A hidden gem, located in North Eastern Queens. This little place is full of wild life. 2 resident…read moreswans, plenty of ducks, an occasional hawk, and other birds that I don't know the names of. The walk around the lake is about 1/3 mile? Maybe 1/2 mile? And just about the entire walk is under shade. Walk toward the back side and you wouldn't know you were in NYC. No traffic noise. Great place to walk and sit and watch wildlife.

Oakland Lake is a peaceful, natural escape tucked right into the Bayside and Oakland Gardens…read moreneighborhoods of Queens, NYC. Review aggregators and local trailgoers generally highlight several key aspects of the park: The place offers a dramatic contrast to the urban surroundings. When you are in the area it feels like you have left the city, with a backdrop of mature trees and steep shorelines. The lake acts as a crucial rest stop for migrating waterfowl. Visitors commonly spot Canada Geese, Mallards, Trumpeter Swans, and Herring Gulls, making it a favorite destination for local birders. The Oakland Lake Path is a popular, sometimes busy route. It is relatively flat and easy, with trailgoers highly recommending a visit from March through October for the best scenery. The lake is noted for being somewhat deep (up to 20 feet) compared to other NYC ponds. It is stocked and known for its populations of bass, sunfish, and pickerel.

The Pat Dolan Trail, also known as the Willow Lake Trail, seems to be unknown and unused. I am the…read morefirst reviewer here on Yelp. I added an entry separate from Flushing Meadows, because this is the swampy area to the south of the developed part. People coming here would be someplace very different than there, and vice versa of course. This is heavily wooded and runs across Willow Lake. The first time I tried to access this trail, when I moved to Queens, I was not able to find it. The foliage had grown up around the path. My phone map also did not offer the best directions. But somebody must have cleared out or trimmed back what was obscuring my view, and perhaps the phone has acquired more data. The directions were clear. At either entry point, there is a pedestrian bridge over the respective highway. Basically, if you don't know where you are headed, you will need your phone, these notes, or persistence. Now that I am familiar with it, I anticipate using this regularly. I could see hiking this for fun. I used it as a walker trying to make my way from Kew Gardens Hills, where I live, over to Forest Hills, where the subway, LIRR, and restaurants are. It took a good 40 minutes, but if you value the exercise and break, with an opportunity to be far enough into the wilderness you can neither see nor hear traffic, this is worthwhile. I saw one other person. The path was muddy from rain, but not impassable; you would not do this in nice clothes. There is another route for me from Kew Gardens Hills to Forest Hills (and the other way around), which is on Jewel. From where I work, that is closer. But from my home, it would be another half mile, and while I enjoy running, this is utilitarian, about commuting on foot. Jewel also has lots of traffic and two dangerous moments with highway on/off ramps. I'm also a biker. I believe you could bike this. It wouldn't be the best route. By bike, I'd still use Jewel. The last note concerns safety. When I got lost, I wandered around Willow Lake. There was evidence of a couple of encampments, probably in active use. So I am led to believe there may be a few people living in these environs. I also would assume if you were jumped, it would be a real problem given how isolated it is. So you should be aware of your surroundings, and if you are nervous then this is not for you.

The Pat Dolan Trail: Where Butterflies Go to Die ​You see…read morethis sign, right? "Pat Dolan Trail." Sounds nice, sounds like a place where families go on a Sunday to forget they're poor. It's even got a website on it, in brass, like the city really cares. Brass and chain-link fences. That's New York for you. Wrapping a little nature in wire and giving it a dead person's name. I looked at the sign, felt the sun on my neck, and I knew this wasn't going to lead to a quiet brook and a bottle of gin. ​I kept walking, and there's another sign. This one tries harder. It's got a little story about a World's Fair and freshwater wetlands and, would you look at that, monarch butterflies. They painted them right on the sign, like they could keep them there. And some kid named Paul scrawled his name on it, too, right next to "Pam," and some other garbage about butterflies. Good for Paul. He's immortal now. A monument to some sweaty afternoon, scratched onto a sign that tells you to watch your step because it might get wet. As if life doesn't always manage to get wet and muddy when you least expect it. "We strongly recommend hiking boots," the sign says. Yeah. Or a strong stomach and a disregard for where you end up. ​Then you hit the bridge. This ain't no golden gate. It's a cage. A tunnel of shadow and wire, arching over nothing you want to see. The shadows on the concrete look like the ghosts of all the good intentions that died trying to build this place. A brown dog is standing there, he's my dog Philip and he's in the middle of it all, not moving, just waiting. A good dog. He knows. There's a red metal wall blocking his view, or maybe my view. Doesn't matter. It's a red wall in a cage, and the sun is trying like hell to burn through the mesh, and it feels like the kind of place where a man could stand and write bad poetry for an hour until his last beer runs warm. ​And finally, you get there. You walk through the cage, past the butterfly sign and Paul's legacy, and you get to the end. The real destination. A view of the subway trains, all lined up like silver coffins waiting for the morning rush. They're behind a massive fence, of course. Everything is. Barbed wire, concrete, a bright orange plastic barrier looking like a lonely, plastic tongue stuck out at the world. The sun is hot, reflecting off the metal, making you squint at a city that doesn't care that you're looking. It's a yard for the machines that move people to jobs they hate. It's beautiful, in a godforsaken kind of way. It's honest. No monarchs, just metal and dust and the long, slow rumble of everything breaking down. ​It's a good trail. If you like cages, broken dreams, and the smell of hot cities. It will show you the truth, if you can stand it. Most people can't. They want the butterfly sign to be real. This trail, the Pat Dolan Trail, it knows they're lying. I had another beer, my dog at my side, lifebis good, but the sun kept burning.

