Where are the best places to run in Long Island?

West Hills Park, Bethpage State Park, Blydenburgh County Park and Stillwell Woods Park are all solid.

Where do you live on the Island?

Away

Long Islander wrote:

Where do you live on the Island?

Yeah, it's a big island. At least give a county. North shore or South?

As a Long islander I'm very interested in this thread. I like Stillwell; I just wish the trails were better marked because my sense of direction is terrible.

Norman levy preserve is usually my go to spot. Some decent hills and the ground is nice and soft. However due to the virus you need to wear a mask. So I have been doing much of my running on the road. Hempstead lake state park and Belmont state park are also nice.

kmaclam wrote:

Long Islander wrote:

Where do you live on the Island?

Yeah, it's a big island. At least give a county. North shore or South?

Yeah I'll wait to chime in until we have a more specific region in mind.

Nassau Suffolk Greenbelt Trail - park in Cold Spring Harbor on 25A, next to the library, and run south. GLIRC runs a 25K/50K on this trail, they might have a course map on their website. I think this goes through Stillwell Woods, which someone already recommended.

Connetquot State Park - I'm not sure that you're actually allowed to run here, but a lot of people do. You can park along Vet's Highway/454 and enter the park there (on a Sunday morning there will be a lot of cars there). Or you can park in East Islip and go in from the south (you'll have to run under Sunrise Highway). You can also pick up trails in Hecksher State Park that you can take north and end up in Connetquot.

Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley/Mastic is nice. I've heard that Southaven County Park, near Wertheim, is also good, but I've never run there myself.

Paumanok Path out east, goes from like Rocky Point all the way to Montauk. There's a relay on this trail from Rocky Point to Hampton Bays in April.

Brookhaven State Park, ran a half marathon there a couple of years ago. On the east side of William Floyd Parkway, around Whiskey Rd.

If you're OK with paved bike paths, there's a 9.3 mile path in Calverton, roughly in the shape of a rectangle. Really nice, flat, a lot of it is exposed so you'll get some sun and if it's windy you'll feel it. Also a 3.3 mile bike path in Setauket/Port Jeff Station, makes a nice out and back for 6.6 miles.

You should know already, be careful about ticks on any of these wooded runs.

I live in northport by the north shore.

RunningNoob420 wrote:

As a Long islander I'm very interested in this thread. I like Stillwell; I just wish the trails were better marked because my sense of direction is terrible.

Norman levy preserve is usually my go to spot. Some decent hills and the ground is nice and soft. However due to the virus you need to wear a mask. So I have been doing much of my running on the road. Hempstead lake state park and Belmont state park are also nice.

I don’t know think I would suggest running alone at Hempstead lake State park there’s some sketchy sh** that goes on there. But if you have a group or a few people it’s fine. Levy park and Belmont are good though. But the trail at Belmont can be kinda confusing.

Nothing beats the 2 mile loop at Bethpage St. Park. They throw wood chips down every year or so. It's part of the X-C course they use. Never anyone on it. And really important - NO ticks.

yo!! wrote:

RunningNoob420 wrote:

As a Long islander I'm very interested in this thread. I like Stillwell; I just wish the trails were better marked because my sense of direction is terrible.

Norman levy preserve is usually my go to spot. Some decent hills and the ground is nice and soft. However due to the virus you need to wear a mask. So I have been doing much of my running on the road. Hempstead lake state park and Belmont state park are also nice.

I don’t know think I would suggest running alone at Hempstead lake State park there’s some sketchy sh** that goes on there. But if you have a group or a few people it’s fine. Levy park and Belmont are good though. But the trail at Belmont can be kinda confusing.

Whaddya mean?

If you're in Northport and want trails, try Makamah Preserve if you haven't tried it yet. It's local for you. Not very big, but you can do 3 miles without repeating anything. If you're not close enough to run there, you can park on 25A in the dirt lot near Makamah Rd., next to the big liquor store.

Coincidentally, if anyone still gets Newsday, today in Part 2 there's a piece on LI running trails.