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Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve is state park of the U.S. state of New York, located on the southwestern shore of Staten Island.
The park is a 260-acre (1.1 km²) nature preserve, comprising wetlands, ponds, sand barrens, spring-fed streams, and woodlands. It includes pitch pine woods, and rare wildflowers such as cranberry, lizard-tail, possumhaw, and bog twayblade. The animal species found in the park include northern black racer snakes, box turtles, Fowler's toads, green frogs, and spring peepers. More than 170 bird species have been sighted in the park.
The park was created in 1976 after extensive lobbying by the Protectors of Pine Woods, a local conservation organization. The purpose of the preserve is to retain the unique ecology, as well as to provide educational and recreational opportunities, such a nature walks, pond ecology programs, and birdwatching. Horseback riding is permitted on 5 mi (8 km) of bridle paths. The park has two designated areas which are set aside for endangered species and which are off-limits to the public. Two hiking trails, the Abraham's Pond Trail, and the Ellis Swamp Trail, are open to the public near the park headquarters.
The park was the site of extensive mining of white kaolin clay in the 19th century that provided the raw material for bricks and terra cotta. After the abandonment of the quarrying operations, rainwater, natural springs, and vegetation filled in the pits. The preserve also contains archaeological evidence of settlements of the Lenape, early European settlers, and the Free Blacks of Sandy Ground.
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Protected Areas of New York |
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| National Park Service |
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| National Forests |
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| State Parks |
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Nature Conservancy
Preserves |
Eugene and Agnes Meyer Nature Preserve • Santanoni Preserve • Arthur W. Butler Memorial Sanctuary • Indian Brook Assemblage • Marrion Yarrow Preserve • Mildred E. Grierson Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary • Mount Holly Preserve • Long Pond Preserve • Mianus River Gorge Nature Preserve • Henry Morgenthau Preserve • Mount Holly Sanctuary • Otter Creek Preserve • Uplands Farm Nature Sanctuary • Atlantic Double Dunes • Pine Neck Nature Sanctuary • Long Island Center for Conservation • Ruth Wales Sanctuary • Calverton Ponds • Accabonac Harbor • Peconic Estuary Big Woods Preserve • Mashomack Nature Preserve • Montauk Mountain Preserve • Shadmoor Preserve • Andy Warhol Visual Arts Preserve • Coon Mountain Preserve • Gadway Sandstone Pavement Barrens • Silver Lake Bog Preserve • Spring Pond Bog Preserve • Everton Falls Preserve • Clintonville Pine Barrens • O.D. von Engeln Preserve at Malloryville • El Dorado Beach Preserve • Chaumont Barrens Preserve • Freund Wildlife Sanctuary • Lewis A. Swyer Preserve • Hannacroix Ravine Preserve • Kenrose Preserve • Limestone Rise Preserve • Whitbeck Memorial Grove • Stewart Preserve • Lordsland Conservancy • Nellie Hill Preserve • Pawling Nature Reserve • Roger Perry Memorial Preserve • Thompson Pond and Stissing Mountain Preserve • Schunemunk Mountain Preserve • Sam's Point Preserve • Christman Sanctuary • Lisha Kill Natural Area • Moccasin Kill Sanctuary • Denton Sanctuary • Lower Poultney River and Saddles Preserves • West Branch Preserve
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| State Forests |
Allen Lake • Altmar • Ambler • Armlin Hill • Arnold Lake • Artic China • Ashland Pinnacle • Baker School House • Bald Mountain • Balsam • Balsam Swamp • Barbour Brook • Basswood • Basswood Pond • Bates • Battenkill • Battle Hill • Beals Pond • Bear Creek • Bear Swamp • Bearpen Mountain • Beartown • Beaver Creek • Beaver Dams • Beaver Flow • Beaver Meadow • Beebe Hill • Berlin • Big Brook • Big Buck • Birdseye Hollow • Black Creek • Blenheim • Bobell • Bombay • Bonaparte's Cave • Boutwell Hill • Boyce Hill • Brasher Falls • Brokenstraw • Brookfield Railroad • Broome • Bryant Hill • Buck Hill • Bucks Brook • Buckton • Bucktooth • Bully Hill • Bumps Creek • Burnt-Rossman Hills • Burnt Hill • Bush Hill • Cadyville • Cairo Lockwood • Calhoun Creek • California Hill • California Road • Cameron Mills • Cameron • Canacadea • Canada Creek • Canaseraga • Cascade Valley • Cat Hollow • Cattaraugus • Catherineville • Catlin • Chalres E. Baker • Charleston • Chateaugay • Chautauqua Gorge • Chenango • Cherry Valley • Chestnut Woods • Cinnamon Lake • Clapper Hollow • Clark Hill • Cliffside • Clinton • Cobb Brook • Cobb Creek State Forest • Cold Creek • Cold Spring Brook • Cole Hill • Columbia Lake • Coon Hollow • Cotton Hill • Cotrell • Coventry • Coyle Hill • Coyote Flats • Crab Hollow • Crary Mills • Cuyler Hill • Daketown • Danby • Dannemora • Decatur • Deer River • Degrasse • Delaware • Depot Hill • Deruyter • Dobbins • Dog Hollow • Donahue Woods • Downerville • Dry Run • Dunkin's Reserve • Dutch Settlement • Dutton Ridge • Earlville • East Branch Fish Creek • East Osceola • East Otto • Edwin Hollow • Edwin Mountain • Eldridge Swamp • Elkdale • English Hill • Exeter • Fall Brook • Fairfield • Farmersville • Featherstonhaugh • Fire Fall • Fish Creek • Five Streams • Flat Rock • Florence Hill • Fort Jackson • Frank E. Jadwin • Franklin • Franklin 10 • Frozen Ocean • Furnace Creek • Gas Springs • Gates Hill • Gee Brook • Genegantslet • Gillies Hill • Glenmeal • Golden Hill • Goose Egg • Gorton Lake • Gould Corners • Groundry Hill • Grafton Lakes • Granger • Grant Powell • Grantville • Greenwood • Greenwood Creek • Griggs Gulf • Hall Island • Hammond Hill • Harris Hill • Harry E Dobbins • Hartwick • Harvey Mountain • Hatch Creek • Hawkins Pond • Hemlock Ridge • Hewitt • Hickok Brook • Hickory Lake • High Flats • High Knob • High Towers • High Woods • Hill Higher • Hiltonville • Hinckley • Hogsback • Honey Hill • Hooker Mountain • Hoxie Gorge • Huckleberry Ridge • Huntersfield • Hunts Pond • Independence River • Indian Pipe • Italy Hill • Jackson Hill • Jenksville • Jersey Hill • Karr Valley Creek • Kasoag • Keeney Swamp • Kennedy • Kerryville • Ketchumville • Kettlebail • Keyserkill • Klipnocky • Klondike • Knapp Station • Lafayetteville • Lake Desolation • Lassellsville • Lebanon • Leonard Hill • Lesser Wilderness • Lincklaen • Lincoln Mountain • Line Brook • Lonesome Bay • Long Pond • Lookout • Lost Nation • Lost Valley • Ludlow Creek • Lutheranville • Lyon Brook • Macomb Reservation • Mad River • Mallet Pond • Maple Hill • Maple Valley • Marisposa • Marsh Pond • McCarthy Hill • McDonough • Meads Creek • Melondy Hill • Michigan Hill • Middle Grove • Milford • Mohawk Springs • Montrose Point • Moon Pond • Morgan Hill • Morrow Mountain • Moss Hill • Mount Hunger • Mount Pisgah • Mount Pleasant • Mount Tom • Mount Washington • Muller Hill • Murphy Hill • Nanticoke Lake • Nelson Swamp • Newfield • New Michigan • Nimham Mountain • Nine Mile Creek • North Harmony • O'Hara • Oak Ridge • Oakley Corners • Ohisa • Onjebonge • Orebud Creek • Orton Hollow • Ossian • Otselic • Otsquago • Otter Creek • Palmer's Pond • Peck Hill • Painter Hill • Panama • Papish Pond • Partridge Run • Patria • Pease Hill • Penn Mountain • Perkins Pond • Petersburg • Phillips Creek • Pigeon Hill • Pigtail Hollow • Pinckney • Pine Hill • Pine Ridge • Pitcher Springs • Pittstown • Plainfield • Plattekill • Pleasant Lake • Plum Bottom • Point Rock • Popple Pond • Potato Hill • Pulpit Rock • R. Milton Hick • Raecher • Rakph Road • Raymondville • Red Brook • Relay • Rensselaer Number 3 • Rensselaerville • Robinson Hollow • Rock City • Rock Creek • Rockwood • Roeliff Jansen Kill • Roosa Gap • Roseboom • Rural Grove • Rush Creek • Saint Lawrence • Saint Regis • Salmon River • Sand Bay • Sand Flats • Sandy Creek • Scott Patent • Sears Pond • Shawangunk • Shindagin Creek • Shindagin Hollow • Silver Hill • Skinner Hill • Skyline Drive • Slader Creek • Snow Bowl • Sodom • Sonyea • Spring Brook • South Bradford • South Hammond • South Hill • South Mountain • South Valley • Southville • Stammer Creek • Steam Mill • Steuben Hill • Stewart • Stissing Mountain • Stockton • Stone Barn • Stone Hill • Stone Store • Stoney Pond • Sugar Hill • Summer Hill • Susquehanna • Swancott Mill • Swift Hill • Taconic Hereford • Taconic Ridge • Tassell Hill • Taylor Creek • Taylor Valley • Terry Mountain • Texas Hill • Texas Hollow • Texas School House • Three Springs • Tibbetts • Titusville Mountain • Tomannex • Toothaker Creek • Tracy Creek • Tri-County • Triangle • Trout Brook • Trout Lake • Trout River • Tug Hill • Tuller Hill • Turkey Hill • Turkey Point • Turkey Ridge • Turnpike • Urbana • Ushers Road • Vandermark • Vernooykill • Wagner Farm • Wassaic • Webster Hill • Wellman • West Branch • West Hill • West Mountain • West Oscela • West Parishville • Whalen • Whaupaunaucau • Whippoorwill Corners • Whiskey Flats • White Pond • Whittacker • Wiley Brook • Windfall Creek • Winona • Wolf Brook • Wolf Lake • Woodhull • Wurtsboro Ridge • Yatesville Falls • Yellow Barn • Yellow Lake
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| Wild Forests |
Aldrich • Balsam • Black River • Blackhead • Blue Mountain • Bluestone • Cherry Ridge • Colgate Lake • Cranberry Lake • Crystal Lake • Debar Mountain • Dry Brook • Ferris Lake • Fulton Chain • Grass River • Halcott Mountain • Hammond Pond • Horseshoe • Hunter Mountain • Independence River • Jessup River • Kaaterskill • Lake George • Middle Mountain • Moose River Plains • Overlook Mountain • Phoenica • Raquette Boreal • Saranac Lakes • Sargent Ponds • Shaler Mountain • Shandaken • Sundown • Taylor Pond • Vanderwhacker Mountain • Watson East Triangle • White Hill • Wilcox Lake • Willowemoc • Windham High Peak
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| Forest Preserve |
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| New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation • New York State Department of Environmental Conservation |
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