Connetquot
River State Park PreserveLocation: Oakdale, NY
Size: 3,473 acres
Date of hike: March 12-13, 2016
Connetquot River State Park Preserve is the largest state park on Long Island. It's also one of the first parks I visited as a kid along with Lakeland County Park in Islandia. Both were within a mile of my childhood home in Ronkonkoma, so I'd frequently sneak into the woods as a boy on my bike to explore their various trails. Well, it was time to turn back the clock and revisit Connetquot. But now, totally on foot.
Before hitting the trails, I briefly researched the history and habitats of the Connetquot River State Park Preserve. For starters, the park is home to a large piece of the roughly six-mile Connetquot River, which is one of the four longest rivers on Long Island and is named after the Secatogue tribe's word for "great river." "This refuge of sandy pine barrens, wetlands, ponds and woodlands is nestled within central Long Island along the pristine, spring-fed Connetquot River," said the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's website. "A wilderness surrounded by suburbs, it provides excellent opportunities to see around 200 bird and 300 plant species." The South Side Sportsman's Club of Long Island – whose prestigious guests included U.S. Presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower – founded the preserve in 1866. The club sold owned the land to the state in 1963 under an agreement the preserve stay intact for future generations and the property later became New York's first park preserve in 1978, according to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Today, the park features 50 miles of trails for hiking, horses and cross-country skiing.
The preserve's entrance is on Sunrise Highway (NY Route 27) just east of Heckscher State Parkway. Upon
entering, a polite older woman handed me a map
featuring four color-coded trails and mentioned an audio tour accessible via
cell phone. The map said to call a certain phone number to start the tour
and then keep an eye out for the tour markers along the way. By
entering the number on a respective marker, hikers could be treated to a short
summary of "what they're looking at and what to look for," the paper
said. A trail map is also available for download through the state's website,
I later learned. My first stop was the grist mill and Main Pond, which are located a stone's throw north of the parking lot. My pre-hike research
said the grist mill's restoration is nearly finished thanks to recent grants
and would be open for tours soon, according to the Friends of Connetquot River
State Park Preserve's website. Next, I kept my eyes on the
sky while walking along the pond in hopes of seeing an eagle, which the website said was spotted there almost
daily this year. No eagle for me though.
All in all, Connetquot River State Park Preserve is a must see for every hiker on Long Island. It's large, so on the long trails I listened to some introspective songs by Polish progressive metallers Riverside, but every trail is a treat in my opinion. Connetquot is a "great river" – both literally and figuratively. But, if you ask me, even "great" is an understatement.
(Updated: March 31, 2023)
The hike's highlights for me were the preserve's seemingly endless trails. The map featured four: blue
(8.4 miles), green (3.9 miles), red (3.7 miles) and yellow (1.0 miles). My favorite was the blue trail, which was a loop that began near Sunrise Highway and went north to Veterans
Memorial Highway (NY Route 454). I also enjoyed the green trail that mostly followed a small segment of the Long Island Greenbelt Trail, which is a 32-mile trail that travels from East Islip to Kings Park. The red trail was a loop just east of the Main Pond, while the yellow trail was an out-and-back path just west of the pond. Additional highlights included a 100-year-old fish hatchery, which raises trout and is among the oldest in the U.S., and Bunces Bridge, which is named after the grist mill's operator in the 1930s. "Before the current bridge was built in the 1990s, people crossed the river at this location," a sign said.
Other signs covered topics ranging from the region's water supply to the "unique
ability" of oak trees to recover from fire. "Not far below your feet is the water we drink on Long Island," said one sign. "Be very careful what you spill because it will end up in your drinking water. The water that seeps through the soil in unspoiled pine barrens is pure and provides a safe supply for our use." As for the oaks, one sign said: "During a fire, the trunks and branches of oaks are destroyed. But oaks store sufficient food in their root system, so within weeks green shoots can be seen at the base of their dead trunks." For those wondering, the park also offers educational programs through the Long Island Environmental Interpretive Center.
Regarding wildlife, the park has waterfowl ranging from hooded mergansers to ring-necked ducks as well as birds ranging from black-capped chickadees to yellow-throated warblers. "Deer and waterfowl are numerous and rare nesting birds including the osprey are present," said the state's website. "And there are a variety of rare plants and other interesting flora, such as trailing arbutus and pink lady's slippers." I should also note freshwater fishing is allowed by permit on the river, which is a popular spot for brook, brown and rainbow trout.
All in all, Connetquot River State Park Preserve is a must see for every hiker on Long Island. It's large, so on the long trails I listened to some introspective songs by Polish progressive metallers Riverside, but every trail is a treat in my opinion. Connetquot is a "great river" – both literally and figuratively. But, if you ask me, even "great" is an understatement.
(Updated: March 31, 2023)
One of my LI favorites. Excellent descriptions and pics
ReplyDelete