One of my favorite hidden gems on Long Island, the trails are not marked well and it's easy to get lost - or not find what you're looking for at all - but to me that's part of the appeal. The ruins are beautiful, if you can find them, but they're getting increasingly run down. The stairs can be a little tricky. The graffiti on them is always especially beautiful, often poetic and a bit haunting. It's easier to come in the winter when you can actually see, in the warmer months the foliage is very dense. Paths are really implications - "trail" is a generous term. If you do decide to brave the foliage and find your path, make sure you're really putting on the bug spray and check for ticks afterwards. I'm not even usually a cautious person about that, but here I'd feel reckless if I didn't. read more

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Beautiful area full of wildlife and old buildings but similar to an older comment, the man who lives in one of the houses on the property is incredibly rude and entitled. Don't park anywhere near his house of because he will come out and berate you. Instead drive up the dirt trail by the preserve sign and you will find a dirt lot. Place will be much better when his old grumpy ahh is gone. This should be 5 starts but of course humans have to ruin a beautiful piece of nature. read more

Beautiful!!! Will come again! Trees & grounds were manicured beautifully! Thank you so much read more

Muttontown Preserve was my son's choice for our traditional Christmas afternoon hike. The location is in East Norwich on Long Island, relatively close to Oyster Bay. It is managed by the Nassau County Parks & Recreation Department. On the drive from Brooklyn I read the very interesting and historic story of the property, which certainly peaks one's interest. The site contains evidence of a Pre-Revolutionary War farm. The ruins of a mansion once owned by King Zog of Albania are still visible at the end of a trail. Rumors of Albania's treasures, hidden by King Zog add to the mystery. I read of skeletal remains that still remain a murder mystery. Plus, down one trail there are glacial remains. What a package, all within one nature preserve! We chose the trail entrance which is directly adjacent to the Chelsea Mansion entrance. At the beginning of the trails was a small shack, which must have been the office. It wasn't occupied on Christmas Day. There were no rest rooms visible. What was available were maps of the trails, which we tried to acclimate ourselves to. We chose what was hoped to be the main trail. I had read that it was swampy. And swampy it was. The trail was muddy in certain areas. There were obvious remnants of a recent horse ride. So my childhood knowledge of roaming in the woods was put to good use. I held onto tree branches and vines to stay off the mud, etc. Rain or farmers boots would definitely be beneficial. The swampy woodland was frozen over. My Grandson loved stopping to skip rocks over the ice. He was certain he could break the ice with larger rocks. But no matter how long he tried, that didn't happen. My son decided we had taken the wrong trail. So we went back to the beginning. They took the other trail while I waited behind. The Nature Preserve closes at 4:30. So they were only able to get to the Glacial remains, which turned out to be a rock formation. Muttontown Preserve definitely requires a return visit, starting earlier in the day. The combination of nature, history and mystery paints an appealing picture. read more

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Cool place for a hike but I must say the trails are SUPER poorly marked. We navigated alright but only after downloading a hiking trail map. Made it to the King Zog ruins and eventually back to the streets to walk back to the parking lot. Better than getting lost in the woods! It was a fun day and would go back. read more

Muttontown Preserve - Parks Near Me - Muttontown, New York

After being cooped up all weekend and having a very stressful couple of weeks, I took to the great outdoors to unwind. While certainly no Wild journey, the Muttowntown Preserve is an easy walk, and accessible to most. I also really wanted to see the King Zog ruins but I figured that opening added some drama. I read the reviews prior to coming and I tried to find where to park, was hoping to find the horse stable but alas I could not. So I parked in the lot with the signs for the Chelsea Mansion and the park house. I grabbed a map, and set out. Like almost all the reviews prior, I have to agree, what is up with the trail markers? They either are damaged or don't exist at all. You can still use the map, as long as you whip out a compass (you have one on your phone dear readers) and head south. Once you make it to the picnic area coming from the Walled Garden route, head out to the trail on the left, then make a quick right. The path should be paved for some bit and you'll see a tree that looks more like an umbrella. Once there, just continue along your way. The ruins are pretty cool and some fun vandalism has worked out in their favor. I hiked for three hours. I definitely recommend wearing clothes to prevent ticks and check yourself before getting into the car, as well as having some one else look you over. This is Long Island and we have some weird ticks in our part of the *woods*. read more

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So beautiful. So easy to get to and to enjoy!! The flowers still bloom even in December! There are so many beautiful trees and lovely paths all over. Love this spot! read more

Dogs aren't allowed and I heard about 2 people who didn't know and took their dogs there. They must have eaten something. One got really sick the other one died. The owners think they were poisoned. read more

