Hiking along the Kings Park bluff near Sunken Meadow

The North Shore of Long Island offers many attractions for visitors. In particular, the Kings Park Bluff is a favorite attraction, located at the inlet to the Nissequogue River. The bluff is east of Sunken Meadow State Park. These two large areas of land provide beautiful views of the Long Island Sound and the tidal marsh land.

The L.I. Greenbelt Trail has several routes through this area and the Nissequogue River State Park. One trail runs along the cliffs of the woodland area. The cliffs then drop down about 150 feet to the Sound. This trail route is suitable for the beginner to average skilled hiker. The trail itself runs up and down some moderate hills. Midway on this route, there are some very large boulders that are left over from the glaciers. This trail offers the best view of the entire Sound overlooking Connecticut. The trail then turns inland to the secondary trail that runs through old-growth oak tree woodland areas. For the most part, this portion of the trail runs parallel to the cliff trail. On this inner trail, there is also a small patch of very tall pine trees where you can enjoy a nice picnic under the shade.

The trails are man-made and maintained. During heavy rains, some of the steep trails do wash out. Local volunteers combat the washouts by shoring up the trails with wooden timbers to try to slow down the rate of erosion. The next time you are looking for something to do, go enjoy the outdoors and hike part of the Greenbelt Trail from the Kings Park Bluff to Sunken Meadow State Park. To learn more about volunteering to maintain the trails, please contact the local Greenbelt Chapter Club at ligreenbelt.org