Phragmites Park

At the southern tip of Northport Harbor is the eleven-acre Phragmites Park. Wedged between some residential neighborhoods, the entrance to the preserve is easy to miss when traveling along Route 25A. Like many coastal access spaces, this nature area is known by several names, including Twin Ponds Park and most recently, Betty Allen Preserve-North.



Once used as a dumping site for the dredged spoils from nearby bays, this stretch of shoreline began an extensive wetlands restoration project in 2002. While I'm certainly not an authority on the subject, the results appear to be a notable success.



I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Northport area. It's a pretty harbor with an attractive and walkable waterfront, populated by a citizenry which appears committed to maintaining it. My afternoon spent at Phragmites Preserve only reinforced this belief.



Pbase: Northport Photos

Wikimapia: Betty Allen Preserve

NYNJCT Botany: Hiking Betty Allen/Twin Ponds

Note: I didn't visit the area south of Rte 25A. That will have to be done another time

Inlet Pond In Greenport

About this time last year, I spent a day wandering around Long Island's North Fork. I had no real agenda or destination, so when I stumbled across something interesting I would stop and explore further. One of the highlights of my day was Inlet Pond Preserve on the outskirts of Greenport.



Consisting of approximately 50 acres, Inlet Pond is a county preserve maintained in cooperation with the North Fork Audubon Society. There are a network of trails that wind their way around the property; I followed the Blue Trail which circles the pond and leads to the adjacent beach.

Despite the name, there is no inlet connecting Long Island Sound to the pond. My first guess was that an inlet once existed, but had been sealed shut from some long forgotten storm.  Several websites however, claim the pond is freshwater. If I were a better investigative reporter, I would have verified the salinity myself. Shoulda, coulda, woulda!



After combing the beach and circling the pond, I arrived at an observation deck which provided a nice overview of  the land I had just walked. On one side, the pond was protected by a few short bluffs that were quickly losing their autumn color. And on the other, just a thin spit of sand was all that separated it from that "domesticated body of water"*  known as Long Island Sound.



North Fork Audubon

From The North Fork

Gail's Trails: Inlet Pond (map)



*quote: F Scott Fitzgerald; The Great Gatsby

Ambro Wetlands Preserve

It's still winter in the marshes. Maybe that is an overstatement, but many of the wetland areas on Long Island Sound are a month behind their neighboring drier lands. This was very apparent when I visited the Ambro Wetlands Preserve which is tucked behind Crab Meadow Beach in the town of Huntington. While the trees along the road were in full bloom, they began to lose their green as I approached the marsh. In a sort of Wizard Of Oz moment, I was met by a brown landscape that had the appearance of early March, rather than the second week in April. Despite air temperatures of 70 degrees,  the water temperature is still in the low 40's.

During my sophomore year in high school, one of the books assigned by my biology class was The Life And Death Of A Salt Marsh. Maybe I was too young, but the book had no impact on me. I am not even sure I finished reading it. This winter, I read it again and was completely consumed.

The chapters devoted to the seasons of a salt marsh were especially clear as I walked along the creek that winds its way towards Smithtown Bay. The low tide had exposed much of the marsh to the strong rays of sun that heated the landscape. But it would not last for long. Within a few hours, the rising tide would flood the grasses with 40 degree water, halting the spring progress for the day.

 In some areas, the high water mark was visible from the heavy rains of the past month. Many of the areas I walked were most likely submerged for days during those storms. There was a line I could see where the green of April met the cold of March.

Spring will come to the salt marsh, but not so fast. As for me, I am thinking of reading the Great Gatsby and Moby Dick once again. I hear they are very good.

Map

Wikipedia: Jerome Ambro

Huntington Audubon Society

Smyth Sanctuary & Pratt Cove Preserve

On a winding road connecting Essex and Deep River are two protected areas, side by side. Smyth Sanctuary and Pratt Cove Preserve both overlook the freshwater marshes here that feed the Connecticut River. They are areas best explored by a kayak or canoe.

