Hiking at Sunken Meadow

Hiking at Sunken Meadow State Park means 14.1 miles of trails on the NYS Parks map, open every day from sunrise to sunset: the 3.3-mile Dune Trail, the 1.3-mile Wetland Trail, 2.5 miles of the Long Island Greenbelt Trail, a short bridle path and six miles of unnamed paths through wooded hills, plus the flat ¾-mile boardwalk. Hiking is covered by the vehicle fee, and the trails stay open in winter.

The Trails

NYS Parks says hiking is available all year on the park's nature trails, the boardwalk and the Greenbelt Trail. Its 2023 trail map gives the distances:

• Dune Trail, 3.3 miles. The longest named trail.
• Greenbelt Trail, 2.5 miles in the park. The north end of a 31.8-mile path across Long Island. See Greenbelt Trail.
• Wetland Trail, 1.3 miles.
• Bridle Path, 1.0 mile. Shared with horses, from Field 5.
• Unnamed trails, 6.0 miles.

The full legend and emergency numbers are on the trail map page.

What the Walking Is Like

The park's ground changes fast. NYS Parks describes a wide range of topography: beach and Sound, Sunken Meadow Creek running to tidal flats at the mouth of the Nissequogue River, and south of the flats acres of undeveloped, heavily wooded rolling hills. The map's ten-foot contours show steep ground in the woods, which is why the same hills make the cross-country course famous. The Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference describes its hikes here as moderately paced walks along hilly bluffs with views of Long Island Sound and Connecticut.

Good For

• A flat, easy walk: the boardwalk, ¾ mile along the beach.
• A longer loop with hills: the Dune Trail and unnamed paths in the wooded south of the park.
• Birds and marsh life: the Wetland Trail and the creek.
• A point-to-point hike: walk the Greenbelt south toward Caleb Smith State Park Preserve.

Maybe Skip If

• You want shade all the way: the beach and boardwalk are open to the sun.
• You are bringing a dog: dogs are barred from the main park. Use the east-end trails described on the dogs page.
• You want a quiet trail on a summer Saturday: with more than 3.5 million visits a year, try a weekday or come early.

Wildlife to Watch

The State Department of Environmental Conservation lists Sunken Meadow as a watchable-wildlife site and names trails, lookouts, the boardwalk and the beach as the places to watch. The salt marshes at the east end draw snowy and common egrets, black-crowned night herons and great blue herons fishing the shallows. Piping plovers, least and common terns nest or feed in the area, so obey any fencing on the sand. Look for diamond-back terrapins and snapping turtles in the creek, horseshoe crabs and fiddler crabs in the marsh, osprey and yellow warblers overhead, and red foxes and white-tailed deer along the woodland trails.

Ticks

NYS Parks' Long Island guide warns about three ticks. Lone star ticks live in medium to tall grass in wooded areas and on sand dunes. Black-legged (deer) ticks are common in woods with deer. American dog ticks sit in grass and shrubs, on the sheltered side of dunes and in overgrown fields. Stay on the trail, wear long trousers and check yourself when you get home.

Hiking in Winter

The trails stay open all winter, sunrise to sunset. Cross-country skiing is allowed when there is snow, but not on the golf courses, and there are no rentals. NYS Parks does not allow sledding anywhere in the park. Snowshoeing is listed among the park's amenities.

Guided Hikes

The Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference leads more than 200 free guided hikes a year across Long Island, including walks from Nissequogue River State Park into Sunken Meadow. NYS Parks also runs nature programs here; see plan your visit.