Planting Fields Arboretum, Oyster Bay, New York

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Long Island Parks!

From small grassy knolls, to sprawling tree-filled nature preserves, Long Island is home to an extensive network of state and town parks, many of which are free for residents to enjoy year round. Whether your passion is hiking, biking, skating, camping, picnicking, or you’re just looking for a breath of fresh air after a busy day, there are dozens of different parks all over the Island from you to choose from. In both Nassau & Suffolk counties there are multiple parks to choose when planning day long nature-outing, or just a quick walk. Many of these parks even have programs open to both the public and to school groups that will teach our future generations about the ecosystem of Long Island, and how they can make a positive impact on preserving these great gifts from nature. There is also plenty of wildlife – from the endangered Plovers that make their homes on our beaches, to the deer that run plentiful through the wooded park grounds, there is plenty of amazing native Long Island wildlife you may encounter, so make sure to ask a park ranger for information about what animals find sanctuary in the park you’re visiting.

Bayard Cutting Arborteum, Great River, New York

Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park
440 Montauk Highway
Great River, NY 11739 (631) 581-1002

The Arboretum provides an oasis of quiet and natural beauty. Its current collection of conifers is probably the most extensive to be found on Long Island.

Belmont Lake State Park

Southern State Parkway Exit 38
North Babylon, NY 11703 (631) 667-5055

Belmont Lake State Park is a full service park offering boating, fishing, picnicking, playing fields, biking, horseback riding, hiking and cross-country skiing.

Bethpage State Park
99 Quaker Meeting House Road
Farmingdale, NY 11735 (516) 249-0701

Offering five world-class golf courses, including the world-renowned Black Course, Bethpage was the site of the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Open Golf Championships.

Brentwood State Park
375 Crooked Hill Road
Brentwood, NY 11717 (631) 667-5055

Brookhaven State Park
William Floyd Parkway
(Between NY 25 and NY 25A)
Wading River, NY 11792 (631) 929-4314

Brookhaven State Park is 1,638-acres and is part of the central core of the Long Island Pine Barrens. The Park runs along the east side William Floyd Parkway north of Whiskey Road, and between NY 25 and NY 25A.

Caleb Smith State Park Preserve Nature Museum
581 West Jericho Turnpike
Smithtown, NY 11787 (631) 265-1054

Caleb Smith State Park offers environmental education programs year round for all ages. The nature museum is in the Smith Family home built in 1751. Nature trails lead you through a variety of habitats typical of the north shore of Long Island where many species of plants and animals are found.

Camp Hero State Park
1898 Montauk Highway
Montauk, NY 11954 (631) 668-3781

Camp Hero offers pristine maritime forests, freshwater wetlands, stunning ocean vistas and dramatic bluffs rising from the beach, as well as an historic military instillation.

Captree State Park
3500 E. Ocean Parkway
Bay Shore, NY 11706 (631) 669-0449

Found at the eastern tip of Jones Beach Island, Captree is a haven for aquatic adventure. Open and charter boats are available for fishing, scuba diving, and sightseeing excursions.

Cold Spring Harbor State Park
95 Harbor Rd
Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724 (631) 423-1770

The park is comprised of 40 acres of hilly terrain offering scenic vistas of Cold Spring Harbor. It features a mixed hardwood forest, as well as thickets of wild mountain laurel.

Connetquot River State Park Preserve
Box 505
Oakdale, NY 11769 (631) 581-1005

The preserve maintains 3,473 acres of land and water for the protection and propagation of game birds, fish and animals. Explore the 50 miles of trails winding through the park.

Gilgo State Park
Ocean Parkway
Babylon, NY 11702 (631) 669-0449

Flanked by the Atlantic Ocean and the Great South Bay on Long Island's south shore this undeveloped beach boasts spectacular views. Permit and 4 wheel drive required for access.

Hallock State Park Preserve
6062 Sound Avenue
Riverhead, NY 11947 (631) 315-5475

Jamesport State Park offers nearly 1-mile of pristine beach front on the North Shore of Long Island along the Long Island Sound. Hiking, nature walks and bird watching in available on the eastern portion of the property.

Heckscher State Park
Heckscher Parkway Field 1
East Islip, NY 11730 (631) 581-2100

Twenty miles of trails, swimming in the Great South Bay and boating attract more than a million visitors per year.

Hempstead Lake State Park
Lakeside Dr.
West Hempstead, NY 11552 (516) 766-1029

Hempstead Lake State Park boasts three ponds in addition to its namesake lake. An historic hand carved carousel as well as boating and fishing are the park's main attractions.

Hither Hills State Park
164 Old Montauk Highway
Montauk, NY 11954 (631) 668-2554

The Atlantic Ocean and the unique "walking dunes" of Napeague Harbor form the border for this scenic park. The park boasts a sandy beach and woodland area for outdoor recreation.

