Robert Cushman Murphy County Park  

Location: Calverton/Manorville, NY

Size: 2,200 acres

Date of hike: Dec. 27-30, 2016

Robert Cushman Murphy County Park is a popular spot for boating, hiking and hunting and was the first natural park in Suffolk County.  It's also one of the most confusing, yet rewarding, parks I've visited on Long Island.  It's confusing because the park doesn't seem to have a main entrance or signs displaying its name, and rewarding because it has some incredibly breathtaking locations.  But we'll get to those topics in a bit.

Prior to hiking, I familiarized myself with the history and habitats of Robert Cushman Murphy County Park, which is comprised of rare coastal plain pond-shore habitats that are situated within the Peconic River Watershed.  The park was named after Robert Cushman Murphy, who was an ornithologist and bird curator at the American Museum of Natural History and died in 1973, according to Stony Brook University.  He also authored around 600 scientific articles and has a school named after him in East Setauket.  Quite an impressive resume!  Regarding the park itself, it "provides professional scientists with opportunities to conduct important biological experiments and inventories," according to the Suffolk County Parks Department's website.  Its topography includes a series of ponds with unique names like Peasys, Sandy and Grassy, each of which feature fish such as blue gills, pumpkinseed sunfish and large mouth bass.  Meanwhile, the region's species of trees range from red maples to pitch pines to white oaks, while its birds range from chirping sparrows to tree swallows to red-tailed hawks.  Lastly, hunting is permitted seasonally within areas of the acreage and managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The park's entrance is supposedly located on Old River Road just west of the intersection with River Road, but I couldn't find it despite following the directions posted on the county's website.  Incidentally, I also had trouble finding the entrance last year, and I instead went to nearby Calverton Ponds Preserve.  But this time, I was determined to hike Robert Cushman Murphy.  The directions on the county's website said to take the Long Island Expressway to Exit 70 and then County Road 111 south to Halsey Manor Road, which you follow north until it becomes Connecticut Avenue.  From there, you turn left onto River Road and then left onto Old River Road.  The entrance would then be on your right (along the north side of the street), the website said.  Unfortunately, I only saw woods and houses.  No entrance.  No park sign.  I even called the Suffolk County Parks Department, but they could only recite the directions I'd read online.  Luckily, I learned about an entrance along the south side of Middle Country Road near the intersection with Panamoka Trail.  Thank you, NY-NJ-CT Botany's website.  

I knew I couldn't explore the entire park in one day due to its size, so I decided to divide it into three separate sections that I'd hike over the course of three days between Christmas and New Year's Day.  The first section was west of Schultz Road, the second section was between Schultz Road and Wading River Manor Road, and the third section was between Old River Road and Connecticut Avenue.  Each section is intersected by the Long Island Pine Barrens Trail, which is a 47-mile path spanning from Rocky Point to Hampton Bays (known in its longer form as the 125-mile Paumanok Path, which ends at Montauk Point).  Keep an eye out for their white blazes.  Interestingly, I noticed on my first day that some blazes were missing since many trees were burned or uprooted in the section west of Schultz Road.  I found myself leaping over the toppled trunks like an Olympic hurdler.

My second day started on the east side of Schultz Road toward Wading River Manor Road, where the highlights included a big bull statue on a neighboring farm.  You'll need to veer off the trail for a good look, but it's worth it.  My third (and last) day began at the east corner of River Road, David Terry Road and Wading River Manor Road, where the path ran parallel to the 15-mile Peconic River.  There, the highlight was the 57-acre Swan Pond, which allows boats and electric trolling motors.  "Swan Pond's undeveloped character offers a relaxing natural environment perfect for anglers wishing to escape suburbia without leaving Long Island," said the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's website.

My music of choice was a mix of my favorite albums of 2016.  I started with Haken's Affinity, went to Evergrey's The Storm Within, and finished with Fates Warning's Theories of Flight – all of which are now listed among my 100 all-time favorite albums.  Ironically, the artwork for each release features birds taking flight, which says something about the type of tunes I've connected with this year.  I also listened to selections from Redemption's The Art of Loss and DGM's The Passage, which were also among my favorites in 2016.  Check 'em out!

In conclusion, despite its slightly confusing layout and lack of a well-marked main entrance, Robert Cushman Murphy County Park is a place all local hikers should visit at some point.  After all, it is the county's first natural park.  Just make sure to come equipped with GPS.  And, most importantly, don't forget to wear bright-colored clothing if it's hunting season! 

Map: Robert Cushman Murphy County Park (Google Maps image)
Parking: 40°54'31.5"N 72°50'45.7"W
Video: Robert Cushman Murphy County Park (360-degree view)

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