Blydenburgh Park

Great park. It has quite a few trails to hike on or bring the horses on (watch out for horse poo). The lake is large and allows fishing, boating, not sure about swimming, but it’s a bit dirty to do that. They have a large dog park that’s great to bring the pups too. Camping is allowed but I think you have to call ahead to reserve a spot. All in all, nice park in the heart of Long Island.

Huge park. Several walking trails. One trail is approximately 6 miles long and goes around the entire lake. Along the way you see waterbirds (ducks, geese, swans).
There are camping areas that include small shelters, picnic tables, and small fire pits.
In addition, there are two huge dog runs. One is for small dogs — under 25 pounds — the other is for larger dogs. Today there were at least 25 dogs running around, playing, and having a great time. As a dog lover, this makes Blydenburgh extra special for me.
Today is November 15 and it appears that the campground and restrooms are closed for the season. Something you may want to take into consideration if you plan to visit in the late fall, winter or early spring.
There appears to be plenty of parking, the walking trails are clearly marked, and the folks that we ran into were all very friendly.
All in all a beautiful spot to spend a few hours enjoying nature.

Great park for taking out your dogs or just going for a short hike. There are some great views of the rivers, and plenty of wildlife to be seen. Also, there seemed to be plenty of parking.

God I’d love to give Blydenburgh a great review. For years I’d stay there andbhikebthe trails as a Boy Scout. Now as an adult I still hike the trails and often use the still fairly new dog park. It’s fantastic. So fantastic I decided to camp there overnight again.
But there’s a catch. All those fantastic, wonderful, secluded campsites I used to stay in?
THEY’RE RESERVED. For Boy Scouts and youth groups only. They’re ALWAYS EMPTY. WHY ARE THEY RESERVED? Okay, okay, no big deal. I’ll stay at the designated campsites for us adult schmucks with jobs or whatever, right?
But NOOOOOO. That’s if you want to be crammed into a giant ring of RVs and other campers with no space and NO TREES in between. To call THIS crap camping is a joke.
The youth group campsites were still light fare for camping, but atleast I can say I went camping when I stayed there. My options now are limited to sleeping in what amounts to a picnic area. With RV’s. And people I don’t know. That’s not camping. That’s sleeping outside. It’s unforgivable and the park loses stars for it.
If you just want to walk around and go to the dog park go ahead. It’s great. But if you’re a camper forget about it.

Nice park with a lot of history. Started going here at a very young age to ride bikes thru the trails and shoot off rockets in the open field that is now the dog park. I’ve camped here a few times and its a nice experience. You can get a fresh water fishing license and go fishing. Nice place to take the kids or dog.

I honestly feel like this is one of those parks you can really get a little bit of every outside adventure you desire. I loved taking my dog here and going through all the trails. It’s pretty peaceful and nice views. if you do not want to be around people just pick the trail closest to the water. The first time i came here I didn’t know the trail around the lake was 5 miles so keep that in mind if you want to do the whole thing. In the winter the markers at the end of the trail are very hard to find so keep that in mind so you don’t get lost. (*take note about mile 4 when you climb a little hill keep straight don’t go left back around the lake.) If you find the bridge over the swamp part your close to the end. The plus side in the winter is there is NO FEE to enter. I believe if you have the green key its 5 dollars although it may have gone up. They also have boat rentals and camp sites available, but i have never rented or camped.

I used to love taking my dog to the huge dog run that they have. It’s not your typical dog run where there is only a gated fence in a small area. Part of the run is wooded and is large enough to play catch. There are benches as well and running water to give to your tired pup. Finally there is a small dog run for your poodle. With decreasing land on Long Island, this is a prime location to just let dogs be dogs.
If you do not have a friendly dog, stay away
Thanks

Came here to hike around the lake with our dog and he thoroughly enjoyed it. It was free for us to enter because of the Winter schedule I believe. Lots of parking spaces available. We parked on the outer most lot and walked to the boating area where the trail starts. As you are facing the boat house near the waterfront, the trail is to your right, with a blue mark on the tree. The path is a single file path but in some areas, it does open up. The hike is REALLY easy. You have sand, dirt, loose gravel, and some mud as your terrain but no hills, no rock scramble, no mounds to hike over. We saw quite a few people with their dogs off leash so we just followed suit. Every now and then on the trail, they have little off trails to the lake and the dogs can drink the water or you can snap some photos. This place would be awesome for Fall photography. All the fall colors on the trees with the lake and clouds in the foreground. I can’t wait till next year when I can take those photos. It did get dark around 5pm. Luckily we brought some flashlights and we were able to make our way back to the parking lot. One bad thing about this place is that the trails are not well marked. If you follow the path we took, the trail is marked blue, then after you turn around at the tip of the lake, the trail markers turn white, then when you get closer to the parking lot, it turns blue again. I know there is a horse trail that more or less parallels the foot path. Perhaps I’m mixing up the two. There was also a lot of horse poo on the trail, be careful!
Here is our trail that you can use as a guide so you won’t get lost if you happen to be there after sunset.
Link to our trail courtesy of MyTracks by google:
Overall I highly recommend this place because it’s a very easy 5.6 mile hike, not that many people, great for dogs, great for photographers. Enjoy!

