Cranberry Bog Nature Preserve

Location: Riverhead, NY

Size: 165 acres

Date of hike: Aug. 5, 2016

Cranberry Bog Nature Preserve is a small tract of land with multiple pretty ponds that was once part of a lucrative cranberry business.  I actually hadn't heard of the preserve until minutes before I decided to hike it.  I'd originally intended to visit Peconic Bog County Park, which I found on Google Maps while looking for parks located on Long Island's East End.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find its entrance.  That's when I researched other nearby parks and came across Cranberry Bog Nature Preserve.  A few moments later, I was there.

Prior to hiking, I learned about the history and habitats of Cranberry Bog Nature Preserve.  "Cranberry Bog is a tiny jewel set in the wetlands of Riverhead," the Suffolk County Parks Department's website said.  "The park is what remains of an abandoned cranberry-growing operation.  Acidic marshes, bogs and wetlands from the surrounding area made it an ideal habitat for growing cranberries."  Apparently, a man named John Sweezy, who operated a gristmill powered by the property's river, sold the site to local family named the Woodhulls and it became one of the most successful cranberry-growing businesses on Long Island.  It is also home to two ponds, Sweezy and Cheney, and surrounded by a swamp that has Atlantic white cedar trees that grow up to 16 inches in diameter, according to LIParks.net.  "Little River, which flows through the park, is the easterly tributary of four that make up the Peconic River's headwater system," said a sign.  "It drains Sweezy from two outlets along the north and west sides and then flows through the bogs once used for cranberry farming."  

The entrance is located on the north side of Lake Avenue east of Moriches-Riverhead Road.  The parking lot was a patch of dirt big enough for about half a dozen cars, and the first path was a quarter-mile dirt road that led right to Sweezy Pond.  From there, a 1.1-mile loop trail goes entirely around the pond and over the Little Peconic River.  A few openings in the trees offered clear views of the water, which was as wide as a football field and filled with lily pads.  I couldn't help snapping some pics that captured the pond's killer reflection of the bright blue sky and clouds overhead.  I also passed the remains of an old pump house along the pond's northern edge that was once part of a hydraulic system used to control the water level and supply a sulfate solution that controlled the area's insect population.  For those wondering about Cheney Pond, it's in the preserve's northwest side separated by Center Drive South.

The hike's highlight for me was the pedestrian bridge about halfway through the pond's loop.  It was evidently ravaged in a recent storm and not currently usable, although I was tempted to give it a try.  I decided against it though.  Still, I couldn't resist tiptoeing over the bridge's broken planks as far as I could.  I even perched myself on one of its steadier sections and immersed myself in the peaceful scenery.  Next, I retreated and trekked around the water until l reached the opposite side.  My hiking music on this portion was Storm Corrosion, which was a project by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree and Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth.  "Hold back the tears in my comfort; In these pauses the storm corrodes," Wilson sings.

Regarding wildlife, the preserve features a wide variety of amphibians, mollusks and fish, along with rare species of caddisflies, dragonflies and moths, according to an interpretive guide of the preserve posted on the county's website.  Its dominant plants include grasses, sedges and rushes, with the marshy parts providing food and shelter to the local waterfowl.  "At the height of summer, the aroma of sweet pepper bush fills the air," said the county's website, adding that great blue heron birds will "fish here frequently, as will kingfishers." 

All in all, I'd say that Cranberry Bog Preserve is an incredible gem that all hikers should visit if they find themselves out and about on Long Island's East End.  It's intimate and exquisite.  It's relaxing and inspiring.  And it can be hiked in an hour.  It's basically an express lane for peacefulness.  An express lane to the soul.  And we all need an express lane sometimes.

(Updated: June 24, 2023)

Map: Cranberry Bog Nature Preserve (Google Maps image)
Parking: 40°54'09.7"N 72°40'19.3"W

Video: Cranberry Bog Nature Preserve (360-degree view)

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