Along Suffolk County’s park beaches, the coastline stretches along both the north and south shores. Specific examples show how varied this landscape can be: Cedar Point County Park is a bay beach in East Hampton, while Smith Point County Park is an ocean beach in Shirley. Together, a bay beach and an ocean beach represent two distinct coastal landscapes.
Coasts, woods and trails
A different landscape defines Wildwood State Park: it encompasses 600 acres of undeveloped hardwood forest, ending at a high bluff overlooking Long Island Sound. The woodland, bluff and view offer a clear contrast to the beaches. Hiking is available in many parks and nature preserves in Suffolk County, extending from the Nassau–Suffolk border to the easternmost points of Long Island.
At Sunken Meadow State Park, you can hike year-round from sunrise to sunset. Options include nature trails, the Greenbelt Trail and a 0.75-mile boardwalk. These details offer a practical guide to spending time in the park, combining the hours of access with three named hiking options. Suffolk County’s park system also includes four different golf courses. Weather permitting, they are open from mid-March through December.
Lighthouses and historic sites
Cedar Island Lighthouse was built in 1860. During Sag Harbor’s heyday as an important port, the lighthouse guided ships into and out of the harbor. It stands on a narrow sandy beach that is ideal for an afternoon stroll. The interior is currently not open to the public.
Hawkins House was built around 1850: Robert Hewlett Hawkins had it constructed in the Italianate style. The Yaphank Historic Society offers house tours on weekends from spring through fall. Yaphank Historic District is also of historical significance and dates to around 1850. The Walt Whitman Birthplace is a New York State historic site and adds another named location to these insights into Long Island history.
Museums, collections and a planetarium
The Long Island Museum’s nine-acre campus is home to historic buildings and art installations. The museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate and holds significant collections of Long Island regional art and history. A dedicated area is the 40,000-square-foot Carriage Museum, which displays artifacts related to American horse-drawn carriages and wagons.
General admission to the Vanderbilt Museum includes the Vanderbilt Mansion with its dioramas and galleries, the Hall of Fishes marine museum, planetarium shows, and the grounds and gardens. Exterior tours of the Vanderbilt Mansion cover its distinctive architecture, collections, the history of the Vanderbilt family and the Eagle’s Nest estate. The Reichert Planetarium offers live talks and tours of the night sky, as well as laser shows featuring classical and popular music. Admission details, tour availability and programs may change, so check the latest visitor information before your visit.
Vineyards and visitor experiences
Since 1973, when the first vineyard was established on Long Island, Suffolk County has developed into a wine-growing region. Farms across the county offer visitors vineyard tasting rooms as agricultural visitor experiences. Offerings and availability vary by farm and tasting room. Wine-growing and tastings thus add another facet to the region’s range of natural and cultural attractions.
Discover more destinations: Copiague, Huntington, North Babylon, Smithtown, Riverhead, Ronkonkoma, Farmingville, Holbrook, Hauppauge, St. James, Commack, Melville, Calverton, Medford, Brentwood, Bellport, Holtsville, Bridgehampton, Wainscott, Montauk, Bay Shore, Islandia, Southampton, Centereach, East Hampton, Port Jefferson Station, Hampton Bays, Brookhaven, Shelter Island, Greenport, Southold, East Marion, Mattituck, Bohemia, Fire Island, Rocky Point, Cutchogue, Aquebogue, Peconic, Cold Spring Harbor, Fishers Island, Coram, Wading River, Greenlawn, Amagansett, Water Mill, Shelter Island Heights, Upton, Shirley, Quogue, Saltaire, Sagaponack, East Quogue, Sag Harbor
For the overview of the wider area: New York.