So glad I grew up near this place. It’s a hidden Long Island treasure off of vets hwy. Awesome 5 mile loop around the park. Such a beautiful place to run or walk your dog

Love the park especially the dog park area which has fresh running water & dog waste bags everywhere there’s a nice wooded area for the dogs to hunt & sniff around and a very large open field area for many dogs to enjoy. I only wish the park could put down like at a kids playground a soft matted area to keep the dirt from flying all over the place. Ironically in NJ where I lived there’s a dog park in like every other town and are very maintained. Aside from the dirt I have made some really nice people there who are all dog lovers and are just interesting people to speak with on every subject. It’s really a great dog park come bring down your dog friendly dog. There’s an area for dogs over 25lbs and another for smaller dogs. Just bundle up appropriately as it’s just a wide open field with chairs & benches. Speaking of chairs if you have any you want to donate. We can always use more chairs. The sturdier the better. Naomi. Prada’s owner also known as Sami by my housemate Mitch. Lol

I think I came here EONS ago with the girl scouts, and have passed by it a zillion times recently on trips back and forth from the Islip/​MacArthur Airport, but only recently came back for an early spring hike. No maps, so had noooooooo clue how big a place it is, and the trail (blue) seemed to go on forever… thought we might fall off the edge of Long Island! Easy, scenic trail, great for bird spotting, photography, and enjoying a perfect early spring afternoon! Would LOVE to come back in the summer and row on the lake, or camp here… Our dogs (in Ohio) would looooooove the awesome dog park (shhhhhh, don’t tell ‘em I was there!!)

Blydenburgh is such a hidden, awesome place. It’s literally off Vets Highway (along some points of the trail you can see it through the trees) but once you’re IN — you’re in. It’s like you’ve driven hours upstate.
Fishing, hiking (more walking), horseback riding, picnicking, etc — all do-​able at Blydenburgh. They say no bikes are allowed though I’ve seen some break that rule.
There are some cute foot bridges through swampier areas, places to veer off and sit/​enjoy the view. The bugs do not swamp to this place in the summers so that’s a plus. Generally, a great getaway that’s so local.
I like. :) Now if I could only catch a fricken fish.

Large dog run that almost has it all and is one of the better ones on Long Island .
Things it has going for it:
— Plenty of parking within feet of run
— Plenty of seating for owners
— Safe area/​park
— Has both a large & small dog runs
— Plenty of room for dogs to really run
— Dedicated dog water fountains
— Bathrooms for humans (except in winter)
— Plenty of shade
— Poop bags provided
Things it has against it:
— No canopies (in case it starts to rain)
— Ground cover is half wood chips and half dirt (can see it being muddy after a good rain)
— Have to pay to get into park (except winter)
I have been to this park a few times and I have to say this dog park has a lot going for it. It has a large area for large dogs and a lot smaller area for small dogs. Both runs have both an open area and and area with trees. There are even some trails in the wooded section. Overall this is one of the better parks on Long Island.
** Note that on weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day, you must possess a Green Key to gain entrance into the park. **
Dog runs/​parks I have been to so far:

I never came to Blydenburgh before this past Monday and I am so glad I discovered it! We walked around the huge lake and everything was so nice, despite it being extremely cold outside. Lots of sandy hiking trails, camping grounds for the better weather, and a dog park area.
Pretty standard state park.
Good place to go and de-​stress when Avalon is too out of the way!

Blydenburgh is a huge county park with a large lake, miles of sandy hiking trails, camping sites and an enormous dog run. The dog run is awesome. It has gotta be a couple acres and includes both an open area and a wooded area. It also has running water which is so convenient. The park requires a Green Key pass (for Suffolk County residents) during the summer, but is free and open to the public the rest of the year. Great park.

I am at this park almost weekly. For dog lovers this is the place! They have an excellent large dog park with a lot of regulars. I love hiking and they have a nice loop trail that is also dog friendly! The trails are fairly scenic overlooking a small man made lake. The park rangers are also great. Ok, I’ll admit it, I decided to go for a hike with little battery on my cell phone at dusk, got lost and could not find my way back. I wound up in someone’s back yard and they were kind enough to drive me back. The rangers assisted me to get into contact with my husband, who came there looking for me. True story, I was very grateful for the help. Been there many times and love it. Come on down!

