Broad Channel American Park & Sunset Cove Park Hiking Trails

Broad Channel Park and Sunset Cove together create a vibrant, 28-acre waterfront park with over 15 acres of Forever Wild natural area. The parks offer expansive views of Jamaica Bay and the sunset over the Manhattan skyline. Formerly the location of an abandoned marina, the park was closed for over a decade while undergoing a massive restoration effort and the first phase was completed in 2019. One thousand cubic yards of debris and nearly 30,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil were removed and replaced with 16,000 tons of clean sand. In addition, 4.5 acres of salt marsh and seven acres of maritime upland were created to improve habitat and water quality, increase carbon sequestration, and reduce wave and wind impact during storms. Finally, a walking trail and boardwalk were constructed, the latter partially built using reclaimed wood from the Rockaway Boardwalk destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Blue Trail: Beginning by the baseball fields, this 0.5 mile out-and-back trail meanders south on wide sandy paths between the baseball field to the west and a meadow of rushes and saltwater-loving shrubs to the east. When the path meets the shore of Jamaica Bay, turn west and continue along the beach until it ends, then return the way you came.

Interactive Map

Points of Interest

Broadwalk Overlook

The boardwalk that extends from the parking lot over the salt marsh was constructed in part using reclaimed lumber from the Rockaway Boardwalk destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. At the end of the boardwalk, there is a shaded outdoor classroom area, complete with binoculars and inset interpretive tools which illustrate the seasonal changes in the sun's position relative to Earth.

View Broadwalk Overlook on the map

Hiking in NYC Parks

Visit our Hiking in NYC Parks page to find more nature trails in parks across New York City.