Pratt Cove Preserve was donated by Susan Haig and is managed by the Nature Conservancy. The preserve includes a short trail, along with a launch area. Despite being freshwater, the cove is tidal, with a current that looked fairly strong when I visited.

Across the street and slightly south, is the Smyth Sanctuary. This is a wooded area maintained by the Deep River Land Trust. There did not appear to be any trails, but a viewing platform provides an attractive view overlooking the marshlands that make their way to the Connecticut River.

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Nature Conservancy: Pratt Cove

CT Coastal Access Guide: Pratt Cove

Map

Deep River Land Trust

Our River.org

Hodge Family Wildlife Preserve

Approximately three miles north of the Block Island ferry dock sits the Hodge Family Wildlife Preserve also known as Hodge Farm. This is 25 acres of mostly-meadow, that slopes to the west, providing spectacular views of Block Island Sound. Created in 2002, the preserve is the result of a 20 year effort by the Nature Conservancy, Block Island Land Trust, Block Island Conservancy, the town of New Shoreham (Block Island), and individuals.

Over 40% of Block Island is publicly accessible, protected land. Opposition to a proposed 1971 housing development in Rodman's Hollow is often credited as the beginning of the preservation movement on the island. The partnership and commitment between conservation groups and individuals has led the Nature Conservancy to list Block Island as one of the Last Great Places in the Western Hemisphere.

On a beautiful, late summer day this September, I spent a good portion of the morning walking out to North Light, and then following a portion of the Clay Head Trail. Reaching the Hodge Preserve, I could have continued on to West Beach, but I instead chose to stay right here. The meadow of goldenrod, with it's views of ponds and ocean in the distance was all too apealing.

*

Providence Journal: Saving Block Island

Nature Conservancy: Hodge Family Wildlife Preserve

Block Island Conservancy

Block Island Land Trust

Barn Island

Situated between Stonington and Watch Hill is the 1,013 acre Barn Island Wildlife Management Area. This is an off-the-beaten-path location that many of the regional brochures do not even mention. Only a small sign with an arrow on Route 1 marks the way to the entrance. The Connecticut Coastal Access Guide however, refers to this as the state's "premier coastal wildlife management area".

I visited Barn Island last week with the hopes of seeing some fall foliage, but that was not to be. With water temperatures in the upper 60's, and evening air temperatures in the lower 50's and upper 40's, it is still too early to see much change in color along the Sound. The lack of autumn reds though, did little to damper my visit. This is a beautiful spot!

Just north of the boat launch on Palmer Neck Road, I entered an eastward trail leading to an overlook that included numerous interpretive signs. From there, the trail worked it's way down a slope to a causeway that crossed a large tidal marsh. There may have not been much fall foliage, but I could smell October in the air. The decaying cordgrass and other vegetation was all too apparant to my senses. The landscape was mostly green,...but not for long.

CT Coastal Access Guide

Facebook: Fans Of Barn Island

Audubon CT: Barn Island

MysticSeaCaptain: Kayak Barn Island

Map

Garvies Point Preserve

Often, timing is everything. About a week after I visited Garvies Point Preserve I saw several news stories about bottlenose dolphins that were spotted along this section of Hempstead Harbor. Some of the video footage I saw looked as if it were filmed from this exact location. I didn't see any dolphins when I was here, but I did find a natural history museum, and 62 acres of wooded bluffs that lead down to a rocky shoreline.
I skipped the museum and instead walked a trail that winds it's way along the top of the bluffs. The woods and the meadows were still very wet from the recent rainfall, and my clothes became wet as well. Some areas of the preserve are significantly overgrown which limited the view and required a certain amount of bushwacking.
The property has been overrun by an invasive vine known as porcelain-berry. These vines have blocked sunlight and thwarted root growth for many of the native plants and trees. Garvies Point Preserve has been fighting a difficult battle, attempting to remove the vines and restore native growth.
I followed a wooden stairway that descended the bluffs and brought me to the rocky beach below. The sky was still overcast and it looked and felt as if it would start raining at any moment.
To the south I could see the hills of Sea Cliff, and to the north of me was Morgan Park. Across the bay in the distance, I could see some of the estates of Sands Point. I remember thinking to myself that this is most likely the least known piece of public shoreline in the area. At least it was before the dolphins arrived.

