Most of these hikes (or portions) are an easy walk, suitable for young boys ages 7-12.
General Description: The Park features a playground area (including swings, slides), a one mile jogging course, a community meeting room, a quiet game area with chess and checker tables, and unlighted facilities for tennis, basketball, handball/paddleball, shuffleboard and a lighted softball field. Football and soccer are played at Cow Meadow Park. In addition a fishing pier is available year-round, weather permitting.
There are 2 picnic areas (1 reserved and 1 unreserved); Leisure Pass required; to reserve, call 571-8685.
The preserve's marine wetlands and upland areas protect 150 bird and 15 mammal species and include a 1/4-mile nature trail. The 1/4 mile nature trail, winds through upland bayberry thicket, tidal marshes, and creeks; the trail’s marsh overlooks a view of the preserve while providing nature lovers a chance to explore the marine wetlands.
Distance: 1 1/2 miles Elevation Gain: 0-5 ft Hike Time: 45 minutes - 1 hour Difficulty: Easy Trail Condition: Earth Hike Type: Loop
How to Get There: Take the Belt Parkway to exit 17, and go south on Cross Bay Boulevard. Follow Cross Bay Boulevard over North Channel Bridge and continue 1 1/2 miles to the Visitors Center on the right.
General Description: The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is a good afternoon or morning escape from Queens, though you never do escape the airplanes circling nearby JFK airport. A trail loops from the Visitors Center through fairly open terrain with lots of low-lying vegetation, including a real surprise: a prickly pear cactus that thrives in the islands of Jamaica Bay.
The trail continues through marshy areas of thick, tall grasses and trees. The hike is easy and not long, though you should bring plenty of water and dress properly. Wear long pants because of the brush and bugs, and sturdy boots because of the mud and wet.
Kings Park Hike & Bike Trail (Suffolk)
Distance: Kings Park Trail 1.5 miles; Elevation Gain: 0-25ft Hike Time: 1 - 2 hours Difficulty: Easy Trail Condition: Various Hike Type: Point to Pont.
How to Get There:
Kings Park Trailhead: To Exit 53 North (Sagtikos Pkwy-Sunken Meadow Pkwy North). After approximately seven miles, take Exit SM4E (Pulaski Road). Continue on Pulaski Road for four lights. Go through the intersection, past the public school building and park in the lot across the street from the St. Joseph church parking lot. The trailhead is behind the church parking lot, 300 feet east of Church Street. Maps for the Kings Park Trail are available from Town of Smithtown Planning and Community Development at (631) 360-7540.
State Park Trailhead: L.I. Expressway to exit 53. Take Sagtikos Parkway north. Sagtikos Parkway becomes Sunken Meadow Parkway. Go all the way to the toll-booths; parking fee or NYS Empire Pass). Park at Field 3.
General Description: The Kings Park Hike & Bike Trail was officially opened on December 16, 2003. The mile and a half trail runs along the old Kings Park Railroad spur from Old Dock Road, just north of Church Street, through the grounds of the former Kings Park Psychiatric Center to Nissequogue River State Park. Use the Nissequogue River State Park trailhead and follow the park trail to the shore of the Nissequogue River., at the end of Old Dock Road.
Leeds Pond Preserve/Science Museum of Long Island (Nassau)
Distance: less than 1 mile; Elevation Gain: 0-25ft Hike Time: 1 hour Difficulty: Easy Trail Condition: Various Hike Type: Point to Point.
How to Get There: Take the Long Island Expressway to exit #33 north (Community Drive/Lakeville Road/Great Neck). Go north on Community Drive for 1.3 miles. Turn right (east) onto Route 25A/Northern Boulevard; go .6 mile. Turn left (north) onto Plandome Road; go 1.7 miles. Turn left continuing north on North Plandome Road for an additional .3 mile. The museum is on the right (south) side of the road.