Jones Beach Nature Center
Jones Beach Nature Center
Jones Beach State Park
P.O. Box 1000
Wantagh, NY 11793 (516) 780-3295

The Nature Center is on a barrier island beach within Jones Beach State Park. An exhibit area depicts a variety of marine habitats including the South Shore Estuary Reserve, the seashore and the dune environment offering lots of fun things for kids to do. Interpretive programs are also available.

Jones Beach State Park
2400 Ocean Parkway
Wantagh, NY 11793 (516) 785-1600

Featuring a boardwalk and over 6 miles of ocean beach Jones Beach State Park is a world-class swimming destination. The park also features the Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center.

Long Island Environmental Interpretive Center
Connetquot River State Park Preserve
Sunrise Highway
Oakdale, NY 11769 (631) 581-1072

The Long Island Interpretive Center is home to the Regional Environmental Education Team of environmental educators. Schools, youth organizations and special interest groups can make arrangements for interpretive programs and hikes at any of the State Parks on Long Island by calling this

Montauk Downs State Park
50 South Fairview Avenue
Montauk, NY 11954 (631) 668-3781

Montauk Downs is best known for its championship-length, 18-hole golf course. In addition, the park offers a driving range, tennis courts, swimming pool, and full service clubhouse.

Montauk Point State Park
2000 Montauk Highway
Montauk, NY 11954 (631) 668-3781

A heavily-wooded area on the tip of Long Island offers some of the best surf fishing in the world. Calm water reveals the "race" of converging tides from the Ocean and the Sound.

Nissequogue River State Park
799 Saint Johnland Road
Kings Park, NY 11754 (631) 269-4927

The north shore of Long Island offers a variety of habitats including tidal and fresh water wetlands and hardwood forests to the park's shore birds, reptiles and amphibians.

Orient Beach State Park
40000 Main Road (Route 25)
Orient, NY 11957 (631) 323-2440

The park's 45,000 feet of frontage on Gardiner's Bay and rare maritime forest with red cedar, black-jack oak trees and prickly-pear cactus offer swimming, fishing and hiking.

Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park

1395 Planting Fields Road
Oyster Bay, NY 11771 (516) 922-9200

Visit the former Gold Coast estate of the Coe family. The Tudor Revival opens for guided tours. Sample the lifestyle of the 1920s; see stunning craftsmanship and impressive collections of furnishings paintings, and gardens. A truly unique experience

Robert Moses State Park - Long Island
600 Robert Moses State Parkway
Babylon, NY 11702 (631) 669-0449

Robert Moses has five miles of ocean beach from which visitors can swim, surf or surf-fish. The park also has picnic areas, an 18-hole pitch & putt golf course, and a day use boat basin.

Shadmoor State Park
900 Montauk Highway
Montauk, NY 11954 (631) 668-3781

Located on the tip of Long Island the park features a long ocean beach, rolling geography and shadbush growth. Bluffs and freshwater wetlands are also part of the preserve.

Preservation Long Island

161 Main Street / P.O. Box 148
Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
Phone: 631-692-4664
Preservation Long Island is a not-for-profit organization committed to working with Long Islanders to protect, preserve, and celebrate our cultural heritage through advocacy, education, and the stewardship of historic sites and collections.

Sunken Meadow State Park (Governor Alfred E. Smith)
Rte. 25A and Sunken Meadow Parkway
Kings Park, NY 11754 (631) 269-4333

Located on Long Island Sound the park offers a wide range of topography that sustains a variety of flora and fauna. The miles of beach meet tall, glacial bluffs at the shoreline. If using a GPS enter: 1 Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park, NY.

Trail View State Park
8101 Jericho Turnpike
(next to Stop & Shop)
Woodbury, NY 11797 (631) 423-1770

Serving as a link along the Nassau/Suffolk Greenbelt Trail the park encompasses a variety of habitats and undeveloped resources such as hardwood forests, marshes and fields.

Valley Stream State Park
Valley Stream State Park Rd.
Valley Stream, NY 11580 (516) 825-4128

The park is a day-use picnic facility near a highly-developed residential area offering picnic areas with tables, fireplaces and grills, playing fields and sport courts.

Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site
246 Old Walt Whitman Road
Huntington Station, NY 11746 (631) 427-5240

Explore the interpretive center which includes more than 100 portraits, original letters, manuscripts, and artifacts. Experience the on-site activities including guided tours, a film, gift shop/bookstore and a scenic picnic area.

Wildwood State Park
790 Hulse Landing Road
Wading River, NY 11792 (631) 929-4314

Acres of undeveloped hardwood forest terminating on the high bluff overlooking Long Island Sound provides the scenic background for swimming, camping, picnicking and fishing.