The best hiking trails for families on Long Island

Hikers exploring Connetquot River State Park Preserve.

Along the way, hikers at Connetquot River State Park Preserve will see deer, waterfowl and ospreys among the flora.

"You walk past historic buildings, like an old mill, and have great views of the river," Casey says.

INFO: 4090 Sunrise Hwy., Oakdale. Wednesdays-Sundays. $8 parking. 631-581-1005, nysparks.com/parks/8/details.aspx.

Sunken Forest National Park

Sunken Forest National Park, Fire Island

Kids will delight in the 20-minute ferry ride that brings them to Sailor's Haven, next to Sunken Meadow Forest.

Visitors are welcome to walk alone on the wooded boardwalk through the forest, but National Fire Island Seashore rangers also give free guided tours from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

Sunken Forest is considered unique for its odd mix of forest, beach plants and freshwater flora as well as 40-foot holly trees.

Mosquitoes love the forest, too, so cover up with insect repellent.

INFO: $13 adults; $7.50 children younger than 11. Sayville Terminal, 41 River Rd.; see schedule at sayvilleferry.com or call 631-589-0810. Sailors Haven Visitor Center, which is right by the ferry drop-off: 631-597-6183.

Quogue Wildlife Refuge

Quogue Wildlife Refuge, East Quogue

This nature preserve has been tending and rehabilitating animals since the 1930s, and its wooded property is a great place to take a hike.

There are 7 miles of trails along these rustic but well-blazed paths, with one that has a mile-long loop around the Old Ice Pond, "a great spot to spot turtles and fish from the bridge," says Marisa Nelson, program director.

The paths are well-marked, on flat terrain and are stroller-friendly.

After your walk around the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, the children will love seeing the animals that have been rescued or were injured and are being rehabilitated at the site, now including owls, a bald eagle and a red fox.

For older children, try the 3-mile trail that goes around the northern end of the refuge through the dwarf pines, an ecologically rare animal habitat.

INFO: Open sunrise to sunset daily. Free. 3 Old Country Rd., East Quogue. 631-653-4771, quoguewildliferefuge.org.

Explore Sagamore Hill

Sagamore Hill, Cove Neck

Walk along the same path that President Theodore Roosevelt strolled with his own family and guests.

Sagamore Hill, now a national park, was once the summer home of the 26th president. The expansive property has a nature trail that loops through woodlands where hikers can walk over a little bridge that spans a salt marsh creek and passes by Cold Spring Harbor's waterfront, says Martin Christiansen, chief of visitors services at the site.

Sagamore Hill has a nature trail that loops through woodlands.

"The total round-trip is about a mile, and you get a lot of variety along the way," Christiansen says.

While some areas are a bit steep, it's suitable for children 6 and older.

INFO: Open sunrise to sunset daily; free; 20 Sagamore Hill Rd., Cove Neck; 516-922-4788, nps.gov/sahi/index.htm.

Southampton trails

The Southampton Trail Preservation Society runs many guided trails in the Hamptons, some suitable for even small children.

Behind the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton is a small field that loops around and usually has butterflies and birds flying about. Afterward, stop by the museum, where there are plenty of children's programs about the environment.

Older kids and adults can expand that walk on the Southampton Trails with a guided tour (always free) through the adjacent woods. The tour is run by the Southampton Trail Preservation Society.

INFO: Museum admission is $7, $5 ages 3-12; 377 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Tpke., Bridgehampton; 631-537-9735. See southamptontrails.org for more guided trails.

Blydenburgh County Park

Blydenburgh County Park, Hauppauge

The east side is flat, making the walk very kid-friendly. The west side is a bit more hilly, but both have spectacular water views of the pond. On the east side is also the rowboat concession and benches, as well as picnic tables.

When you're at Blydenburgh County Park, go in the north entrance off New Mill Road near Route 347, where the main office of the Greenbelt Trail Conference is situated. The office can provide information and maps. The start of the trails also is here.

INFO: Dawn to dusk. Northern entrance is at the end of New Mill Road; 631-360-0753 (conference number) or 631-854-3713 (park number). No parking fee on north entrance; ligreenbelt.org.

Tackapausha Preserve

Tackapausha Preserve, Seaford

Part of the Greenbelt Trail, the preserve is a fun walk for kids, and a stop at the museum completes a great day.

Guided walks at the county museum are available on request, for both groups and individuals.

"We cater to everybody," says Dennis Fleury, site director at the Tackapausha Museum.

At Tackapausha Preserve, paths are flat, well-maintained and clearly marked, with a pond with bridges and a waterfall along the way.

At the museum, kids can see owls, foxes, turtles and other animals.

INFO: Trails free and open sunrise to sunset; museum open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday; admission $3 adults, $2 for children ages 5 to 12 and seniors, free for ages 4 and younger; 2225 Washington Ave., Seaford, 516-571-7443, nwsdy.li/tackapausha.

Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park

Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park, Oyster Bay

Nearly half the 409 acres of the former estate and current state park arboretum property is woodland, says Planting Fields director Vincent Simeone.

Expect to see lots of wildlife, from foxes and chipmunks to birds of prey, such as red-tailed hawks and great horned owls, a delight for kids.

Walkers can select from six different paths, covering about six miles in total, as well as all different lengths to accommodate different ages and abilities.

While the gardens are the estate's big draw, the woods at Planting Fields Arboretum have well-worn paths, too, says Simeone.

"A lot of people just come for that," he says.

INFO: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; $8 per carload; 1395 Planting Fields Rd., Oyster Bay; 516-922-9200, plantingfields.org.

Richard D. Fowler Preserve

Richard D. Fowler Preserve, Southampton

According to Marilyn Kirkbright, President of Southampton Trails Preservation Society, this trail is a pleasant short hike right in Southampton Village. The trail begins near the intersection of Wickapogue Road and Narrow Lane and heads through a wooded area with a stream that you can see from Wickapogue Road. Then it reaches a salt marsh, where it turns along a grassy corridor to Old Town Road and the site where the first settlers spent their first winter. The final leg is a walk along Wickapogue Road back to your parked car.

This trail takes about one hour and is perfect for families.

INFO: Wickapogue Road just east of Narrow Lane, Southampton.

Downs Farm Preserve

Downs Farm Preserve, Cutchogue

This family-friendly place is an easy walk for small ones; the trail is little more than a mile long.

And it's clearly marked, flat and stroller-friendly, says Missy Weiss, the former environmental educator and program manager for the preserve.

"It's a very simple loop," she says. "It's impossible to get lost."

The trail at Downs Farm Preserve winds through trees and is parallel to Downs Creek, with benches along the way to rest and look at the views if the little ones get tired.

The preserve is home to a fort of the Corchaug Indian tribe that is on the National Park Register of Historic Places.

While you can't go in the fort, the whole 51-acre parcel is considered ancient land. "We say that we are hiking and walking on land that is potentially where Native Americans once walked, hunted and played," Weiss says.

INFO: Open daily, dawn to dusk; free; Route 25, Cutchogue; 631-765-6450, groupfortheeastend.org.