Connetquot River State Park Preserve

Oakdale, Suffolk Co.

 

This nearly 3,500-acre refuge of sandy pine barrens, wetlands, ponds and woodlands is nestled in central Long Island along the pristine, spring-fed Connetquot River. A wilderness surrounded by suburbs, the preserve provides excellent opportunities to see more than 200 bird and 300 plant species, as well as several mammal, reptile, amphibian, butterfly and moth species that once flourished throughout Long Island.

Wildlife to Watch

  • Woodland and field birds, including rufous-sided towhees, black-capped chickadees, pine and yellow-throated warblers, catbirds and eastern bluebirds
  • Waterfowl, including hooded mergansers and common mergansers, ring-necked ducks, pintails and gadwall
  • White-tailed deer, red foxes, mink, muskrats, weasels, flying squirrels, bats, rabbits and chipmunks
  • Box turtles, snapping turtles, and painted turtles; black-racer snakes, milk snakes, water snakes, and smooth-green snakes; spring peepers, pickerel and tree frogs
  • Monarch butterflies and others, including azure, wood nymph, red admiral and skipper; cecropia an polyphemus moths; fireflies and many varieties of dragonflies

Where to Watch

  • Pine barrens
  • Oak brush plains
  • Red-maple swamps
  • River channel, streams and ponds

Recreational Opportunities

  • More than 50 miles of hiking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and nature trails
  • Fly fishing on the Connetquot River by permit only
  • Bike trail that runs along Sunrise Highway on the south side of the preserve
  • Accessible visitor center and educational services
  • Staff or self-guided tours, as well as interpretive trail signs and brochures

Size

3,473 acres

Closest Town

Oakdale

Directions

See Google Maps and enter your address for step by step directions to Connetquot River State Park Preserve (This link will open a page outside of the DEC website. Hold Shift down while clicking on the link to open it in a new window)

Contact Information

Address: Box 505, Sunrise Highway, Oakdale, NY 11769
Telephone: 631-581-1005
Website: Connetquot River State Park Preserve (This link leaves DEC's website)

Photo Credits: Jim Clayton, Ariana Newell (OPRHP), Ryan Coulter