A lovely, long tree-​lined road leads into Blydenburgh park. At the end of this main entrance road lies a large parking lot and the largest dog run I’ve ever seen. It’s nothing less than canine heaven.
This park connects to Bill Richards Memorial park too. It’s kind of hard to review one without the other. Only the long road separates the two and on that very road a large fox skittered across. The trails are somewhat of a mess post hurricane Sandy but doable as several others in there realized as well. The trails were technically closed but unless you have small children, handicapped or elderly, it’s fine. You can rent boats and get on the water here as well.

Blydenburgh is a beautiful park that you wouldn’t think was possible to exist right off the main drag of 347 in the Smithtown/​Hauppauge area. It’s part of the Green Belt trail system which I’m not too familiar with other than Long Island has a few trails that are part of the Green Belt. Yes, very helpful, I know!
They do charge for parking during peak seasons, however they are not charging now and won’t be until spring I think. Then it’s either $ 8 or $ 10 to get in. Blydenburgh isn’t part of the New York parks system so if you have the Empire Pass you can’t get in here with it, they use a separate county pass for Suffolk residents. There is something also with a green key but I think that’s more for camping. You can read more about that on their website because I don’t want to give you the wrong information.
The trail is a little under 6 miles, I believe it’s about 5.5. It can be a bit confusing as there are a few trails you can take. But follow the blue squares and you’ll be just fine. Horses are allowed on certain parts of the trail, so watch out for poo! If you’re a runner this is a beautiful and scenic run, and perfect if you’re training for a 10k. I’ve run it a few times and it’s lovely to do. However, since I’ve been slacking, this weekend it was walked. I’ll be able to do it again soon!
A little less than halfway through you will find some wooden stairs that will lead to a bench, and a bit further up picnic benches if you want to lunch/​snack. There is also a house that gives tours once per day (1PM). However, there are also private residences in the park, so make sure you go to the right house! It’ll be the one after you climb up the stairs. Then if you want to hit the trail again, you have to come back down the stairs and the trail continues.
This park is also dog friendly and you’ll see the pups swimming in the lake to cool off, and it’s a great place to bring a dog in general. Also, it’s phenomenal if you’re a photographer/​artist. I have taken some stunning photos here, and would love to come back to sit and draw in the future. One of my photos was even published in the SIerra Club newsletter this winter! (came here as part of the Sierra Club on a hike last December)
Seriously check this place out. If you don’t live around the corner — I promise it’s worth the drive. If you take your time and enjoy the walk, stopping here and there, it’s about three hours. Get back to nature and find your zen.

This is a nice park, big and peaceful. There’s a big lake where you can rent rowboats and enjoy the serenity too.
Lately I’ve been going there for the use of their Dog Run/​Dog Park. This is pretty much just 2 big enclosures (one for small dogs and one for large) where you let your pooch go and have leash-​free fun. There’s plenty of open space for the little guys to run around and play and a nice wooded area towards the side for them if they’d rather sniff and explore. Plenty of toys laying around like old tennis balls, frisbees, etc. There’s generally a few dogs running around and playing, and on the weekend it gets a bit crowded from what I hear. I’ve only been there on weekdays… before dusk since that’s when the park closes. Bring a water bowl and fill it using the water pump located inside the enclosure and be sure to clean up your dog’s mess if he lets loose… if you know what I mean. There are plenty of garbage cans, baggie stations and scoops; so there’s no excuse to leave any unwanted presents laying around.
There’s a fee on the weekend to get in, but on weekdays you just cruise right on in.

A Suffolk County park located on the south side of Stump (Mill) Pond, which separates Blydenburgh from Caleb Smith State Park, which is on the northern side. There’s waterfoul on the shores, seasonal boat rentals. The park is 627 acres, has camping (currently closed due to West Nile Virus scare). You need a green-​key card, and it’s usually $ 14 a night, but I often have got free accommodations as nobody was in the pavilion when I was checking in or out.. . on a thursday in late-​fall, you likely will be the only one there.
Trails good for hiking & horses; I’ve seen a few mountainbikers coming by too, but the trails and trees are peaceful and you feel watched over contently by the dog spirit guardians of this ground: The blue trail, on the east side of the pond, features two separate pictoral memorials to parkgoers’ deceased canine companions, laminated and posted on the trees.. . local intrigue:
1. Duke, a german shepherd, who loved this park and lived from 1993 – 2001. His owner misses him and Duke is always in his heart.
2. Cokie, a big-​olé lab born in 1995: The gentlest soul ever known; her last walk ended in the trail on a sunny afternoon in January 2006.
I will post pictures next time I go there. Very sad memorials, as our animal friends sometimes have to leave before we’re ready.