Almost nothing helps to clear my mind better than some time hiking by myself. A lot has been going on in my life recently with my work and my personal life; I needed a brain break and to be just by myself. I suggest taking a compass or getting a trail map here if you are not directionally inclined. The trails are unmarked; and if you don't keep track, it's easy to get very lost here. I didn't have a problem, but I'm pretty used to hiking on unmarked trails and finding my way back. Additionally, wear waterproof boots. I can't stress this enough. There are a lot of low points on the trails here that were filled with cold water and ice. It's sometimes unavoidable to treck in the muck. i can see that these low points would still retain water quite a few days after it's rained. The trails are pretty easy and are not steep. There's a number of stop-off points that you can rest, hydrate, eat and take pictures. This is also a great place to ride horses. I saw one lone equestrian when I started the trail, but I could see this place being packed in the spring, summer and fall. read more

Muttontown Preserve - Along the trail - Parks Near Me - Muttontown, New York

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My daughter found this place and convinced me to go hiking with her. And i'm happy i did because theres alot of history and it's very beautiful. Make sure to bring bug spray because there are ticks here!! Especially if you going here to see the ruins there's a lot of trees and a few bushes you have to squeeze through to get to it. I definitely recommend using google maps as a guide because trying to find it on your own is near impossible! read more

Huge preserve with cool ruins of the "King Zog of Albania" mansion, which was torn down in the 60's. Poorly marked trails make it difficult to make a loop without using GPS. To start at the main parking area, take Northern Boulevard in East Norwich to Muttontown Lane and follow the signs to the parking area. There are trail maps and bathroom facilities at the main parking area. You can also park at the Equestrian parking off of Rt 106/ Jericho Oyster Bay Rd for better access to the ruins and the walled garden. read more

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Tons of mosquitos, bring DEET Lots of paths that criss-cross each other, no blazes, just a few poles with numbers on them to help you navigate, so it's easy to get turned around. Bring a map. Ruins of the King Zog estate are pretty cool! Climate change denial comic posted by an environmental organization? Sigh. read more

Muttontown Preserve - Tried to cleanup a photo of the map on the building. Someone should take a paper copy and scan it though - Parks Near Me - Muttontown, New York

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Everyone says to bring a map but finding one can be a bit tricky--there really isn't a place to download and/or take a picture of one--the ruins are cool but wasn't sure if that was what we were looking at while we were there because "there was no real map" --still King ZOg is cool for the name alone and it's nice and off the beaten path and !free! read more

This is an atmospheric, interesting area to explore. Nestled in the woods, among the vine-covered trees, you'll find the Knollwood estate ruins. I saw my first wild fox here. A striking, fiery cutie appeared out of the grey, tangled brush and gracefully disappeared back into it much too soon. This happened inside the walled garden while a fine snow fell. I agree with the other reviewer: Bring a compass and map. I'm not sure the 1861 Muttontown Rd address is the best way to reach this place. There's a parking lot at an entrance next to the horse fence. It's the only one I've entered. There isn't any fee. I think there's a sign warning that the gate locks at 4:30 but I've seen it open a bit later. read more

Muttontown Preserve - from the top of one of the ruins - Parks Near Me - Muttontown, New York

I go to Muttontown Preserve pretty often since its the closest place to hike near my house. There are two entrances (one by the equestrian field, and one by the nature center which is located by the Chelsea Estate). Pros: free parking, almost never crowded, easy/flat trails, family friendly. Cons: lots of bugs in the summer, the trails can get swampy/muddy, and the trails are marked SO POORLY. seriously, every time I hike there I consider calling up whoever is in charge and offering to re-mark the trails for them. Once you hike the preserve often enough, you can start to orient yourself with the nature center/equestian field/walled-garden/various-gates/the road/etc. But there have been times where I've basically thrown my hands up in the air and said "I guess I have to randomly walk and hope I find my way out of here" - no worries though, the trails aren't too extensive and I've always stumbled upon a distinctive landmark within 15-20 minutes or so. (Except one time I ventured through a (closed, but unlocked) gate towards the bridle paths and got significantly lost.) If its your first (or 2nd or 3rd) time hiking the preserve, I'd recommend printing out the map beforehand because they are often unavailable. If they are available, they would be located either 1. behind the glass of the information board by the equestrian field or 2. on the porch of the nature center. Please put the maps back when you are done because they are always in short supply and I'm sure the next hikers would appreciate one. However... Be warned: The maps are only good for following the picture - the numbered loops don't seem to correspond with the numbers on the trails - also, the trails are marked with random letters i can never seem to follow. **I've never seen the nature center open/in use, but I vaguely remember there being brochures about various programs that are offered. All in all, despite the fact that the trails are not marked and the map is not super helpful, I still enjoy this preserve immensely. read more