Garvies Point Museum And Preserve
Newsday: Dolphins' Local Swim A Good Sign
Sphere: What Does It Mean?
Huffington Post: Dolphins In LIS (video)
Map

Marshlands Conservancy

Marshlands Conservancy in Rye is such an unspoiled piece of shoreline that I almost hesitate before writing about it. The 173 acres of meadow and salt marsh extend from Boston Post Road to Milton Harbor, and provide the only public access to a salt marsh in Westchester County. I have visited here regularly for about a decade, and I never grow tired of it. Each visit seems to offer a different shade of light and color that remains unique.

Despite my familiarity with Marshlands, I am always a bit confused when I start out on a walk there. The woods behind the visitors center are not clearly marked, and the first part of my walk is usually a blind ramble, until I reach a footbridge that crosses over to a meadow that borders the Jay Heritage Center. From there, the walk becomes straight forward as the meadow leads to a sloped trail that overlooks the marshes and harbor.

At the bottom of the slope, a causeway divides the marshes and leads to an island that contains the ruins of a house which was destroyed by the 1938 Hurricane, and eventually a fire. When I visited in October, the sky was steel blue and contrasted beautifully with the oranges and browns of the autumn foliage. Several New York City buildings were visible on the distant horizon, while Hen Island sat close and quiet, despite the recent political uproar. I circumvented the island, eventually reaching a shaded area with rock outcroppings that meet the beach. Two young children and their nanny searched the shore for shells and small rocks, while an elderly woman with a large hat quietly painted the shoreline scene. This appears to be a popular spot for artists, and I have often stumbled upon them when visiting. One of these days I will try to put together a post featuring some of the paintings.

I continued walking the shoreline that switched several times from sandy beach, to marshy mud. Although the walk here is an easy one, good footwear is needed for some of the pathways that are often quite wet. I started my way back, taking one last look at Milton Point and the thinning, late season mooring field of the American Yacht Club. When I reached the wooded area near the entrance, a deer stood in silence watching my every move. I stopped walking and slowly reached for my camera (see WebAlbum below). I took two shots before trying to zoom in closer, but it was too late. He turned his back to my camera, before letting out a snorting sound and running for the woods.

MARSHLANDS CONSERVANCY: WebAlbum
NYNJ Trail Conference: Marshlands Conservancy
Map

Leeds Pond Preserve

Years ago, when I was looking to anchor in Manhasset Bay, I would often drop the hook in about ten feet of water off of Leeds Pond. My rule of thumb in locating the anchorage was to motor south of the yacht club mooring fields, and look for a stretch of shoreline that was heavily wooded, and was void of any waterfront homes. Manhasset Bay is a busy harbor, but this anchorage provided calm from activity ashore and afloat.
Leeds Pond is a 35 acre preserve that includes a wetlands trail that winds along the pond and a freshwater marsh. The preserve is also the home of the Science Museum Of Long Island. The museum sits on a hill that provides views of the lower section of the bay. There are gardens and an interpretive center on the grounds as well.
The highlight of my visit was a walk along North Plandome Road, that separates Leeds Pond from Manhasset Bay. From this location, I could watch the waters of the pond fall into a spillway and pass an old mill, before making their way across tidal flats and into the bay.
Scenic and peaceful, as it normally is.

