Forest Park

I love Forest Park since I'm a kid! We were there yesterday and today, had an amazing hike! It's so beautiful and peaceful to be out in nature! Those of us who grew up there an artist painted along the Footbridge paintings of the horses the Stables, the Dome, Carousel and many other places we know from way back! It was nostalgic to say the least!

Forest Park is where Queens quietly flexes its natural muscle. Nestled between Kew Gardens and Woodhaven, this 543-acre sanctuary is a runner’s dream and a hiker’s playground. The terrain is shaped by the ancient Harbor Hill Moraine, a glacial legacy that left behind rolling hills and kettle ponds. You’re not just jogging through a park, you’re tracing the contours of Ice Age history.

The trails here are legit. Soft dirt paths wind through 165 acres of oak forest, some trees over 150 years old. It’s the largest continuous oak stand in Queens, and it feels like stepping into a forgotten woodland tucked inside the city’s pulse. Runners get elevation, shade, and solitude. Hikers get bridle paths, bird calls, and the occasional deer sighting. You can even rent a horse if you want to take the high road, literally.

There’s a running track, tennis courts, dog runs, and a golf course modeled after Scottish links. The George Seuffert Sr. Bandshell hosts free concerts in summer, and the carousel near Forest Park Drive still spins with old-school charm. Migratory birds pass through in spring and fall, making this a hotspot for birders and romantics alike.

Forest Park is not just beautiful. It’s layered. It’s lived-in. It’s the kind of place where you can train for a half marathon in the morning, take your kid to the playground in the afternoon, and catch a jazz set under the stars at night.

Filed under: places that make you forget you’re in New York until the Q55 rolls by and reminds you you’re exactly where you belong.

It was great. Went hiking on the trails. Definitely recommend. The tracks are beautiful. It is better/safer to go with company than alone.

Haven't been here since before covid happened back in 2019-2020ish. Back when it was winter an you could see everything. Wish there were more wildlife. Love the trails I walked nearly 10 miles today to an from the park.

This is the tenth largest park in NYC and third in Queens. It consists of 543 acres of flatlands and hills, and simple to hard trails with 165 acres of forest. It provides oxygen, shelter, jobs, water, nourishment and fuel. It’s larger than Central Park. It has playgrounds, carousel, running track, two dog runs, pond, tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball fields, skate park and an 18-hole golf course, five cultural institutions, raccoons, owls, hawks, birds, butterflies and other wildlife! It was a comfortable easy walk!