While the North Fork’s sandy and rock-strewn coasts are tailor-made for summer, there might not be a better time for a stroll along the shore than when the season shifts.
Fall hiking on the East End’s mostly flat terrain means taking advantage of mellow temperatures and seeing the foliage change as you crunch over last year’s leaves underfoot. When the summer crowds dissipate, getting to the trailhead is easier too. Other parts of New York certainly have higher elevations for more challenging workouts, but here, hiking is easier to turn into a multi-generational family outing — hikers young and old have a range of routes to pick from.
These hikes offer everything from a short, morning jaunt to longer treks that will squash any smart watch’s walk reminders. The shorter routes are perfect for keeping children engaged — and off screens — as they take in birds, wildflowers, shrubs and the occasional chipmunk. Some parks allow dogs, but it’s good practice to check online (parks.ny.gov) for the most recently updated conditions, holiday closures and fees, and if a Suffolk County Green Key card is required. So lace up your sneakers (or hiking boots), pack a warm layer and head for the trails.
Wildwood State Park
790 Hulse Landing Road, Wading River
Dog friendly: No
Terminating on a wide stretch of beach with bluffs overlooking the Sound, Wildwood’s 600 acres spread across a massive forest. The park’s four main mixed-use trails range in length from 1.8 to nearly four miles long, with a comfortable 177 feet of elevation gain. Most of the options are loops and out-and-backs, and tend to be well shaded. The yellow trail takes you to a scenic view overlooking the bluffs.
Indian Island County Park
Indian Point Road, Riverhead
Dog friendly: Yes
At the mouth of the Peconic River, Indian Island County Park is 275 acres of parkland for RVing and tent camping, along with organized outdoor activities. Locals favor this peninsula for the unique mix of the Peconic River and the saltwater of Flanders Bay with beach and forest. The dense stand of trees and shrubs provides shelter for songbirds and ground pheasants, but you might also encounter raccoons, rabbits, red foxes and deer. The park has two trails, Brud’s Path and Mud Road, though hikers usually stitch those together, along with the paved roads, to complete a loop around the park’s perimeter, which is just shy of three miles. There are also ticks, which linger into the warmer fall weather, so come prepared: Bring spray and check pets and children after hiking. A shorter route leads from the parking lot, along a trail that loops around Circle Drive and the beach views, then back towards the car at just over a mile.
Hallock State Park Preserve
6062 Sound Ave., Riverhead
Dog friendly: No
The nearly mile-long shorefront is the star of the 225-acre park preserve situated along the Long Island Sound. Not only does the preserve offer four hiking trails, one of which takes you directly to the shore, but it provides ample opportunity to spot birds like the prairie warbler and bank swallows. The blue trail, the park’s longest, is just over a mile and leads from the parking lot, around Hallock Pond and down, connecting with the beach access trail. This is a nice route to take with children because it’s not tiring and the beach acts as a big payoff. Shorter Willie’s Way, just about half as long, departs from the other side of the parking lot around Lily Pond.
Arshamomaque Pond Preserve
63445 Main Road, Southold
Pet friendly: Yes
On the north side of Main Road, just past the Port of Egypt Marina, you’ll find this nearly 54-acre plot purchased by Southold Town as part of the Arshamomaque Preservation Plan back in 2001. The site is part of the Long Island Pine Barrens Maritime Reserve and set aside for protection because the 2,500 feet of shoreline is rich with tidal salt marshes, woodlands, freshwater ponds and wetlands, making it one of the most productive coastal environments in the country. The preserve has two trails that allow hikers to weave between oaks, hickories, beech and white pines, along with shrubby cover for deer, red foxes and raccoons. From the trailhead off Chapel Lane, you’ll find markers for the mile-long loop.
Orient County Park
31325 Main Road, Orient
Dog friendly: Yes
Just beyond the entrance to the ferry terminal, you’ll find the small parking lot and trailhead for Orient’s other park. This nearly 50-acre site has a looping, 1.5-mile-long trail that’s wooded for a short stretch before opening up to the north side of the fork, as you walk along the Sound. At the tip, you’ll have views of the Orient Point Lighthouse, along with the electrical cable that supplies power to Plum Island, which is visible in the distance, including its water tower and some buildings. The massive stones that keep erosion at bay offer a nice place to sit on the rocks and watch the ferry activity.
Mashomack Preserve
79 South Ferry Road, Shelter Island
Dog friendly: No
The preserve occupies a good chunk of Shelter Island, rimmed by 11 miles of coastline — which is only a touch less than New Hampshire enjoys. The 2,350 acres of interlacing tidal creeks, mature oak woodlands, fields and freshwater marshes were once a hunt and game club. Now, a total of seven trails — including the Joan C. Coles boardwalk designed for wheelchair access and strollers — allow visitors to walk deep into the preserve, nearly to the water’s edge on the southeast side of the island. The longest route, the blue trail, is about 4.5 miles long, but you’ll need to walk most of the red and some of the green trails to get there so plan on tacking on a few more miles to round trip it from the parked car. The Preserve’s Visitor Center and Manor House are temporarily closed.
TRICKY TICKS
Think these biting bugs are only pests until Labor Day? Think again.
Long Island is crawling with ticks and studies show that up to 50% of them carry Lyme disease. Hikers might be lulled into a false sense of security by the idea of ticks being a summertime issue, but you shouldn’t let your guard down in the fall.
“Ticks can certainly be active well into fall,” says Daniel Gilrein, an entomologist with Cornell Cooperative Extension. “During favorable weather conditions, including temperatures around 40 degrees and above, which we often have, it’s possible for at least some ticks to be active all year.” The black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick, can pass along Lyme disease, which usually requires about two weeks of antibiotic treatment. But lone star tick bites can pose a different kind of risk. “Lone star tick bites are associated with alpha-gal allergy to red meat,” Gilrein says. Alpha-gal syndrome currently doesn’t have a treatment. “Ticks are not just associated with tall grass and can be common in forest areas with only fallen leaves and ground cover vegetation, as well as around gardens and even lawns,” Gilrein says. However, the bugs tend to be less common on mowed sunny lawns. Studies have shown that the tick must stay on the body for 36 hours to transmit Lyme disease. Prompt and proper tick removal is essential and may decrease your chances of getting tick-borne diseases.
When hiking, tuck your pants into your socks and spray your clothing with a repellent containing DEET or permethrin. You can also apply DEET to your skin, though a lesser concentration is preferable for children, according to Suffolk County’s Department of Health Services. Don’t spray permethrin-based repellent on your skin.
