12 for 12! This week, we’re heading all the way to the western side of Suffolk County to visit Belmont Lake State Park. Situated in the Town of Babylon, this park is a prime locale for recreation of all kinds. From walking, to running, to biking, to fishing and more, there’s ample opportunity to get a good workout, or to just take it easy for the day.
If there’s one word that could describe Belmont State Park, it’s “excess.” But in this case, that’s far from a bad thing. Whether it’s the gigantic parking lot, the wide dirt trails that can soothe the fears of even the most tick-averse, to numerous benches strewn about the park, there is an excess of everything you would hope to see at a park, and that means the whole experience of visiting Belmont is exceptionally accommodating.
From the point of view of a hiker, Belmont is a very solid place to visit. Many of the trails are wide and with a dirt base, but there are also narrower, grassy trails for those of you brave enough to take them. While maps are few and far between at this park, that’s not too big of an issue since the whole thing is situated around the eponymous lake. Keeping the lake in mind makes it easy enough to follow a loop around the park, which takes anywhere from an hour to two, depending on your pace. Perhaps the most novel aspect of these trails, though, is the presence of exercise stations at regular intervals across the main trail’s entire length. And that brings us back to the core “theme” of the park, if parks can be said to have themes: recreation. The wide, relatively smooth trails mean you can walk, run or bike with relative ease. You can fish in the lake, you can walk your dog (so long as it’s always leashed), and there’s enough wide-open space to play any number of sports.
Aesthetically, Belmont is a typical Long Island forest, and the lake is a typical lake. While this means it doesn’t grant the stunning view of Peconic Bay like Elizabeth A. Morton, or the rich grasslands of even a smaller park like Blue Point Preserve, it does mean that it perfectly captures that desire so many of us hold deep down to just get lost in the woods. Visiting in October, with the Fall foliage in full effect, the woods were bathed in rays of gold. It’s the perfect time and place to walk slowly, to soak in the world around you. The squirrels rummaging through the leaf litter, searching for good places to stash their winter store. The wind gently caressing the treetops so that they sing their soft little tune. The obnoxious honking of dozens and dozens of geese resting on the lake. So many magical moments can happen in the great outdoors, if only you make the choice to go find them.
Belmont Lake State Park is a “bread-and-butter“ park. It’s got trees, it’s got water, and all the flora and fauna you might expect given those two things. The park explicitly encourages healthy practices, but whether you want to exercise or relax (or something in between) it will accommodate you. From fishing, to biking, to a picnic with loved ones, there’s ample reason to visit this park. And, best of all, if you visit prior to April 1, there’s no entry fee! So, there’s no excuse not to give this park a try.
By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society