LEEDS POND PRESERVE: WebAlbum
Map

Pelham Bay Park

Years ago, I read some information about Pelham Bay Park that has stuck with me. The article or guidebook described the park as the southernmost example of a rocky New England shoreline. It was one of those things that I had not really thought about, yet it seemed so obvious, and so amazing at the same time. The rocky shoreline does continue to Throggs Neck and the East River, but most of it is no longer in its natural state. South of New York Harbor, it is sandy beaches and barrier islands, with the Chesapeake and Delaware bays consisting of mostly mud. Starting in Novia Scotia and extending through New England, this is the end of the line for the classic rocky coast.
Pelham Bay Park covers 2,766 acres in the Northeast Bronx, and includes golf courses, horse stables,a museum, and a police firing range. My visit in October however, was focused on Twin Island Preserve and Hunter Island Preserve, which form the peninsula that extends northeast from Orchard Beach.
I entered Twin Island Preserve at the far end of the promenade that wraps around the beach. After a short distance along the main trail, I came to several paths that lead to the shoreline. The exposed bedrock and glacial erratics were bright from the sun. Davids Island and Pea Island sat in the distance, while a lone barge made its way down the Sound. I passed a few fishermen as I made my way along, eventually reaching the ruins of an old tide mill. All that remains is a dam with a sluice, and two ebb tides a day.
I entered Hunter Island Preserve after crossing through a picnic area that is adjacent to the beach. This area was much more wooded and seemed less traveled (it is also a larger area). I arrived at a spot where Glen Island and the New York Athletic Club were just a short distance across the channel. The Iona College crew team glided by as their coach barked orders from a boat that trailed behind them. The newly built high-rises in New Rochelle stood in the distance. Eventually, I reached a forested area that contained a stand of very large trees. I am certainly no expert on trees, but these were of considerable size, and appeared to be quite old. I began to wonder where the oldest native trees were in NYC. Inwood Hill? Riverdale? Brooklyn? Were any of the trees here around in colonial times?
The trail began to lead west and work its way back. There was less shore access along this stretch, but there were still random views of a protected cove, and the lagoon used for the 1964 Olympic Rowing trials. The top floors of a few Co-op City buildings appeared on the horizon, reminding me that I was in the Bronx, and it was 2008.

Pelham Bay Park: WebAlbum
Soundbounder: Orchard Beach Lagoon
Map

Trail Of Fears

Even simple things become complicated. The New London Day had a story on Friday about residents along Groton Long Point Road opposing a three foot wide trail through the Mortimer Wright Preserve that would connect to Haley Farm State Park. The residents brought up a list of concerns ranging from traffic to contaminated wells. Call me naive, but I did not realize that these footpaths could be so destructive.

The Day reports:
"Resident Bobbi Jo Cini said Wednesday she has concerns about horses using the trail, fearing manure could affect her well and wetlands on the Wright property. She also said the town would need state Department of Transportation permits for a trail to cross a state road. Groton Long Point Road "is not safe" she said, as cars tend to speed and even get into accidents. "Who is going to be liable for that?" she asked.
Resident Frank Jannarone , who mows the parking area for the trail, also opposed the proposal, saying the current trail system is adequate and used frequently. He also said mountain bikes could damage the area."



Usually nature preserves are a win-win situation. They protect open space, and provide a natural environment for the public to enjoy. Adjacent landowners often benefit from them in the form of higher property values. Residents never have to worry about looking out their kitchen window at a cul-de-sac of McMansions and power lines. The trade off is that the land is open to the public.

The residents in this story want to have it both ways. They like the privacy and the wooded environment that the preserve provides, but they do not want to encourage access. They prefer that the nature preserve remains a wooded extension of their own property. I cannot help but suspect that their environmental concerns are manufactured. Has there ever been a case of well water being contaminated by an occasional horseback rider?

I am sure there are legitimate concerns that need to be addressed. No one wants the trail to become a hangout for vandals or teenage parties (the recent vandalism at Mianus River State Park comes to mind). No one wants the land to become a littered mess that does more harm than good. I would respect those concerns. What I do not respect is someone creating a bunch of false alarms in the name of environmentalism.