Mar 12, 20222 min read

Alley Pond Park

Updated: May 20, 2022

Welcome back readers! This is Alley Pond Park, one of the largest NYC Public Parks in Queens! Alley Pond Park has multiple entrances along Cross Island Parkway, Springfield Boulevard, and Union Turnpike all of which are most easily accessible by bus! Since a majority of the park is located in areas considered "the outskirts of Queens" part of the commute may involve transferring from trains to busses for many of you. The most common routes for getting to the park include the following:

From the Kew Gardens Union Turnpike Station transferring to the Q46 Glen Oaks or Lake Success bound busses.
From Jamaica 179 Street Station transferring to the Q43 Floral Park bus.
The Q27 or Q30 busses from Bayside or Fresh Meadows towards Glen Oaks.

History

Activities and Adventures

This park has both an athletic playground and open park space for other activities. The athletic playground has tennis courts, baseball fields, outdoor gym equipment, rock climbing walls, and challenge courses. A tennis court can be reserved for use by visiting nycparks.gov.

There are multiple playgrounds and designated spaces for a dog park and picnic/barbecue area. Barbecue areas contain grills and campfires surrounded by picnic tables and water fountains.

The park has both dirt and paved trails for biking, running, and hiking. There are designated rest stops at which water fountains and bike locks are readily available. These trails span miles long connecting to other parks around Queens such as Cunningham Park.

Along these trails you will spot many nature reserves, ponds, and enclosed habitats which are part of the Alley Pond Park Environmental Center (reference the pictures below). Since the beginning of spring, the park has enclosed small gardens to encourage pollination.