We are back on Long Island visiting family for the first time since moving to North Carolina- 4.5…read moreyears ago! I'm feeling hit hard in the nostalgia so we are making it a point to take a walk down every memory lane, and in this case, a literal walk. We discovered this little .7 mile loop long before we moved away when our first daughter was just a baby. I had thought about this place often because it is this humble little hike that first introduced me to the idea that hiking was even a thing I liked. Now, I've climbed mountains all over North Carolina and every amazing sight I've ever seen traces back to a glimmer of interest born right here. Pretty cool. If you want a quintessential immersion into the Long Island pine barrens experience, this is your place. A little slice of seclusion amidst the suburbs, the ground blanketed with soft copper colored pine needles, the view around you an oasis of symmetrical and stately white pine trees- ah, this is it. Long Island at its best.

Very lovely walk through evergreen-scented air. Lots of tall pines gives a majestic feeling. The…read moretrails are well maintained and easy. Some interesting giant piles of "sticks." The day we went, it seemed like there were dozens of people doing photoshoots there, which was unusual.

Heritage Park is in an area that I have an attachment to. Growing up here in the 1980s, I remember…read morewhen Route 25A was a semi rural road that abutted Davis Peach Farm in Mount Sinai. In the mid 1990s, when I was in my twenties, suburbia conquered the acres of open peach farms at a time when the Route 347 sprawl entended east along Route 25A. In 2013, there was a positive turn of events. On the triangular parcel of former peach farm lane bounded by NY 25A, Coram-Mount Sinai Road, and County Route 83; a developer proposed constructing a home improvement store. Concurrently, the local residents with Brookhaven Township derailed these plans and instead created a beautiful park where residents from all over can enjoy a public space. Heritage Park was born. By now, I was living in Las Vegas. In recent times when I visited my Dad, we had spent time here on four occasions before dining in Lotus East. The way we have experienced Heritage Park is walking the 0.7 mile oval walking path counter clockwise with three bench stops. This review discusses the four experiences here from the perspective of walking the peripheral trail counter-clockwise. To begin with, this is a concrete trail that is level. This has been beneficial to my dad who has had foot issues. Getting on the trail northbound we take in the historic Heritage House. This is a community center that houses local events. For park users this is one of two restroom locations. Continuing north, the Davis Peach farm history lives on with preserved farming equipment by a red barn. As the trail curves west at the triangular northern tip of the park, a community garden and diminutive forest appear to the back of the Heritage House. This is where we sit after walking around the park. Traveling northbound parallel to County Route 83, there are sporadic young trees that have been gradually maturing. Within a few years, I expect them to bring shade to a park that was formerly farmland. It is along this segment where we take our first bench break in a square called "The Court of Americas." This is a neat area where the garden is shaped like the USA that is framed with bricks displaying the names of every US President. From this spot, there is a clear view of the butterfly garden and central walkways. Continuing north, then following an S-curve, my eyes take in the open grass, soccer fields, and baseball fields to the left. At the S-curve, I have seen the most nature in the park that includes rabbits and robins. At the northern preiphery, the trail turns to the left to follow NY 25A. From here, I could see the expanse of open grass reaching towards the Heritage House. Turning to the south, I sometimes cut across the play knoll. I believe that this is the highest point of the park. The trail now parallels Coram-Mount Sinai Road with the soccer field to the left. This is where our second bench stop is. It is a scenic spot that overlooks a decorative waterfall with a miniature pine forest slope providing the backdrop of a putting green fronting open grass reaching towards Route 25A. Continuing north towards the parking lot, the park turns children's friendly. There is a Kids Maze and a playground. What the park is not, is doggy friendly. Dogs are prohibited. Heading more north the scenery features the parking lot to the right with open grass to the left. By now we have walked 0.7 miles. We will conclude the loop at bench stop three overlooking the community garden. Depending on the visit, we have done a second loop or walked back to the car. Speaking of parking. The parking lot is off of Coram-Mount Sinai Road. On all four of our visits there has been sufficient parking. I would like to add that the parking lot is convenient to the the North Shore Rail Trail. Only a short walk along Coram-Mount Sinai Road then across Route 25A is a 10-mile paved trail that connects Mount Sinai to Wading River. This short walk extends the Heritage Park experience into a regional hike or bicycle ride. If I still lived on Long Island, I would partake in it. In conclusion, I give Heritage Park 4-stars. The local residents and Brookhaven Township have created something special.

Truly our favorite local park. We come here probably every other week at least, sometimes more…read more There's a great walking path and you can bring bikes/scooters for the kids, and it's easily stroller accessible. There's a great playground also with options for younger as well as older kids. There's plenty of parking (unless it's Foodie Friday, where tons of food trucks roll up), bathrooms, and a Ralph's Italian ice shop that has elusive hours. Well above average park for kids and adults alike.

Pretty lake. The lake is very clear, you can u can actually see through the water. There is a nice…read moreman-made waterfall and a "boardwalk" area where people stand and fish. I heard someone mention catching a wide-mouth bass. There was a few kayakers out enjoying the day. There is a small park with swings for the kiddies. I was there with my cat of course. She loved going into the foliage. It's a nice spot to picnic also!

The heyday of Yaphank has long passed (we're talking since the advent of electricity!) but it…read moreappears that the area must have received some government funding to spruce up the area with brick paths and bulkhead along the lake. So it's a fairly nice stop off area and it has a rural almost upstate NY feel. There are few "rural" areas left on Long Island and Yaphank, the town that time has forgotten, is a nice place to see what Long Island night have been like before the onslaught after 1945.

