We went off season before this crazy cold snap. I i've been here before but many years ago. I forgot how beautiful it was. I want to say @ least 3500 acres. There are buildings throughout the park with plenty of bathrooms : CLEAN bathrooms! , There is also a small gift shop & Cafe that is open for " most" of the year . . You can definitely " Get lost" here , if that is a goal...and daydreami. There are wide open smoother paths as well as paved walkways & more paths you can track through the woods. There's different water displays with the river running throughout the park iWe got to see a few animals in nature. : a Hawk. Dear, chipmunks. to start. Any time of year this park is beautiful. S if you're in the area or even if you're not in the area, it's definitely worth the drive in the season. It's a MY Star park so they take the NYS EMPIRE PASSPOET or pay cash at either entry . I know there are at least two ways to get into the park. With plenty of parking and again they only charge parking fees during peak season. Bundle up agates this weather breaks, it's good for you to get out there for fresh air and exercise in the dead winter. ( an you tell I am a mom? ) I love this place, I am just trying harder to try to see more of what Long Island has to offer as far as Parks & trails. Oh, at the beginning of one of the trails it had a sign and showed different plants and bushes. And we had identified all 10 of those even though it was I believe late November when we came here. I'm looking forward to coming back specifically in more spring, like weather. You can see the fish some of the waters / streams running thru ... read more

Connetquot River State Park - just climbing a tree.. - Parks Near Me - Bohemia, New York

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Beautiful place to relax and walk in peace. Amazing for young children, I recommend it all year long. read more

Connetquot River State Park - Parks Near Me - Bohemia, New York

Originally a gristmill and then becoming the home of the south side sportsman's club, a hunting and outdoor activities club for the richest and most elite of long islanders During the gilded age. After its transfer from being a hunting club it became a New York State park as well as the United States first nature preserve. Connetquot river state park is a wonderful and very large preserve, boasting lots of wildlife and great walking trails through different forested environments. I walked the Red trail which led to a fish hatchery on the property where they spawn a few different species of trout that you can fly fish for on the property. Fly fishing permits can be obtained from the park office for a fee. Along the way to the hatchery I saw an artesian well which was the original source of fresh water for the hatchery. Over all the property is massive and beautiful and is a great way to explore the outdoors and get back to nature. read more

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Beautiful Nature's preserve with different length hiking trails to accommodate different endurances. Super quiet and really let you get away from the hustle and bustle of NYC. read more

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Finally came here after so many aborted attempts. Entrance is 8 per car & free with empire pass. Very interesting old buildings near the entrance & you can scan the code to know more about each building you pass by. The place is picturesque and well maintained. Hubby really wanted to check the trout hatchery. Its an hour walk to get there. we chose the shorter route. even then make sure to wear comfy shoes, head covering & water. we enjoyed feeding the trout. don't forget some quarters to pay for the feeds. Love it here we will come back in the fall. im sure with the foliage it would even be beautiful. read more

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Beautiful state park with several trails to choose from of all kinds of lengths. The trout hatchery they have along the way is a cool scenic attraction too that is very unique! They also do horse riding trails as well, if that happens to be something you might be interested in. The main building also offers events and tours that can be great for the whole family. Would definitely be glad to come back as the weather gets nicer and the foliage really starts to bloom. read more

It was okay. The food was halfway decent but the staff was extremely rude to me and my family.

In my opinion, I thought Connetquot River State Park was a park worth visiting. For the most part, my friends and I really looked favorably on our time here. ENTRY - $8 per car - Decent amount of parking space available on the left after the entrance - Map available for all the different trails - Closes at 6pm PROS - Awesome views of the river - If you visit in the summer like I did, it's quite breezy to stay by the water - Quite spacious area - Lots of flat walking trails for people of all ages - Trails as short as 1 mile (yellow) and as long as 8 miles (blue) - Fish hatchery area - Allows for horse-riding - You can see various animals in their natural habitat (from my visit, I've seen rabbits/bunnies, swans, turtles & chipmunks) CONS - Probably my biggest complaints would be the BUGS! As expected, there are ticks similar to most parks in long island. You always have to be careful and occasionally check your skin for ticks. But the small pestering flies/gnats were my biggest complaint. I was quite sweaty walking around in 95+ degree weather and those small bugs wouldn't leave me alone. Along most of the trail, there were tons of them just flying around my face/ears constantly... honestly, it was quite hard to finish the trail I had set out for. I had to turn back because it was getting quite annoying. This was the same case for my other friend. I'm sure it would be better on a cooler day... - The walking terrain can be quite sandy or muddy - There is the occasional horse dung on the floor as there are equestrian trails read more

