April 12 for 12: Caleb Smith State Park Preserve
12 for 12! This month, we’ve taken a hike out in Smithtown, at the Caleb Smith State Park Preserve. From a beautiful lake, to the lovely burbling of streams, to hardened pines, this park has a delightful variety of habitats and the wildlife!
Caleb Smith has two entrances – one by the museum, and one by the BOCES/education center – each with a moderate amount of parking. A sign at the museum entrance said that they charge $8 for parking on weekends and holidays, suggesting that the park gets high traffic then. Even on a weekday, the museum parking lot was about half full, though the other lot was empty.
The museum towers over the park. It’s a beautiful old estate, with an accessibility ramp and automatic door. Inside, there are plenty of educational resources, and various worksheets for kids. You can ask the nice park worker if you don’t see what you are looking for. The bathrooms are also exceedingly clean.
From the museum, a wide, paved trail will lead you past the lake, where you’ll see geese, swans, cormorants, and swallows. While there was a bench looking out over the water, there won’t be many more opportunities to sit down on the way, so enjoy it while you can.
Caleb Smith is the kind of park where you can very easily tailor the experience to what you want to get out of it, and what you’re able to do. There’s a main, paved trail, then rocky/dirt paths, narrower, well-marked dirt trails, and less-clear, brushier trails. There’s flat land aplenty, as well as hilly terrain for those who want a bit more of a workout. Just be careful, as some of the more obscure trails don’t loop back around and will instead suddenly stop. There are maps available inside the museum, and so it would be wise to take one before you start your hike, as there are so many branching, intertwining paths that it wouldn’t be too hard to get lost.
As alluded to before, Caleb Smith is home to a wide variety of habitats and wildlife, and the park does a good job of teaching you about them. Besides the resources available in the museum, there are placards along some of the trails that identify various trees you’ll see on your way – everything from black oak to sassafras! Besides the various water birds, there were also warblers, sparrows, and the sound of woodpeckers drilling into the towering trees. Most exciting of all the wildlife I saw on this hike, though, was a ribbon snake! The adorable little reptile was situated on the trail until I noticed him, then he slithered off into a pile of fallen leaves. Here I’ll remind everyone that Long Island s not home to ANY venomous snakes, so there’s nothing to fear from our serpentine friends. Just observe them from a safe distance, and respect that you’re walking through their home, not the other way around.
Caleb Smith is the most easily appreciated park we’ve covered in 12 for 12 this year. It has immaculate guest facilities, and trails that are so extensive you can while hours, without ever forcing you to commit to the long haul. If you want a quick half-hour hike along the paved or gravel paths, you can do that. If you want to spend hours in the thick of it, you can do that. If you want to hang out by the lake or in the museum, you can do that. This is one of those perfectly tuned parks that lets you engage with it at your level, at your own pace, and that puts it head and shoulders above many others.
By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society
March 12 for 12: Fish Thicket Preserve
12 for 12! This month, we’re sticking closer to home and heading to Fish Thicket Preserve, a Town of Brookhaven park located just off Woodside Avenue. This preserve features dense forests and winding, interlocking trails, yet is small enough to go through in half an hour.
The first thing that needs to be stressed about this park is how difficult it is to find it! If you’re driving west on Woodside Avenue, you’ll see a sign identifying the park on the left side of the road, but if you’re driving east, that same signpost will not identify the park! Since there is not a parking lot for this preserve, you’ll simply have to park on the shoulder of Woodside in the area around the sign. Fortunately, the shoulder on Woodside is spacious, and there’s a bike lane separating it from the traffic. The next challenge, then, is figuring out where the trails start! When you’re facing the sign, walk forward, and you should see a dirt path descending into the woods. It’s very easily hidden when you’re just driving by, so keep your eyes peeled!
Once you’ve found your way into the preserve, you’ll find yourself going up and down fairly steep grades. There’s a bench right at the start of the trail, and a picnic table a bit further in, but after that there aren’t any rest stops until you’ve completed your loop around the prserve. Couple that with the erratic changes in elevation, and Fish Thicket proves to be a more challenging hike than last month’s 12 for 12. It’s also worth noting that there are no restrooms here, so take your potty break beforehand!