Nice place to paddle the kayak, do a little fishing, have a little lunch on the water.read more

The access is now free but you need to apply. Dogs must be licensed and spayed/neutered. This is…read morea good thing! It is mostly sand, so not a major puddle problem, but still the dogs do get dirty. The signage is damaged, so it is not well attended. It was closed while K-Mart was being demolished and it still looks closed from the road. Mostly the people clean up after their dogs, and the dogs are reasonably well behaved. Some of the people know each other and plan ahead to meet there. There are some older dogs, but pretty few. I did not find either the people or the dogs unfriendly at all. I also feel safe there because of the controlled gate access. It is a bit secluded there otherwise.

One of the better dog runs on the eastern Long Island...but is admittance is restricted…read more Things it has going for it: - Plenty of parking only a few feet from run - Seating for owners - Has dog drinking fountains - Has separate large & small dog runs - Enough room for dogs to run (4 acres) - Plenty of shade Things it has against it: - No bathrooms for humans near run - Dirt ground cover Top 5 run on Long Island but this run is for Pooch Pass holders only (key fob needed to get into this dog park). $25 annually for Town of Brookhaven residents $45 annually for New York State residents Dog runs/parks I have been to so far: http://www.yelp.com/list/nyc-area-dog-parks-runs-new-york-3

This trail wasn't bad itself which is why I gave two stars but it's important for everyone to know…read morethat it is extremely tick infested here. I went here over the weekend with my puppy and we stayed on the path. Yet, my puppy had 3 ticks on her after (yes she takes flea and tick meds) and my fiancé had one on him. Really don't recommend going here unless they find a way to mitigate this.

I ran the Tesla Hertz 100 mile run here in Rocky Point Pine Barrens. The zone itself features…read moreelegant meadows and lush, unmolested trails. Wild life abounds. Unfortunately, I didn't observe any restroom facilities. This is a fantastic place to come to enjoy nature, whether you're a hiker, a runner, or a dog walker.

Great little park. One of the girl scouts in the area recently constructed a jigsaw puzzle exchange…read morecabinet, which is truly a great addition and is already drawing people from all over to the area. I traveled from Kings Park and walked away with my puzzle treasures. Plan on coming back in the near future for more to drop off and pick up.

This park is beautiful with the up keep of the grounds to the beautiful fields and playground for…read morethe kids. Thank you to the town of Brookhaven for the renovation so the community can come for some peace and relaxation .

Here's the Scoop: This is a beautiful park in the town of Brookhaven. It has a children's park,…read moresoccer field, track, baseball and swing area. It has pieces of the World Trade Center Memorialized with stories of heroic animals who saved lives during 911. The many trained rescue dogs worked tirelessly to find people trapped under the World Trade Center. This monument celebrates their efforts and the trainers who worked with them. This is such a beautiful well maintained park. My husband and came here for a barbecue. I'm so glad I decided to come. The park is very relaxing and manicured. The gazebo has lights so you can sit in it when it gets dark. It has functioning electrical outlets as well. I will definitely come to another event given here. Signs posted state you need to have park permit as well. If you're ever in the area this is the park to check out.

Took a ride on the brand new North Shore Rail Trail. I parked on the Mt. Sinai end of the trail in…read morea shopping center. There were a few spots that were reserved for the auto body shop, but there did not seem to be any restrictions on any other spaces. On the Wading River end of the trail there was a barren dirt area adjacent to the trail where 4-5 cars can park. The whole trail was flat with the exception of one incline that was significant enough to earn itself a warning sign. Pavement was brand new and super smooth so the ride was pleasant in that respect. There were many street crossings, especially on the west end of the trail. There seemed to be one every 1/4 mile. No records will be broken on this trail since you have to constantly stop to look for cars at each crossing. Some of the busier roads were equipped with a button to activate lights to alert motorists of crossing pedestrians/bikers. The majority of the scenery was the same throughout: low trees, bushes and large power lines on either side of the trail. There were a few things that stood out including an old LIRR station building at Rocky Point that was recently renovated, the bridge passing over Woodville Rd, and some gardens from houses along the trail that extend beyond their fences. It was surprisingly a good path to spot wildlife. Groundhogs, deer, cats, wild turkeys and bunnies were seen. The trail is a great addition to the network on LI. It's not my favorite trail in the area, but I'm glad I got to see it.

If you are looking for an easy running/walking/biking trail, the North Shore Rail Trail is for you…read more It runs east-west behind people's backyards, parallel to Long Island's North Shore, from Mt. Sinai to Wading River. It is fully asphalted, level with a few long but slight inclines, well maintained (we saw maybe 3 empty bottles alongside it), and is nearly 10 miles each way with a good number of well-marked perpendicular street crossing. The only confusing part (and now, it should not be confusing, with this caveat) is that in the town of Rocky Point, the trail stops, YOU CONTINUE FOR 1.5 BLCOKS ON PRINCE STREET, and then you will again see the signs for the Rail Trail to continue on. We saw deer dining alongside the trail, which was quite nice. At the western end, you are welcome to park in the parking lot of the Rose Caracoppa Senior Center, although the trail actually starts about 2/3 of a mile west of this. Enjoy this gift of a nice run/walk/ride.