General Description: The Leeds Pond Preserve, a 16 acre nature preserve, offers natural environments such as dense forest, a lush marsh, meandering stream, serine grassy lawn, and brackish pond. Nature trails traverse a wooded valley with majestic tulip trees and oaks, while a stream flows through a wetland into Leeds Pond; there is a 40-minute, self-guided trail along pond. Archaeological evidence based on worked performed by Adelphi University suggests that the site has been continuously occupied for at least 2,700 years.
Access to the preserve is free. The Museum has a variety of Scouting programs (reservation and fees) that can be conducted by the museum staff.
Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area (Nassau)
Distance: 1 mile Elevation Gain: 0-3 ft Hike Time: 1 - 1.5 hours Difficulty: Easy Trail Condition: Various Hike Type: Loop
How to Get There: Take the Sunrise Highway west from Meadowbrook Parkway; drive 1.9 miles and turn left onto Milburn Avenue south; drive 1.1 miles and turn right onto Atlantic Avenue west; drive 0.9 of a mile and turn left onto Waukena Avenue; drive 0.7 of a mile and turn left onto Park Drive; drive 0.3 of a mile to turn left onto Golf Drive; take to end and make a left on Bunker Drive and a right onto Slice Drive, which takes you into the preserve. Open Tuesday through Saturday, year round 9 AM - 5PM. No admission charge.
General Description: Located on Slice Drive in Oceanside is a 52-acre preserve devoted to environmental education and natural history. The Marine Nature Study Area is divided into eight instruction sites, each of which deals with a different aspect of the marine or estuarine environment. At each site, visual aides have been installed that describe particular topics. Subjects covered include the tides, Long Island's glacial geology, barrier beach and estuarine formations, ecology of the estuary, micro and macro algae, bird life and migration, the bay community, and barrier beach fauna and flora. During the summer, bring insect protection.
Head southeast and cross over Walls Point Creek heading southwest to a pond; cross over the pond and then head south and then southeast to a large pond which you will loop around and return to the first pond; upon your return, turn left ((northwest) and then north, and finally east back to the Visitors' Center.
Sagamore Hill Nature Trail (Nassau)
Distance: 1 mile Elevation Gain: 0-8 ft Hike Time: 1 - 1.5 hours Difficulty: Easy Trail Condition: Various Hike Type: Loop
How to Get There: Take either the Northern State Parkway to Exit 35N or the Long Island Expressway (I-495) to Exit 41N. At those exits, take Route 106 North for 4 miles. Turn right/east on Route 25A and travel 2.5 miles. At the third traffic light, turn left/northwest and take Cove Road for 1.7 miles. Turn right/north and take Cove Neck Road 1.5 miles to Sagamore Hill.
General Description: The trail is at the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, Sagamore Hill Road, Cove Neck. Pick up a trail map at the visitor center. The trail is free. The one-mile loop begins behind the Old Orchard Museum, the brick mansion east of the parking lot. It is an easy walk through an oak and tulip-tree forest and over the Eel Creek boardwalk to the beachfront where waterfowl spend their days swimming and searching for food. Memorial Day through Labor Day there are free ranger-guided nature walks on Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
Sagamore Hill has a Junior Ranger badge that can be earned by youth. One of the Junior Ranger programs at the site is based on The Wonderbook of Nature . It is a field guide to selected species of plants and animals found on the site. Both Letterboxing and Wonderbook of Nature are outdoor activities and are offered if the weather permits. Call Sagamore Hill at 516-922-4788 for information on group visits and hours.
Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge (Suffolk)
Distance: 1 mile with 0.25 mile spur to beach Elevation Gain: 0-25ft Hike Time: 1 - 1.5 hours Difficulty: Easy - Moderate Trail Condition: Earth Hike Type: Loop
How to Get There: From the Long Island Expressway (I-495), take Rte. 110N to Huntington. Left/West on Rte. 25A (Main St.). Right/North onto West Neck Rd. to Lloyd Harbor Rd. Go 2.2 miles past the Caumsett State Park entrance straight onto Target Rock Rd. Entrance is on the Right. Refuge hours are ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset. An entrance fee is charged. Please call the refuge office at 631-286-0485 for more details.