We came here a few weeks ago just to see King Zog's Ruins after seeing it online. We parked at the equestrian entrance. To get to the equestrian entrance to walk the short trail take the LIE/NSP to 106/107 North, after you drive the Jerichi Tpke overpass, stay to the right and continue on 106 North. Pass the Muttontown Rd light and you will see Hunters Dr on the right and you have to make an immediate left into the dirt parking lot which is the equestrian entrance and you can park there. Continue on and you come to the pillars and further back is what once was the grand entrance. Follow the pink ribbon trail markers and you come to the garden wall in a couple of minutes. Tons of photo ops and awesome graffiti along the huge walls. Continue on and you come to the pillars covered in ivy. A little further and you will come to what was once the grand entrance. We took tons of pics and spent a couple hours exploring. We did end up with nearly a dozen ticks between the 2 of us so make sure you check yourself on your way out! read more

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We came for King Zog's ruins. And WE FOUND IT! A magnificent, fallen architecture sitting in the middle of nowhere. Here is a guide of how to find it. (You will need this when you cannot get anything more out of google map and the paper map given at the entrance) Although other reviews complained about the accuracy of the map, i would still suggest you to take it. It will at least give you a general sense of where the ruin is and what is next to it, what to look for etc. We entered the preserve from the major entrance on North Boulevard. At first it was easy, just follow the signs and your google map(to make sure you are heading south). Keep walking towards the SOUTH until you are near Muttontown road. As you finally arrive near the ruins as the paper map shows, you will see "Walled Garden" (See my first picture) There is nothing inside of that wall. However, FACING THE WALL ENTRANCE, TO YOUR LEFT you will see a path leading to somewhere else (But do NOT take the path ALONG the wall). So turn LEFT and walk straight ahead. Keep walking until you see a fork. Take the LEFT one.keep walking straight and you will see a staircase leading to a boy scout picnic table setup. That means you are very close to the ruins! Now, once you are in the picnic table circle. It could be very confusing to choose which path to take. We actually had to figure this out by trial and error. (And it turned out to be the last path we had not taken). FACE the picnic table and the camp fire. Take the path that is behind you and to the left. (Which is about direction of an 8'clock) Soon you will see a fork again. Take the MIDDLE one out of the three (the one that looks narrower or the narrowest, i cant remember) And keep walking until you see King Zog's palace! (I have also attached an approximate location on google map of where the ruin is) Good luck! Although it may seem very easy on yelp, the actual path in the wood is very difficult to find. It takes a lot of patience. Don't give up! Even if you lose hope, try for one last time. (This happened to us twice in the woods,as the last try method always worked) read more

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Okay, so I finally did find the entrance (through the Chelsea Mansion gate on Northern Boulevard) and got to have a long walk around the Muttontown Preserve in about a foot of snow. It was very peaceful and quiet given the snow, just a few cross-country skiers hanging around. I actually prefer LI preserves in the winter due to lack of ticks and mosquitoes and sweltering heat, but that's just me. We had a long, meandering walk around what were the visible trails, down to the old ruins of Knollwood (not really visible or accessible in the snow). I'm not sure why they had to knock down a place that was never lived in, but there's LI for you. The graffiti seems out of place. All in all this is a great place to stretch out for a walk/hike without feeling confined even though it is still in proximity to major roads. It's about as good as you're going to get in Nassau County. The only downside is that the trails are abysmally unmarked. It's quite a lengthy property with many winding paths. In sub-zero temperatures it can be a little treacherous to find your way back. There are also signs up saying no dogs, which is a plus, but people obviously still bring their dogs in sometimes, which is pretty inconsiderate. read more

Pretty striking digs on a winter day, the distinguished structure near the entrance makes the narrow-as-hell entrance and weather-made-treacherous roads bearable. read more

Muttontown Preserve - Parks Near Me - Muttontown, New York

I am not happy with this place. I am a big geocacher and this park is not maintained well; the trails are not cut, at all. By the time I left, I was bleeding from all the thorn bushes. read more

I liked the more natural appearance of this park. It looked like nature overtaking human intervention, wish the maps were better and there was information along the trails to explain the history. Relied more on my GPS on my phone to get around, read more

There's a beautiful pond off of the main entrance. Trails are not very defined so remember to take a map and a GPS with you. There are also raccoon dens galore, but they don't bother you if you don't bother them. read more

Trails are poorly marked. King Zog's ruins are an unusual side story. Approx 3miles.

Great day trail! Got to see very cool things while getting a lot of walking in BUT there are a lot of ticks. I came home and found 3 on myself :/ making me wonder if it's worth it read more

Great trails to ride your horses. Easy parking for trailers and nice trials. My horse loved the it here. We even found the King Zog ruins. The preserve has 2 entrances but the equestrian entrance is always the entrance the I use. I love it here and I will be going back soon. read more