I started coming here recently for the sunrise and it is my new favorite thing to do! So peaceful,…read moreserene, stunning views, just all the things. This afternoon I brought the Christian Singles Hub to have an apple picnic. Everyone in the group was just as impressed with the views. It was also great to see that the facilities are well kept. I also loved and appreciated having a garbage so close to the grill!

Came on a cold Wednesday. We walked Indian island park. We…read morewalk to the stairs to the water. Walk back. Some people go faster than the 10mph speed limit.

After an area winery visit and a quick drive through some local towns, we were ready to stretch our…read morelegs a bit before heading back to the 'burbs, and this hidden gem was a GREAT choice!! BEAUTIFUL trail to the water's edge, just a BIT hilly, but very manageable, and SUPER scenic. I love going to parks like this "off season," you just feel like you're the first person to have ever "discovered" it, and it's really just YOU (and in my case, my brother and S.I.L.) and NATURE at its finest.... We only had time to take the one tail to the water's edge, but even in semi-overcast, chilly late fall weather, it was slightly challenging, scenic, and DEFINITELY worth a detour, if you're in the area (and just MIGHT need to hike off a BIT of local wine and cheeeeeese!!)

Great! Lots of little trails to walk and hike, walk about 1/2 mile down to the beach, so so…read morepretty. Plenty of parking, you will see a lot of wildlife here, like deer.

No idea this park even had an official name, just always referred to it by its location (included…read morein this listing). Not quite as many bells & whistles as its traffic-circle neighbor Milton Burns Park since its revamp, but certainly a nice option with closer parking, if walking is an issue for anyone. As Rob stated, there's a public facility of sorts, and they host a 'farmer's market' on occasion.

This place used to be incredibly nice. I felt uncomfortable…read moremy entire stay here. Which was only 15 minutes. You have homeless people sleeping on benches. Every turn you make you have incredibly shady/seedy people around. You have men making derogatory comments towards you because you're a young woman wearing a non-revealing sundress. Won't be back.

Not so nice of a park off Main St in Riverhead. The trails go along the Peconic river. The park…read moreitself is not well maintained, polluted and a bit run down unfortunately. Sadly, there were also some homeless people hanging around. I certainly wouldn't want to walk past or through this park after dark and can not recommend it to anyone. Such a shame because the views of the river are beautiful.

One of LI's hidden gems - also happens to be free. Well kept trails and birds of prey you can check…read moreout before talking a nice walk. Trails are very easy to walk, even if you have a stroller with you. Easy beginner hike or leisurely stroll for just about anyone.

4.5 Stars.    I love…read morethe Long Island Pine Barrens Region. So much so, that in Las Vegas, I have had dreams that I was hiking in Sears Burrows County Park. A few forested miles southwest of it, my dream kind of came true when we visited the Quogue Wildlife Refuge. My stepmother, who is familiar with the Refuge encouraged my dad and I to join her there on a nature walk.    The Quogue Wildlife Refuge has been protecting this 305 acre naturescape since 1934. It is a naturescape adorned with pine forests, fields, the rare dwarf pine forest, bogs, swamps, a pond, and pine oak forests.    Contrary to how I envisioned the Refuge, it was not this difficult to find place. Parking was right off Old Country Road. Across from the unpaved parking lot were the attractions that serve as a trailhead to the four color coded trails (please see the map proceeding the review) that range from a 0.8 mile hike on the Green Trail to a 2.5 mile hike on the Blue Trail. Welcoming us was the Outdoor Wildlife Complex where injured wildlife are well taken care of thanks to the kindness of people that care. One of the acts of kindness are the Visitors who donate money at the entrance. This leads to the point that admission is free, yet a donation is the right thing to do. I took some time photographing the animals that included owls, foxes, raccoons, and Giant African Spurred tortoises in the nearby greenhouse. Although these aren't grand habitats that would be found in the Bronx Zoo, I appreciated that the animals had a home. In the shadow of the Outdoor Wildlife Complex and pine trees was the full service restrooms. All the way to the left was the Old Ice Pond.    My Dad, stepmother, and yours truly engaged in a relatively short walk in the southeast corner of the park where a pine oak forest interspersed with fields dominate. My Dad's knees bother him, so we engaged in a shorter hike with breaks on the benches breathing, hearing, and sightseeing the pine barrens. We'd see a deer and birds up on the pine trees. Our ears would also take in the sound of the nearby train. Our experience leads to the point that the seven miles of hiking trails appear to be more relaxing than strenuous.    The Old Ice Pond framed by a mature forest is the picture postcard centerpiece of the landscape. There are hiking trails that overlook it. We took in this picture postcard from a bench and inside the Charles Banks Belt Nature Center, which looks like an inn overlooking the pond. We shared the panoramic spectacular views of the ice pond with several volunteers who were sending out materials that we assumed were promoting the Refuge. Within this building that reminds me of a lodge, is a museum of neat nature related stuff. Some were real like the lizards. The preserved butterflies were really cool. This is a neat place to check out when it os open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays 11:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.    Our visit ended with the three of us taking in the springtime scenery of the Old Ice Pond.    I do have a concern that is causing me to leave my rating at 4.5 instead of 5 stars. That has to do with the east preiphery fence. When we walked along the southeast border there was a fence smack dab in the middle of the pine forest. My concern is that this is unprotected land that can fall victim to the bulldozer. If that were to happen, it would ruin the experience on account of a truncated forest causing the Refuge to feel more like a caged in 305 acre yard than a part of a pine forest. I really hope that the other side of the east periphery fence is a protected forest. My concern is merited from seeing a before and after picture inside the Nature Center of rapid sprawl along nearby County Route 104.    On the future, I would love to return to Quogue Wildlife Refuge. Especially in the Fall when the trees change colors over the pond. Until then, I hope to have more dreams about the Pine Barrens.

