quiet but accessible, and the ferry runs every 30 minutes
- Bring: Comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen (the bluff trails are exposed), and water — Tottenville has limited food options
Staten Island is New York City’s most overlooked borough, which means it’s also one of its most rewarding for anyone willing to take the trip. The ferry is free, the railway is covered by your MetroCard, and the landscape at the southern end of the island belongs to a New York that most residents have never seen.
For what else is happening on Staten Island this weekend, see our Staten Island Weekend Preview: Pride at Snug Harbor, Bike Tour, Shrek Jr.