A wonderful place for walks and relaxation. Very beautiful landscape. The park is located on a hill…read moreoverlooking the ocean. Unfortunately, the museum was closed, but we will try to come back here in the spring. When you decide to visit this place, keep in mind that parking here costs $15.

We went to a wedding here at the house they have the property, and it was beautiful. The service…read morewas great and the food was excellent.

Beautiful surroundings. Historical locale. Wonderful pool. Stunning sunsets over the bridge.read more

Believe the reviews: the staff here are incredibly aggressive. There is a right way to talk to…read morepeople, and then there is a hostile, nasty way--which is the default style here. ​The rules make no sense, either. The signs say "shower before getting into the pool," yet I was yelled at to shower just for walking to a lounge chair with my towel. If you have to shower the moment you step onto the deck, change the signs to reflect that. ​Dealing with the public is hard, but the staff here are completely miserable and looking for a fight. Save yourself the headache and go elsewhere.

This review is way overdue since I have gone on quite a few day trips with Hines by now but better…read morelate than never! I've used a couple of different tour companies in the past but what set Hines apart from them is that the guides are very knowledgable and professional (not some kids out of high school) and they truly seem to love what they do. Also, food and snacks are included in the price which wasn't the case with the other companies. So far I've been to numerous gorgeous waterfalls, gone hiking in the mountains, went to visit caves, been on a dolphin watch trip, and I have visited Amish country (and rode in a buggy - so much fun!). Since I can't always go on a long vacation during the summer and fall, I feel like I can still get some mini-vacation-time in with these day trips. These guys are truly the best, five stars all the way!

Two single day trips visiting gems on both sides of the Delaware River…read more This past season, I did two separate day trips with Hines tours. Both trips began in Northwest NJ & ended in PA; one of the trips then made a stop in NJ afterwards. The first trip was to Abraham Staats House South Bound Brook, NJ which dates back to the Revolutionary War.  Even as a NJ native, I never knew this place existed. The place was fascinating with period rooms, artifacts, and a performer on an instrument called a Hammered Dulcimer. We were then treated to a battle re-enactment done by actual descendants of the Revolutionary War.  We then went to Ringing Rocks Park in Upper Black Eddy, PA. We first walked on a trail leading us to a beautiful waterfall. What makes the park unique is the park's boulder rocks that do actually ring when you tap them with a hammer (hammers not included but some guests brought their own). On the second trip, the first stop was in Sussex county NJ at Sterling Mine Mineral Museum. This had been a working zinc mine until 1986 and opened as a Museum in 1989. We first toured the museum which housed their extensive gem collection. The museum space had been repurposed from the miners' locker room and had preserved the original lockers and the shower sprouts used by the miners. Our phenomenal tour guide then took us through the underground mine explaining the minerals and equipment used in the mines. We were immersed in the life of a daily miner including the demographics of the miners, different job specialties in the mine, and how miners were matched with their jobs in the mines. Our guide also explained the importance of zinc in our everyday lives and I now have added zinc to my daily regimen & feel better for that piece of advice. Our guide described how brilliant fluorescent minerals were accidentally discovered & we were treated to a brilliant light show both in the mines & at the Florescent Mineral Museum. After lunch, we drove over the Delaware River to Bushkill Falls in Poconos PA.These Falls, dubbed the Niagara Falls of PA, is a popular destination boasting 8 Waterfalls. Nik led a tour for those who wanted to join and hit all the waterfalls. Otherwise people could visit the falls at their own pace. Each waterfall was more spectacular than the last. There was plenty of viewing areas with places to sit and be mesmerized by the falls. Bonus that we saw the falls on a perfect sunny fall day.  During the first trip, on our way back to NYC, we then made a bonus stop at Red Hill Museum in Clinton NJ. This museum is highly photographed and had been on my bucket list but hadn't had the opportunity to visit as it's not too accessible by public transportation. We toured the mill and learned about the family who owned the mill, the industrial process, and life in the 1800s at the mill. For example, we saw a model school house which had listed on the wall not only the rules for students but also the rules to which rules teachers had to adhere during those times. The town itself was quaint and picturesque. I cannot recommend Hines Tours enough for a dosage of adventure, history, education, and fun.