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This is a nice park if you're looking for something a little more woodsy and secluded. Towards the entrance is an old house that sits on the edge of a very lovely pond with swans and geese. We wanted to walk along the red trail that, according to the map, ran right next to the river, but saw later that it was closed (not sure if it was due to damage from the tropical storm a week earlier). So we continued a little further along the blue trail before turning around, since that entire trail was 8 miles total and we weren't equipped to walk that much. The red & blue trails are both sandy paths that we later realized were the horse paths. After coming back to the house and the pond, we walked a little on the yellow trail which was a much easier walk (no sand like the other paths). There were also more people on this side, but not so many that it was difficult to social distance. The bathrooms were open and pretty clean. $8 admission per car; free with the Empire Pass. read more

Connetquot River State Park - Parks Near Me - Bohemia, New York

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Do not come here. Those of us who know and love this park want the paths to stay quiet and clean, the wildlife undisturbed and the trails well-marked. Oh OK, you can come, but please respect our beautiful park. You can expect great, level-ground hiking on well-tended trails in tranquil forests along the Connetquot River. Visit the Hatchery and check out the stands where anglers for trout can come and try their hand. Yes, you will hear the LIRR off in the distance, but that only reminds you that we still have wonderful chunks of forest to enjoy in the midst of suburban sprawl. read more

BRING SPRAY FOR TICKS! Ok so other than my huge freak out attack for seeing a tick crawling up my shoe and realized the off was in my truck... one of the best trails I've been on in a while. There are so many different trails and they will lead you back to the parking lots so don't fear walking down the smaller dirt paths (other than the ticks) it was amazing! Beautiful streams, the lake, a natural artisan well, and the hatchery! For 25c you can feed the trout! So much fun and choices to do a longer or shorter hike. There are horse paths, as well as hiking only trails. Picnic tables and a bathroom at the main house and lots of benches along the trails to rest and take in the beautiful views! read more

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Beautiful park, well maintained. It's $8 to park on the weekend but as we went during the week we didn't have to pay. The trails are well marked, and you can choose either a short hike or a VERY long one. Be warned: even if you choose the short hike, it can quickly turn into an hours-long trek, so bring water and bug spray, and make sure you use the bathroom beforehand because it's an hour hike easy to get to the bathroom facilities. A highlight of this place is the guided walking tour that you can tune into via calling a number and punching in your stop on the trail. Lots of cool info and really brings the history of the place to life. There's a few historic buildings, but both the grist mill and the fish Hatchery were closed (due to covid I imagine). Loads of wild birds on the river. We saw swans, geese and more. If you get to the "deep water" stop on the tour, it explains how it's a natural place for local birds to gather and was once a popular place to hunt/shoot them. Bathroom facilities were clean. Lots of stuff to see and never felt dangerous, or desolate. There were plenty of other guests there, but not enough that it felt crowded. As others have said, there are lots of gnats around. Not a huge problem, just keep pushing forward and eventually you'll get to an area that's clear of them. Stay on the paths and ticks shouldn't be a problem, but wear a hat and spray yourself just in case. Overall, lovely place with plenty to see, miles of trails and a lot of history, especially if you tune into the walking tour. read more

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Oddly enough this park is strikingly quite similar to my local horse trails but in a Costco version. You know what I mean. The big box version. LOL. I pass by here every day when I'm working but had never stopped in. I was in the area so I did stop in for a power walk. I didn't think I would have to pay already. I thought fees started Memorial Day weekend. Nope! They're already in effect. Nice trails. Nice scenery. Really loved all the bat houses they provide for our local bug eaters. Nice park if you enjoy nature & walking. 5-3-2017 read more

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Finally went here. Nice for a walk. The fish hatchery is interesting. Beautiful old buildings near entrance. Very, very helpful friendly woman at the ticket booth. read more

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I live local to this park but actually don't go all that often. It's probably one of my least favorites in the area. There's a few reasons why. I don't think the $8 year-round fee is justified. Luckily, I get an Empire Pass each year and this park is included, but I'm not sure the facilities justify the cost, especially in the off season. There are a lot of hiking paths, some wider than others, from short distances to long. At the front of the park is the museum and gift shop, including a very large building and an old mill house. The paths are sandy and you do have to watch out for horse poop everywhere. It's cool they allow horses, and they can be fun to see, but as a walker or hiker you'll have to be on the lookout.... pretty much constantly. Ticks have been a problem the last few years so heed the warnings and stay on the paths, and be sure to check yourself and shower if you've spent time at this park. One of my biggest complaints is a lot of the paths vary between very sandy and very muddy. Between that and the horse waste, be sure to wear boots/hiking shoes... and you'll likely want to stamp off your feet before getting back in your car. To me, it's really a middle-of-the-road park. It's has it's good points... a lot of nature and scenery, lots of birds and miles to walk.... I just don't think it's the prettiest of parks, or the most pleasant walking experience because of the paths themselves. It's good for an occasional variation, but there are other, much prettier parks in the area. Best time to go is probably the fall for the pretty colors. And I wouldn't at all pay $8 to go here in the middle of the winter. Unless you have an Empire Pass, avoid it. Other parks in the area are free this time of year. read more

