Western Shore
Leaving the flat shores behind, climb inland along Staten Island's dramatic spine, tracing the high ridges where British sentries once kept watch over the shipping channels below—charting a course that ultimately leads down to the storied Conference House.
During the American Revolution, Staten Island was a formidable British stronghold, its population largely loyal to the Crown and deeply resistant to Continental trade boycotts. In early 1776, Patriot General Charles Lee attempted to deny supplies to the enemy by forcibly removing the island's livestock to New Jersey, sparking intense hostility from local farmers. By July 1776, the British army had landed thousands of troops, placing the island under strict military rule for the next seven years.
At a Glance
- Route
- From the interior ridge at Historic Richmond Town, west along the Arthur Kill through Freshkills Park, concluding at Conference House Park
- Distance
- 18 miles
- Duration
- Full day by bicycle; two full-day segments on foot
- Difficulty
- Moderate (includes steep elevation climbs up the interior ridge lines)
- Best Season
- Spring and fall for migratory birds; summer for public programs and Historic Richmond Town events
Leaving the flat shores behind, climb inland along Staten Island's dramatic spine, tracing the high ridges where British sentries once kept watch over the shipping channels below charting a course that ultimately leads down to the storied Conference House.
The Interior Ridge & Command Centers
Beginning inland on the island's highest natural ground, this section follows the ancient ridgeline that British forces used as a lookout over both the interior valleys and the Arthur Kill shipping channels, before descending into the colonial seat at Richmond Town.
Billiou-Stillwell-Perine House
1476 Richmond RoadThe oldest standing building on the island (c. 1662), featuring heavy stone masonry and massive fireplaces.
Lighthouse Hill & The Staten Island Range Light
Perched on one of the highest natural points of the island's interior ridgeline, Lighthouse Hill serves as a soaring bridge between maritime necessity and neighborhood history. The summit is crowned by the Staten Island Range Light, a stark, 90-foot octagonal brick tower erected in 1912. Though situated miles inland and nestled among residential streets, this historic beacon still flashes its vital light high above the trees, perfectly aligning with the West Bank Light out in the Lower Bay to guide massive container ships safely through the treacherous waters of the Ambrose Channel.
The Voorlezer's House (c. 1696)
The oldest surviving schoolhouse in America, which simultaneously served its Dutch Reformed congregation as a church and community hall.
Stephens-Black House & Treasure House
A grand nineteenth-century home illustrating post-Revolutionary wealth, and a nearby c. 1700 structure local legend claims hid a cache of British gold during the war.
The Reclaimed Green
Descending from the ridge, the route enters a landscape reclaimed from environmental catastrophe—2,200 acres of engineered wilderness rising from what was once the world's largest landfill.
New Springville Greenway
Along Richmond Avenue near the Staten Island Mall feeds into the Freshkills complex, providing a true off-road corridor after the more fragmented segments further south.
Freshkills Park
350 Wild AvenueMoving inland from the Arthur Kill corridor, you arrive at a different kind of waterfront: one reclaimed from the very edge of environmental catastrophe. A 2,200-acre project transforming the world's largest landfill into a park.
North Mound
A literal overlay of new green over old waste features divided walking and cycling paths that wind comfortably along Main Creek and adjacent meadows.
The Arthur Kill Rim
The final leg hugs the fragile rim of the Arthur Kill—a tidal waterway that once ferried Dutch sloops and British men-of-war—culminating in a grand finale at the southernmost tip of the state, where a stone manor witnessed the last failed attempt to avert full-scale war.
Blazing Star Cemetery (Sleight Family Graveyard)
Arthur Kill Road & Rossville AvenueLocated near the intersection of Arthur Kill Road and Rossville Avenue, this small cemetery — established around 1740 — preserves headstones from some of the area's earliest Dutch and English families including local patriots of the Mersereau family.
Witte Marine Scrap Yard
2453 Arthur Kill RoadIn Rossville, this "hauntingly beautiful" ship graveyard features a legendary collection of decommissioned ferries, tugs, and merchant barges dissolving in the tidal shallows. Rusted hulls list heavily in the mud, their decomposing forms slowly being reclaimed by the salt marsh.
Conference House (Billopp House)
7455 Hylan BoulevardA grand 1680 stone manor and National Historic Landmark. Informal shore-access points nearby allow you to walk down to where Raritan Bay curls around the point. This was the site of the September 11, 1776 Staten Island Peace Conference, at which British Admiral Lord Richard Howe met with a Continental delegation — Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Edward Rutledge — in a last attempt at negotiation before full-scale war.
Aakawaxung Munahanung
A 20-acre section of the park officially designated as an archaeological site ("Island Protected from the Wind") honoring the ancient heritage of the Lenape people
Getting Here
| Stop / Location | Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| St. George Terminal | Ferry | SI Ferry from Whitehall Terminal |
| Tottenville | Rail | SIR south from St. George; 55 minutes |
| Prince's Bay | Rail | SIR for Wolfe's Pond extension |
| Eltingville | Rail | SIR for Freshkills connection |
| Hylan Blvd | Bus | S59 or S78 for Conference House |
| Arthur Kill Road | Bus | S74 bus — Rossville to Eltingville Transit Center |
Community Logs
Photos, ratings, and quick tips from people who've made the trip.
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