This "largest continuous span of oak forest in Queens" was impressive. What I liked most about it…read morewas that it has natural (unpaved) trails, if you exclude Forest Park Drive which is closed to traffic. And the trails were lined with beautiful tall trees providing gorgeous shade. For parking, there's a huge lot behind the carousel on the other side of Woodhaven Boulevard, and it's a quick, easy walk to the park entrance down a gentle slope. The trails are not wheelchair accessible but Forest Park Drive is. I'm grateful for the maintenance of this green space.

This park is awesome. Huge and many different trails to explore. To my knowledge there is a Blue,…read moreorange and green trails and they are marked by their colors. If you know your way around you can find many different paths and areas. There is also an old train line that is not in use any more. In the fall the sights are divine!

Ruff Hikers is the absolute best thing you can do for your dog! I've never seen my pup Rudy jump up…read moreand down and lose his mind as much as he does when he sees Monika. She is so genuinely excited to care for your dogs and provide the best enrichment possible: being outside in nature. Monika runs with the pups through the woods and plays a ton of games with them. Rudy is not only physically tired but mentally wiped out when he gets home. I've brought Rudy to other daycares, etc. before and he never reacts the way he does when he sees Monika. Once he is with her there's no looking back -- he jumps right in her car with her! Which is crazy since he's attached to me. I can count on one hand the number of people I'm comfortable leaving Rudy with and Monika is at the top of the list. She makes you and your pup feel like you're the only ones in the world, pays attention to detail for their care and truly loves them and plays with them. A lot of dog care centers turn into a money grab but I know Monika truly cares for and loves all of the dogs she has. I've never experienced a better care for my pup. She is the BEST!!

From the owner: Ruff Hikers provides city canines with the outdoor experience their primitive desires call for. Our…read morehikes offer great physical exercise for dogs and help to boost their overall well-being. Your dog will come home happy and tired at the end of each hiking day!

I love this park. It is dog friendly, people and of course kid friendly. Large park with tennis…read morecourts and pickle ball courts and always busy with players as early as 6:30 am. This park has 2 clean bathrooms. A lot of people go there to run, walk and hangout on break from work or just a beautiful day in the park. This park has a duck pond and benches to enjoy the view of the turtles and the duckies.

Needs a lot more care. No hot water in the bathroom. Doors in bathroom are too small and short…read moreand need to be replaced. large branches and trees left dangling for trimming. This is extremely dangerous as it can fall on a person. Multiple dogs off of leash all over the place with no enforcement, grass not trimmed. No mitigation of serious tick infestation.

It's a beautiful day to be surrounded by nature…read more My parent's house in Oakland Gardens is close to Alley pond park, so I am able to walk the trails anytime I want. There are no sharp inclines or steep, rocky hills. I like to walk these trails to admire nature and all it's worth. The lake that I came across while walking today made me want to jump in and swim(not sure if that's allowed). Aside from the trails, there are other little playgrounds in the area that might appeal to children.

I have always enjoyed coming to this park due to its natural scenery, trails, and amenities. I…read moreappreciated its suitability for various activities like walking, jogging, biking, and birdwatching, along with sports facilities like tennis and baseball fields, as well as its family-friendly features such as playgrounds, fields, and picnic areas. Thumbs up to their Environmental Center which is very helpful in providing educational programs. I like the availability of car parking and multiple entrances, though some trails are better than others. The best part that I enjoy in this park is it marks the start/end of the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway trail path, it is historic, a scenic trail for walking, running, and biking, a beautiful, green space that offers a break from the city, and the paved path connects it to other parks. The trail path extends about 3 miles which makes it a 6 miles trekking distance out and back. In most weekend mornings, there is a great chance that you might see me walking/biking on this trail, so, see you there.

I started coming to Cunningham Park in 2021 but never thought to share my experience, why? Well,…read morebefore I became an Elite, I thought yelping was just about restaurant. So visiting the park today I found it to really chilly and active with a good amount of parkgoers. Cunningham Park in 1934, the space has developed into headquarters for countless athletic leagues, animals, playmates, and barbecue enthusiasts. Cunningham Park got it's name in 1934, this park has developed into a headquarters for countless athletic leagues, animals, playmates, and barbecue enthusiasts. I had a BBQ here once I had to get here early and they is information on when you need to reserve a spot. I see that they installed EV charging units with solar panels. This is an upgrade because Electric Vehicles weren't able to get a charge before. Believe it or not, this place provides opportunities for kite flyers, if I'm not mistaken, I may have flew one here once. The bathroom were decent but people over packed the trash cans around the track which is very unattractive but hey, it takes Every Kinda People, to make this world go around, Robert Palmer said that, I didn't. Just another opportunity to ... Inspire more, Yelp more!

Very nice park! Very big, tons of areas for walking, playing, picnics and family time!read more