The trails themselves are easily apparent. At this time of year, many of them are covered in dead leaves and pine needles, but I never found myself wondering if I’d accidentally gone off the trail at any point. There are many different intersections, but you’ll know when it’s time to turn around once you begin nearing the residential areas that form the border of the preserve opposite Woodside Avenue.
On my walk, I saw a nice variety of animals that might be expected in the forest. From bees, to butterflies, to woodpeckers, to songbirds, there’s a nice variety in what inhabits the preserve, even if the preserve itself is fairly uniform in terms of its habitat.
If you’re looking for a quiet walk, this preserve will mostly serve your needs. At the start of your walk, the screeching of the cars on Woodside Avenue will be exceedingly obnoxious, but after five or so minutes of walking, the noise pollution faded away for me. The preserve was also mostly bereft of other people. I saw one other person on my walk, and it’s worth noting that they were riding their bike through the preserve with no difficulties whatsoever, so if you’ve got a bike that can handle the terrain, then this may be an ideal place to visit. Since it’s been asked before, it’s worth noting that this would not be the best park to bring strollers or scooters.
Fish Thicket Preserve is an ideal park if you want a short bout of exercise. Its inconsistent terrain means it’s a strenuous hike at points, but that might be exactly what you’re looking for. This is one of the most obscure parks we’ve covered on 12 for 12 and will likely be the most obscure by the time the year’s through. But, the term “hidden gem” exists for a reason, and I think that for many, this park would certainly qualify.
By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society
February 2024: Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge
12 for 12! This month, we’ve gone way out to the East End to visit one of Long Island’s several National Wildlife Refuges – the Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge!
This refuge features a nice array of habitats, from hardwood forests, to grasslands, to the Peconic Bay itself! It’s a much shorter trail than last month’s and is easily completed in under an hour if you don’t take your time. But why wouldn’t you? This is a beautiful place that is easy to get lost in. Metaphorically, that is. Literally, you should stay on the trails.
Now, the first thing to note about some of the national wildlife refuges is that you need to pay to access them. If you go three or four times a year, an annual pass will probably be worthwhile. This is especially true considering that Long Island is home to eight National Wildlife Refuges, including Elizabeth A., Wertheim, and Target Rock. If you’re truly opposed to buying the pass, there are also some free days, with the next one scheduled for Juneteenth (June 19).
Once you’ve made it all the way out to Noyack, you’ll find yourself in a fairly small parking lot that can fill up quite quickly in the summer months. Even now, on a cold winter morning, there were half a dozen cars parked when I arrived. Elizabeth A. Morton is fortunately equipped with proper restroom facilities. Those of you, like myself, who’ve visited the park for many years will know that that wasn’t always the case.
From the restrooms, it’s pretty much a straight shot from the parking lot to the beach. The dirt path is nice and wide, which is immeasurably important if you’re terrified of ticks. From the bathrooms to the beach, the trail is about a mile, and there are numerous benches along the main trail if you need to rest. On the way, you’ll see all manner of birds, from woodpeckers, to chickadees, to tufted titmice and more. And, for mammal lovers, the refuge is frequented by squirrels, deer, and chipmunks.
While the trail is perfectly optimized for the tick-averse among us, it doesn’t rank among the easiest walks on Long Island, though neither is it the hardest. The dirt path is uneven underfoot, and gnarled tree roots are always threatening to trip you, so watch your step! Often, the trail will rise and fall, though once you near the beach, it flattens out, and the walk becomes much easier.
The first thing you’ll see when you make it to the beach is an observation deck where you can sit down, relax, and look all around at Peconic Bay. During the winter, the Bay is frequented by various waterfowl, though on this visit I only saw a gull and a loon. If you can handle the blistering bay winds, then you might be inclined to walk the whole length of the beach. During the summer, most of this area is closed off to protect the area’s Piping Plover population, so there’s something new to explore even if you’ve already visited this park in the warmer months.