Great off-season visit. We pretty much had the place to ourselves on a chilly mid-March weekday …read more Beautiful beach views, lots of woodsy trails (most still too muddy at that moment to check out...) a cute playground, and lots of picnic spots. We didn't check out the camping area, but I'm sure it's super busy during the summer months. Took a long walk on the beach, and loved the rocky LI Sound shoreline and the gorgeous views of the hills in the distance. First time here, I'd be happy to come back again, off season or after hours; I bet the sunsets are AMAZING!!!

Picnic site: I wouldn't recommend it if you're traveling far to come here…read more Camping site: 100% recommend to get away from your busy everyday life! Just make sure to pack your sprays for protection against bugs (ticks). Forget about firewood. You're not allowed to bring your own. You make your reservation through a link on NYS parks. You pack up your car, truck, trailer & you make your way out there! Don't forget your grill! They have sites available for tents and another section for trailers so you can cook up for water and electricity. Oh, and they have cottages you can reserve but they're booked in blocks of 7 days. What I love about wildwood state park is that it's very clean and they have great staff and the park rangers. They are very helpful and nice. They made checking in very easy. They'll give you a pass for the car and make sure it's on your dashboard so you don't end up with a ticket. The restrooms are super clean and they have shower stalls in side. They're always cleaning. I can hear them SCRUBBING the shower stalls as I use the toilet. Of course, keep in mind that during the "rush", it isn't as clean but they come and clean it. It's open 24/7. There are sinks outside of the restroom and some people use it to wash their dishes. I wish they'd clean up after their food scraps but humans are humans. Once you set up your camp, you can leave for the beach. Or you can go out to check out the local farms or shops if you're willing to drive out. It's nice. You should especially if you have little ones with you. If you don't want little creatures and critters all over your food, make sure you pack it away once you're done eating and throw out the garbage. They have dumpsters stationed through the camping grounds along with bins where you can dump your hot coals. I'm not taking chances with raccoons or squirrels so I dump my garbage at the end of the day. Wildwood state park also has a nice camp store. The gentlemen who work there are very nice so please don't be rude to them. (Someone was screaming at the poor man over chicken tenders/fingers). They sell ice cream, bags of ice, food, coffee, firewood, and fire pits for rental. Happy camping!

The "Big Duck" of Long Island is kind of like the Loch Ness Monster, except that it really exists…read more And it's not that "big". It's not a destination by any means, it's a brief stopover. But you can take it off your Long Island Bucket List and if are going to the Hamptons or Montauk. And it'a free, so it won't cut into your Hamptons oat milk latte budget.

If you enjoy roadside attractions this is a fun stop for sure! It has a little history and a few…read morenovelties inside but the photo ops with the big Duck are the best. If you find yourself in the area be sure to stop by!