Greenbelt Trail - Long Island|Hiking and Camping

According to the Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference: "The Long Island Greenbelt Trail, a designated National Recreation Trail, opened in 1978. In its 34 miles, it passes through some 12,000 acres of open land, including four state parks and numerous county and town holdings. Between the sandy beaches on the Great South Bay and the bluffs overlooking the Sound, hikers will find unspoiled pine barrens, upland hardwood forests and the hills of the Ronkonkoma Moraine."

Ken and I hiked this in four segments. For each one we met at the end of the segment, and took one car back to the beginning. We hiked the segment, then picked up the car left at the end to return to the start where the other car was waiting. On the last segment, we extended the hike into a boat outing on the Bay and out to Fire Island.

Log: Segment one of the Long Island Greenbelt Trail [NRT]. All Greenbelt hikes accomplished with two cars: meet at the end, leave car one and drive to the start, leave car two, do hike, take car one back to start to car two. Started in Sunken Meadow State Park. Deli lunch by Ken’s house. Sweetbriar Park. Suffolk County Park; needed to unlock combination locks on gate, section on boardwalk. Ended by the bull on 25/25A.

Ken at the start

Up on the bluffs

Me and the Sound

Looking back at Old Dock

Ken on the trail

The Greenbelt Trail sign

A good lunch spot near Ken's house in Kings Park

Ken leading

How did that get here?

Glacial leftovers

Ken on a hill

The gate at Summerset Drive

Boardwalk in Suffolk County Park

Me at the end of the segment at Whisper the Bull

Log: Segment two of the Long Island Greenbelt Trail. Using day pack with GPS connected to large “egg” antenna. Started by the bull on 25/25A. Caleb Smith State Park; needed to unlock combination locks on gates, section on boardwalk. Along New Mill Pond/Stump Pond and Millers Pond in Blydenburg County Park; section on boardwalk. Ended at dead end of Cedar Ridge Avenue in Smithtown.

Near the north part of Caleb Smith State Park ...

... and at the gate

Convenient boardwalk

Me by the gate

On Route 25 at the south part of Caleb Smith Park

Uh oh ... lost walking stick ...

... whew - fishing it out

Near New Millpond in Blydenburg County Park

On Maple Ave.

An old road

Ken on the boardwalk

That looks precarious!

Segment end at Cedar Ridge Ave.

Log: Segment three of the Long Island Greenbelt Trail. Started at dead end of Cedar Ridge Avenue in Smithtown. Hidden Pond Park. Needed to unlock combination locks on gate. Passed by Honeysuckle Pond. Connetquot River State Park; saw fish hatchery, Nicoll Grist Mill. Ended at southern end of park at Sunrise Highway.

Ken at the Cedar Ridge Ave. start

Me too

Ken at an uphill section

Looking back at Kings Park ...

... and Stony Brook

Cool natural sculpture

Me by the gate

Our GPS antenna kludge!

Hmmm... a challenge

Oh, this doesn't feel safe

Honeysuckle Pond

At the LIRR crossing

Crossing Veterans Memorial Highway

At the Connetquot River State Park gate at Vets

Along the Connetquot River

The fish hatchery

Another park visitor (or resident)

One old park building ...

... and another

Nicoll Grist Mill

Main Pond

At the segment end in Connetquot

Log: Segment four of the Long Island Greenbelt Trail. For this segment left the car and CurrentSea at the end point. Started at southern end of Connetquot River State Park at Sunrise Highway. Crossed Sunrise through a tunnel along the water. Walked through cool, very dense pine forest. Ended in Heckscher State Park on Great South Bay. Took CurrentSea to Fire Island (see CurrentSea log).

At the segment start in Connetquot River State Park

West Brook Pond

How do we cross Sunrise?

Oh - an underpass

Watch your step!

Cool pine forest

Ken making like the sign

At Montauk Highway

Lots of directions!

Me on the trail

On Great South Bay

Ready to head to Fire Island