High Rock Park

Richmond Pkwy., Manor Rd., Summit Ave., Rockland Ave., and Moravian Cemetary

Staten Island, 10304, 10306

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

Often referred to as one of the most tranquil places in New York City, High Rock Park is noted for its quiet ponds and deep woods. Hosting the Greenbelt Conservancy’s headquarters, the park has been recognized as a Natural Environmental Education Landmark.

Over the past two centuries, prominent Staten Island families including the Vanderbilts, Flaggs, Conners, Ebbets, and Tonkings have occupied parts of this land. In the 1930s, the Boy Scouts Council owned the land, receiving thousands of campers every year. In 1951, the Boy Scouts sold the property to the Girl Scouts Council of Greater New York. Gretta Moulton (1912-1971), an energetic camping consultant from Massachusetts, helped with the Girl Scout Camp’s program. Recognizing the magnificent beauty of this place, she worked to preserve it from the growing pressures of urban development.