Sam Slaton, Bike New York’s  Director of Communications, recently purchased a Surly Ogre, so naturally he looks for any excuse to go for an off-road excursion. For that, he heads to Staten Island (a.k.a. “Shaolin,” according to several of its most famous natives), where there are plenty of trails to play around on. For the final entry in our series of staff ride suggestions, Slaton leads us to a park along the coast. Click here to see this route on Google Maps. Read what Sam had to say about it, below, and if you have a Staten Island ride to suggest, share it with us in the comments!

When my 26-mile commute starts to get monotonous, and the Arkansan in me yearns for woods a little wilder than those in Prospect Park, I head out to Wolfe’s Pond Park on Staten Island’s South Shore for some mountain biking. From the Staten Island Ferry, weave your way for 13 miles through suburbia before finally slipping in among the sweetgum, hickory, and oak trees of the park. Once you’ve made it to the trails, the only thing left to do is decide whether you’ll go easy on the greens, up the ante on the blues, or go all out on the blacks. No matter your skill level, you’ll find what you came for—a blast and a much-needed breath of fresh air.