New York City Region

While New York City is famous for its people, Broadway shows, sports and tourist sites, it has also become home to two outstanding state parks -- Riverbank State Park and Roberto Clemente State Park. Riverbank, located in Manhattan, offers great views along the Hudson River and serves as a great place for year-round recreational enjoyment. Its 28-acres include a ice rink, indoor pool, gymnasium, waterfront amphitheater, 400-meter, eight-lane running track, indoor theater, playing fields, playgrounds, picnic areas and the new Totally Kid Carousel, created by Milo Mottola and 37 children, whose designs were used to create the ride.

Roberto Clemente State Park, located along the Harlem River in the Bronx, offers year-round programs of sports and athletics, cultural and creative arts and gardening to New Yorkers from the immediate community and throughout the city, as well as a new playground courtesy of Saturn. Clay Pit Ponds Preserve, on Staten Island, is one of the few areas within the city that offers horseback riding, while Bayswater Point State Park in Queens, operated by the National Audubon Society, conducts tours of this delicate bird habitat. Visitors to Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park enjoy a thrilling view of the lower Manhattan skyline from its riverfront boardwalk in Brooklyn, while the annual summer outdoor sculpture show turns the park into an outdoor art gallery.