At the start of your hike and about halfway through, you’ll notice secondary trails that lead off into different parts of the woods. This secondary loop is about half a mile long and will take you nearer than ever to the refuge’s grasslands, as well as to a lovely little pond tucked away in the heart of the woods. The loop is a more difficult hike than the main trail, with a steep change in elevation at the entrance closer to the beach, and fewer benches. However, there’s a second observation deck at the pond, and a few recently repaired boardwalks over some of the most treacherous ground.
In short, if you’re an East End resident, there’s little reason for you not to visit one of the area’s most beautiful locations. And if you’re not from the East End, but have made the trip out there, then be sure to stop by!
By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society
January 2024: Connetquot River State Park Preserve
Welcome to this year’s first installment of 12 for 12! Though we’re a little late, we visited this park in January, and are just catching up on the writing.
Connetquot River State Park Preserve!
Located right off Sunrise Highway in Oakdale, Connetquot River State Park Preserve is the largest state park on Long Island! Home to a fish hatchery and a popular site for horseback riding, this park offers incredibly extensive and surprisingly varied locales for your hiking pleasure.
From the decently sized parking lot, you’ll find there are a handful of different directions that you can head. With your back facing the entrance, you’ll see a winding grassy trail leading into the woods. This path is incredibly spacious and is primarily meant for horseback riding, with the dirt paths frequently pockmarked with holes and divots of varying sizes. The smarter option is to continue heading straight from the entrance, down the main dirt road. This path will take you first to the Visitor Center, where the bathrooms are located (though on this visit they were closed) and, more impressively, the Main Pond. Benches both directly adjacent to the pond and on the porch of the Visitor Center will let you sit and enjoy the impressive array of waterfowl. Despite the cold, it’s better to go out duck-watching in the winter, as many species are present on the Island that spend summers elsewhere. On this visit, I saw Swans, Mallards, Gadwalls, American Wigeons and, my personal favorite, Ring-necked Ducks! The road is smooth enough leading up to the pond that it should be easily accessible for anyone with a love of wildlife.
After the Main Pond, it’s little difficult to find one of the various footpaths that take you into the park proper. A map showing the various trails appears relatively quickly on a large board, and it will detail the distance you’ll be traveling depending on which trail you choose. Of course, it’s very easy to lose track of your mileage if you jump back and forth between the trails, but there are plenty of markers placed along the way that will let you know what trail you’re on, and which way to continue. If you’re heading from the Pond, as I’ve described, then you’ll more than likely head onto either the red or blue trails (the red being significantly longer than the blue), and the horseback riding trails I mentioned earlier are going to intersect and overlap with the yellow and green trails. For my hike, I started on the horseback trails and then made my way back to the red trail. For a more varied experience, I’d recommend sticking to the red or blue trails, as these will take you along the river and down its various tributary creeks.
The main road continues past the Visitor Center quite a long way, eventually reaching a fish hatchery located on the property. While walking along the road may be easier for many due to its width and general flatness, you’ll have to be careful as trucks will periodically drive down the road, making deliveries to the hatchery.
If you stay off the road, the trails are generally quite thin, and are more subject to changes in elevation. There are benches at various points, but you will more than likely have to hike extensively between each one. Around some of the creeks, the trail is occasionally replaced by wooden boardwalks, and there are several designated fishing spots. These boardwalks are not much wider than the trails themselves and could do with a bit of maintenance. Although looking out onto the Connetquot River is a beautiful sight, I couldn’t help but feel more than a little anxiety hearing a board creak beneath my feet. Ultimately, the best experience I had at this park was at the end, when I’d made it back to the Main Pond and sat to watch the ducks for a while. Since you can access this area within minutes of your arrival, I can safely recommend making a visit here during the colder months of the year. If you’re looking for a more committed (and, potentially, strenuous) hike, then Connetquot offers a wide range of options, meaning you can ultimately get out of this park what you’d like, based on your own ability and interest.
By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society