Muttontown Preserve Location: Syosset, NY
Size:
550 acres
Date of
hike: Dec. 27, 2014
Muttontown Preserve, which is the largest nature preserve in Nassau County, is perhaps best known for having ruins from a 60-room mansion once owned by King Zog of Albania. I decided to visit the preserve after seeing it on several lists online in which websites rank their favorite hiking spots on Long Island. I also hadn't hiked yet this year in Nassau County, so I was eager to experience a non-Suffolk County forest.
Before exploring, I did a little research on the history and habitats of Muttontown Preserve, which has miles of marked trails open to hiking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. Apparently, the land was "cobbled together" from three separate estates: a 400-acre parcel purchased from the estate of American entrepreneur Lansdell K. Christie, a 100-acre parcel donated by Alexandra Moore McKay (the wife of Muttontown's first mayor Benjamin Moore), and a 20-acre parcel donated by the wife of a man named Paul Hammond, according to the county's website. The McKay property includes Muttontown's nature center and the elegant Chelsea Mansion, which is a 40-room mansion available for private events that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Meanwhile, the Hammond property shows evidence of the pre-Revolutionary Duryea Farm, according to the county. Most importantly, the surreal ruins of an abandoned granite mansion once owned by King Zog of Albania are still visible in the wooded area only a stone's throw north of Muttontown Road. "King Zog, the last monarch in Albania, remains one of the preserve's curiosities," the website said.
The preserve has two entrances: one on Muttontown Lane just south of Northern Boulevard (NY Route 25A), and another along the west side of Jericho Oyster Bay Road just north of Muttontown Road. The latter is considered the "equestrian entrance." I used the first one, which goes to both Muttontown Preserve and Chelsea Mansion. The parking area is large enough to fit a few dozens cars, with several signs indicating the gates close at 4:30 p.m. Upon parking, I hit the trails. The preserve has 20 miles of bridle paths, 10 miles of nature trails, and four miles of cross-country skiing trails, according to Newsday. I read the trails can be a bit maze-like, so I made sure to grab a paper trail map outside the nature center. That map depicted seven color-coded trails, each of which have a handful of letter-themed checkpoints that match letters on wooden posts installed throughout the trails. It made it easy to follow your progress or pinpoint your location. Also, no bikes or dogs are allowed.
The hike's highlights for me were the Walled Garden and the ruins of King Zong's mansion. The Walled Garden was an eerily overgrown space surrounded by spray paint-caked walls, while the mansion's remnants included graffiti-filled pillars and the exterior grand staircase. My research revealed that Zog acquired the 150-acre Knollwood estate, which contained a 60-room home initially built for Wall Street investor Charles Hudson, in 1951, according to the county. But Zog never moved here and sold the estate to Lansdell K. Christie in 1955. "As the mansion lay abandoned, rumors began to spread about riches that King Zog had hidden in the walls, with the natural result that vandals soon descended on the property," stated the county's website. "The Christie family had the mansion demolished in 1959."
Before retreating to the parking area, I used the trail map to think up an alternate route back, so I could glimpse different scenery. I also listened to Seventh Wonder's The Great Escape, a progressive metal album released in 2010. I bought it over the summer, but I hadn't taken the time to really sink my teeth into it yet. I mostly focused on the album's epic title track, which is just over 30 minutes long. "Help, December; let a new year begin," sang vocalist Tommy Karevik. With lines like that, this album was the ideal choice for a walk just a few days before New Years Day. I let its intense lyrics and melodies hypnotize me as I hiked.
Regarding wildlife, bird species include blue-gray gnatcatchers, ring-necked pheasants and white-breasted nuthatches. "September and October are the fall's peak migration months, so look especially for warblers," said a flyer. "It is also a good season to observe hawks." As for plants, you'll see everything from birdfoot violets to blue curls to sandplain gerardia, which became one of the state's first plants on the federal endangered species list in 1988.
Without a doubt, I'd say Muttontown Preserve is required hiking for everyone on Long Island. It's not every day you get the opportunity to roam the ruins of a king's abandoned mansion. In fact, this is probably the closest most of us will ever get to feeling like a king for a day.
(Updated: March 7, 2020)
Parking: 40°50'18.0"N 73°32'05.3"W
Video: Muttontown Preserve (360-degree view)
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