Caumsett State Park — Fall Hike + Private Beach Day
Caumsett is the Lloyd Harbor peninsula state park reached by a 1.5-mile walk through mature forest to a private (no parking, no crowds) beach on Long Island Sound. Free, family-friendly, dog-leash-allowed. Fall foliage peak is mid-October. The 'private beach' aspect is real — most visitors don't make the walk.
Caumsett State Park is Long Island’s best-kept hiking secret. The 1,500-acre peninsula juts into the Long Island Sound from Lloyd Harbor, with the parking lot at one end and a beautiful undeveloped Sound beach 1.5 miles away through mature deciduous forest. The walk filters out most casual visitors — making the beach genuinely uncrowded.
The Caumsett day:
- Park at the main lot off Lloyd Harbor Road (free, never full)
- 1.5-mile walk through forest trails to the beach (~25 minutes each way at a normal pace)
- Sound-beach lunch + reading + swimming (water is calm, no waves)
- Walk back, optional side-trail to the Caumsett farm ruins
Practical:
- Free admission and parking — one of the few free state parks on LI
- Dogs allowed on-leash on trails (not on the beach itself May-Sept)
- No bathrooms beyond the parking lot — plan accordingly for the 1.5-mile walk
- Best non-peak windows: weekday mornings, fall foliage weeks (mid-October)
Pair with: a Friday-night dinner in Huntington Village (10 min east) — Caumsett is the perfect “morning hike before village dinner” plan.
Other Outdoor events
Sands Point Preserve — Fall Mansion Tours + Trail Walks
Sands Point Preserve is the Port Washington-adjacent peninsula with three Gilded Age mansions, 5 miles of trails, and Long Island Sound shoreline. Fall mansion tours run Friday-Sunday September through November. The Hempstead House mansion is famously the supposed inspiration for Gatsby's mansion.
- When
- Where
- Sands Point Preserve, Sands Point
- Price
- TBD
Shinnecock Inlet Sunset Paddle
Guided kayak + paddleboard sunset tour of Shinnecock Inlet. 90 minutes, all levels welcome (instructor on every trip), launches from Ponquogue Beach. The inlet at sunset is one of the prettiest stretches of Long Island shoreline.
- When
- Where
- Shinnecock Inlet (Ponquogue Beach launch), Hampton Bays
- Price
- TBD
Sunken Meadow State Park — Saturday Morning Trail Run
Free public trail loop, 5K and 10K options. Volunteer-organized, not a race — pace your own. Meet at the Lot 3 pavilion 8:30 AM, head out 9:00 sharp. Park admission is $8 vehicle (free if you walk in). Trail is mixed flat sand + light hills, dog-friendly on leash, kids 12+ with adult.
- When
- Where
- Sunken Meadow State Park, Kings Park