Nissequogue River State Park

Jinx Thinks: 

A little different than our usual trail walk but I enjoyed it! I was a little bummed that I was not allowed to dive into the reservoir as I love to swim, but mom said I would disturb the turtles. Plenty of sniffs around the buildings, too! We did end up finding a secret path down to the beach, so I was happy with that!

Our Thoughts: 

This park is/was part of the King’s Park Psychiatric Hospital property, but this portion of the property is an official State Park and you will notice the difference immediately upon entering. There is a guard booth when you pull in, and the first building you come upon is a welcome center for the park, a repurposed building that was once part of the Veteran’s Hospital here (the first time we were there it was open, the second time it was closed for renovations). This area is very well kept, with a pretty path leading up to a gorgeous view of the King’s Park Bluffs. There are still plenty of abandoned buildings to explore around and interesting things to see along the way, including a lovely path past the reservoir,  and the marina area. The Long Island Greenbelt trail also runs through the park! Overall a lovely park, and usually pretty quiet!

Fun Facts & Sights to See:

• This park is a bird lover’s delight. We have seen everything from Orioles and Yellow Warblers to Egrets and Osprey.
• Historical Fact: When the buildings in the park were part of the King’s Park Psych Center, they housed the Veteran’s hospital, as well as staff housing buildings. There are also old pump buildings seen near the main building & marina, the auditorium (on your right as you enter the park), greenhouse (currently in use by NYS), and one of the garages (in use by NYS).
• Know Before You Go: there are ball fields here as well as a playground, super kid friendly!
• Know Before You Go: There is a canoe and kayak launch, as well as a marina where you can rent boat slips
• Fact: The Nissequogue River is the sound’s biggest tributary in NYS
• The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is currently constructing headquarters for their Division of  Marine Resources.
• The Greenbelt Trail runs through this park!