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This park is on the southern end of Long Island. We went recently (11/5) and found it to be lovely. The maps they give are not overly clear and we eventually figured out that we could not find the hatchery because we were on the wrong trail (blue instead of yellow). That being said, the blue trail is very far, however, I found it more scenic that the yellow trail in terms of fall foliage colors. We were able to get some nice photos during our hike. We finally figured out a way to cut across over to the hatchery where they is a small stream. Very nice and relaxing. There are bathrooms by the hatchery which are decent and clean. Nice place for an easy hike during good weather. read more

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This park is disappointing. We started with red trail and then switched to the yellow trail at the point where these two trails meet. The red trail marks were clear and we were able to find the marks easily along the way. The path was not paved, but it was easy to moderate difficulty. No much elevation, but it was rocky and muddy as we went on the day after a rainy day. A portion of the trail was very narrow and hard to maintain social distancing. We were a little bit lost when we tried to switch from the red trail to yellow trail as there was no marks for that. It would be great if they added some signs to help people to find the yellow trail. Lots of flowers, trees along the path. Another problem with this park was ticks! I found ticks in my son's clothes when we got home. Be careful about ticks as I just realize many people experienced the same at this park. This park charged $8 per car for entrance fee and free for Empire Pass holders. read more

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I came here for an escape hike. I don't even know what trail I went on but I was alone and I loved it. This park is beautiful and I can't wait to come back another time again soon. I just love going to nature, getting lost in the woods it feels like a mini vacation, a lovely escape and this park gave me exactly that the day I visited. I hear there is a fish hatchery but I didn't get to that part of the park. read more

Beautiful, very clean and so peaceful. Great to see the beautiful colors of fall foliage, I will be back to take in more views. Thank you!

"A bit of Long Island, the way it used to be". I've passed this place for years and finally decided to check it out. I was interested in buying a NYS Empire Pass and I was able to purchase it here smoothly with the woman at the booth. This gave me admittance to the park as well. Connetquot State Park is huge. If you're looking for hiking/walking trails in the woods, this is your place to come. The history here is pretty interesting, dating way back to the Native Americans, and they have beautiful big buildings, including one that you're allowed to walk around inside and purchase things from the gift shop. A lot of horseback riding going on here. It's nice to see the horses just be careful of the poop that's around! The trails vary in distances. I walked the yellow trail towards the hatchery but it started to rain so I turned around. Apparently there's a lot of ticks here so wear your bug spray! read more

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Fall is finally here and we decided to go hiking and see the fall foliage. This is a highly-recommended park, especially for families. Very family-friendly park to hike but no pets allowed unfortunately. Parking is $8 pee vehicle. Must visit again! read more

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Came here for a good, albeit chilly 2 hour trail walk on a very cold November day with one of with my out-of town sisters, The leaves had a good bit of color on them still, the trails are well-maintained, but very poorly marked. Nearly everyone we passed had a hard time finding the trails correctly. We did not get lost, just did a lot of wandering, but it was all enjoyable. Consider using the audible cell phone walking tour to help you get around and learn great tidbits about what you are seeing trailside. The ponds are beautiful. read more

Connetquot River State Park - Red Trail, across from the fish hatchery - Parks Near Me - Bohemia, New York

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This is an incredible escape. The preserve is very big, but it can suit almost nature hike. If you don't want to pay, there is a gate on 454 that you can go through. Also, there's s parking lot near the paved path that you can use. As for the preserve.. The main pond has many photogenic spots. You can also hike up to hatchery. For those willing, head up to the Bunces Bridge. There are even scan codes to get info along the way I love the preserve!! read more

Connetquot River State Park - Fall. - Parks Near Me - Bohemia, New York

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of New York City brought me here... There was some justification for why this loop was included in previous editions, which should have been a warning of what to expect, but here goes: Do not take the 8.4mi Blue Trail. It is same-y, a lot of the walk is sandy, and it's very wide, which makes you feel like you are less "in nature," if that makes any sense. Plus a good a mile of the Blue Trail leads right along the road. $8 to park year round is just salt in the wound. This was my least favorite hike I've been on, out of about 30 or so hikes I've been on. So why 3 stars? The very beginning is gorgeous. The main house, the old tavern, the main pond. All very nice, picturesque scenery. I'd recommend one of the sub-3.5 mile loops and going in the fall. As I assumed while on the trail that this preserve would probably look very nice in the fall (confirmed by pictures on here), and probably in the summer as well. In summary: terrible for winter hikes and avoid the blue trail. read more