General Description: This 80-acre refuge is composed of mature oak-hickory forest, a half-mile rocky beach, a brackish pond, and several vernal ponds. The land and waters support a variety of songbirds (particularly warblers during spring migration), mammals, shorebirds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. During the colder months, diving ducks are common offshore, while harbor seals occasionally use the beach and nearby rocks as resting sites. NY State and Federally protected piping plover, least tern, and common tern depend on the Refuge's rocky shore for foraging and rearing young. The refuge is managed to provide habitat for migratory songbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl and other wildlife. From April 1st through August 31st, a segment of the beach is closed to public use to provide undisturbed nesting habitat for the bank swallows using the bluffs, and piping plover foraging and rearing young along the shore. Read more...
The nature trail at Target Rock winds through hardwood forest, past seasonal ponds and along the shore of Huntington Bay. You can enjoy such wildlife-dependent activities as photography, wildlife observation, environmental education, nature trails, nature interpretation, and fishing. State regulations apply when you fish. An information kiosk and public restrooms are provided for your convenience.
Tanglewood Preserve and Pond (Nassau)
Distance: less than 1/4 mile Elevation Gain: 0-3ft Hike Time: 1 hour Difficulty: Easy Trail Condition: Various Hike Type: Loop
How to Get There: From the Southern State Parkway, take Exit 19S (Peninsula Blvd.) to Maine Ave. Make right on Maine Ave. Follow to end. .Parking is very limited, however, with an unpaved and unmarked lot that has capacity for less than 10 cars.
General Description: The Tanglewood Nature Preserve is a 17-acre nature preserve featuring ponds, streams, nature trails, and a science lab for kids, open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.. The preserve is the home of The Center for Science Teaching and Learning (CSTL). which maintains several nature exhibits and has on-site programs. CSTL is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $6 per person; for more information call (516) 764-0045..
Wantagh Nature Trail (Nassau)
Distance: 3.8 miles (loop trail) Elevation Gain: 2-4 ft Hike Time: 2 hours Difficulty: Easy Trail Condition: Earth Hike Type: Loop
How to Get There: Take Wantagh Parkway to exit W6W. Follow Merrick Road west approximately 1 mile, park is on the right. On-street parking only.
General Description: The Wantagh Nature Trail circumnavigates three ponds, linking Nassau County’s Mill Pond Park with the Town of Hempstead’s Twin Lakes Preserve. Revitalization of the trail was an Eagle Scout project from Troop 189.
Mill Pond Park is a 54-acre natural area with a 15-acre pond frequented by large numbers of native waterfowl and nature trails that wind through a wet woodland dominated by red maple, coast pepperbush and skunk cabbage Previously called Jones Pond, Wantagh Mill Pond is a popular fishing spot; naturally reproducing species include Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black Crappie, Yellow Perch, White Perch, Carp, Brown Bullhead, American Eel and Black Bullhead.
Twin Ponds Preserve is a 58-acre preserve features fresh water ponds and extensive sections of wet woodlands. 1.8 miles of the trail loops the ponds.
Lower Twin Pond (south of Park Avenue) covers 10 acres with a maximum depth of approximately 5 feet - naturally reproducing species include Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black Crappie, Carp, Brown Bullhead, and American Eel. Lower Twin Pond is the best pickerel lake in Nassau County. The patient angler will have a chance at pickerel over 24 inches. There is also a plentiful sunfish population to keep the action up if the pickerel are not biting. There are a few nice bass in the pond, but the density is low by Nassau County standards. There are a few large carp to make things interesting.
Upper Twin Pond (north of Park Avenue) covers 20 acres with a maximum depth of approximately 17 feet - naturally reproducing species include Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black Crappie, Carp, Brown Bullhead, American Eel - stocked species include Brown and rainbow trout stocked in the spring and fall. Upper Twin Pond is the second most fished water in Nassau County. It gets a barrage of anglers during the spring and fall due to the trout stockings. Click here to download a map of Upper Twin Pond.
Want to add a place your den has hiked and enjoyed - email the information to inquiry@trcbsa.org