Spring is in the air! As flowers bloom, birds sing, and the weather warms up, you ought to be more eager than ever to head out into the Pine Barrens and enjoy Long Island’s natural beauty. Here are three great Pine Barrens parks for early spring.
- Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge
This substantial park is notable for consisting of a huge swath of the Carmans River watershed, one of the two primary watersheds on Long Island. It’s free to enter and boasts one of the most robust and informative visitor centers of any park, making it an easy place to visit even if you forgo the hike. If you are in the mood for a hike, Wertheim’s two trails feature frequent lookouts onto the river and can provide a great variety of recreational activities. Whether you’re looking to get some exercise in, or are an avid wildlife enthusiast, Wertheim provides. The prominence of the river means there’s ample chance to spot a wide variety of waterfowl, and in early spring many duck species have yet to migrate back north. Besides ducks, you might also find coots and loons. If you visit a bit later in the season, in late April or early May, the park is flush with warblers, making for an avian kaleidoscope.
- Wading River Marsh Preserve
In many respects, this preserve is the antithesis of Wertheim. Tucked away in Wading River, it’s a relatively short, difficult hike with root-covered trails, and minimal parking. But if you take a chance on it, you’ll find that it’s one of the most remarkable pieces of the Pine Barrens. Few preserves showcase the beauty of saltmarshes, and their importance to the Pine Barrens ecosystem can’t be overstated. In years past, a pair of Bald Eagles has frequented this preserve, and few birds can instill such a sense of grandeur. Though it’s far out of the way for most people, that in and of itself makes a trip here appealing. In solitude, tucked away in the wilderness, one can easily imagine Long Island as it might have been centuries ago, long before development on the scale we’re dealing with today could even be conceived of. It’s a rejuvenating, beautiful place, and well worth the visit if you can manage it.
- Cranberry Bog County Nature Preserve
Cranberry Bog County Nature Preserve has a unique origin relative to most other Pine Barrens parks. As the name suggests, the park was once a commercial cranberry bog, about a century ago. When that industry collapsed, the bog was left to grow back naturally and was eventually set aside as a preserve. Despite this artificial origin, Cranberry Bog stands as one of the most flourishing pieces of the Pine Barrens. While the memory of the bog’s agricultural origin lingers, most notably in the presence of the old pump house on the trail, that memory does little to impede the wildlife. Around the pond and through the woods, there’s a bevy of critters waiting to be discovered. From snakes, to warblers, to the rare Black Vulture, Cranberry Bog is a sanctuary. Rare flora, too, has a place here, as there’s a beautiful stand of Atlantic White Cedar in the back of the park. In that sense, this is one of the most inspiring parks on Long Island, for it demonstrates how what once was developed can be undone, and nature can set things to rights. Few places can instill that sense of hope better than Cranberry Bog, and that makes it the perfect place to visit this Spring.
By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society