It's a beautiful park. In my opinion the most beautiful part of the entire park is right at the beginning near the water. Otherwise you're walking through miles of wooded trails that have sand on them. If you're not a fan of walking on sand at the beach, you're not gonna be a fan of this park. The sand woodland trails are for the horses. And there's nothing but lots of sand trails for the horses. Some wooded trails that are well-kept as well. You can literally get lost in this park and have a hard time finding your way back. If it wasn't for the GPS on my phone, I wouldn't have known where I was going. I came with a supply of water in a yeti mug. My OFF spray, the nozzle was broken so if I stopped for longer than 30 seconds I would start to get bit by bugs. The trick for me was to keep moving. I also went with my jogging stroller. I got quite the workout walking through the sand horse trails. I am SO GLAD I decided to wear sneakers, otherwise not only would I have been completely miserable but I probably would have left right away. When I had gone at the end of May, they weren't charging for parking. I honestly don't think this park is worth the parking fee. But that's just my opinion. I wanted to go to experience this park and as beautiful as near the water is, I won't be back to walk the rest of the trails again. It was one and done for me. read more

Very nice park lots of space. Even when there were many cars in the crowded lot. You could not tell once you were on the trails. The trails themselves are really nice. Sometimes hilly but no drastic elevation. Lots of pretty views near and on the river. Perfect for reflection, peace and quiet, photos. If you do the whole loop you can go to the hatchery and feed the trout. They grow quite large and it's a sight to see them flop to the surface for food. All in all it's a very spacious and nice park. Highly recommend. read more

Such a lovely park that I fell upon I am going again as soon as I can! It is a preserve and has some lovely views. The pathway was dirt and wide I think it's a great way to get some exercise! read more

Rude staff with very strict rules-no picnicking no barbecue no dogs no bicycles . We were not allowed to eat our food outside of the car so we just left and went to another park. Probably the park is nice but unless you enjoy being treated like you are in some sort of military base or correctional facility its better to pick a different place. read more

I always come to this park in the fall for a nice long hike. The park is situated along the Connetquot River which makes for pleasant scenery. There are many trails you can choose from and all vary in length. On a lucky day you'll catch a glimpse of deer and foxes. There use to be a trout hatchery but disease killed the fish so it's no longer functioning. You will need to watch out for horse poop. You share many trails with horses so you'll need to watch your step, it's literally everywhere. You'll also need to take precaution for ticks. Stay on trails and don't walk on long grass. Best to come in autumn in mid October to see the beautiful fall foliage in full swing before a nor'easter strips the trees bare. It's also quieter and you'll have a better chance at seeing wild life. read more

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Went to visit 3 times, and it was closed. Went the forth time and wished it was closed. Parking was far from anything, buildings are falling apart. If you walk the trails please remember to check for ticks. read more

One of the best places Long Island has to offer! An upstate, totally authentic feel that makes you feel like you're far away in the middle of nowhere. A personal oasis for me! read more

Lovely, romantic woods. Very scenic. But where is the life? Not even one tiny fish in the waters except inside one artificial pen over by the hatchery. Not even an insect. Quite eerie! The address is wrong on here but for some reason it won't let me change it. read more

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Great park for a short walk or a long hike. You can spend the entire day pack a lunch and enjoy the scenery and wildlife. I love walking to the fish hatchery and seeing the trout swimming in the current. Very nice for kids and active families. read more

Great NY State Park! There is a fee but you can buy a yearly permit and if you are a senior you can go free during the week (no weekends or holidays). The wooded paths are extensive (I think the longest trail is 11 miles) but there is also a paved roadway that can be walked on. The road goes to a fish hatchery area. There are lovely areas that have a river view. If you are a bird watcher (I am), the birding is good there (from warblers to ducks and an eagle's nest somewhere nearby so eagles are possible). There are restrooms near the entrance and also near the hatchery. I did not give 5 stars because 1) the parking is not great (on really nice days the lot can fill up fast), 2) the ticks are really bad (ok on paved road but repellent is needed), 3) I find leaving the park difficult because it exits onto Sunrise Highway and there isn't a long enough exit ramp to get up speed and a curve you can't see around. If the things that bother me don't bother you then I highly recommend this park!! read more

makes you feel like you are upstate for the day. this park is beautiful and offers nature programs for all ages. Check in the main house for information. As far as hikes go its beautiful during the fall with all the leaves changing. read more

if you wanna get your hike on, see some swans, deer, and chipmonks...look no further!

This one time my friend got lost in this park, not enough safety precautions for idiots...the trees are a little bit too tall for my liking. However they have really cute squirrels that appease me. read more

3400 acre preserve with beautiful foliage, historic buildings, walking and riding trails and a lake. Great for an escape, wild life or a nice run. Housed a Saloon for one of the original stage coach roads in the 1820s and was a Sportsman's Club till 1973. read more