Hidden Staten Island gems: Exploring Mount Loretto Unique Area

Editor’s Note: The writer of this piece is a student enrolled in the Advance/SILive.com High School Journalism Immersion program at Staten Island Technical High School.The program’s goal is to encourage young people to learn more about community journalism.The photo series that features today’s story focuses on some of the borough’s lesser-known natural places.

New York’s Staten Island — The rest of New York City frequently ignores Staten Island, the forgotten borough. However, it has some of the most fascinating history and is full of hidden gems that are just waiting to be discovered.

Anyone is welcome to visit the Mount Loretto Unique Area, which has a view of Prince’s Bay, and admission is free.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which is in charge of the property, claims that bald eagles, purple martens, and deer are among the many animal species that call the area home.

The terrain, which is both flat and hilly, is ideal for riding in the summer and sledding in the winter.

According to the DEC, the hundreds of acres of woodland, meadows, wetlands, and maritime shoreline that make up the Mount Loretto Unique Area make it a great site to hike and one of the best spots in the area to see migratory birds.

The property—which included Mount Loretto—was utilized by the Archdiocese of New York in the 1880s to provide assistance to the area’s hungry, homeless, and crippled children and adults. The DEC website states that grants, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Trust for Public Land, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey worked together to purchase the property.

Some of the area’s highlights can be seen in the pictures below, which were captured this past fall.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which is in charge of the area, claims that the Mount Loretto Unique Area includes hundreds of acres of woodland, grasslands, wetlands, and coastal shoreline. (Daniela Diaz provided this.)Diaz, Daniela

Dogs and pedestrians must always stay on designated trails. The Department of Environmental Conservation website states that no one is permitted off path or asphalt without a permission and escort. (Image provided by Daniela Diaz.)Diaz, Daniela

Visitors can find inspirational remarks on a plaque on a seat at Mount Loretto. (Daniela Diaz provided this.)Diaz, Daniela

Just before dusk, a vista of the Mount Loretto Unique Area. (Daniela Diaz provided this.)Diaz, Daniela

The region is included in the Open Space Conservation plan of the Department of Conservation, which acts as a guide for land conservation initiatives in the state of New York. (Daniela Diaz provided this.)Diaz, Daniela

In the Mount Loretto Unique Area, the Shrine of the Immaculate Virgin is a monument that provides comfort to those who frequently leave tributes and prayer cards in memory of a loved one. (Daniela Diaz provided this.)Diaz, Daniela

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