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.
Sands Point Preserve is the Port Washington-adjacent 216-acre Gilded Age estate complex — three historic mansions (Hempstead House, Castle Gould, Falaise) and 5 miles of trails reaching down to a Long Island Sound shoreline bluff. The Hempstead House mansion served as the supposed inspiration for Gatsby’s mansion in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel.
The mansion tours:
- Hempstead House (the Howard Gould mansion, 1912) — Tudor revival, the main draw, $15 self-guided
- Falaise (the Harry Guggenheim mansion, 1923) — Norman château style, guided tours only, $25
- Castle Gould — exterior viewing only (under restoration)
The trail system:
- 5 miles of marked trails, family-friendly
- Sound bluff trail (north end) — dramatic views over the water
- Beach access (limited to specific permitted areas)
Practical:
- $15 grounds admission (mansions extra)
- Free for Preserve members
- Parking included
- LIRR Port Washington station + 10-min Uber to the gates
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Other Outdoor events
Editor's Pick Montauk Point Lighthouse — Summer Tours Open
Montauk Point Lighthouse (1796, second-oldest in NY State) opens its summer climbing season Memorial Weekend. Tickets $12 adults, $4 kids 6-15, under-6 free. The 110-foot climb to the top is one of LI's signature summer experiences — and the State Park around the lighthouse has the most-dramatic LI scenery.
- When
- Where
- Montauk Point Lighthouse, Montauk
- Price
- See ticket page
Caumsett State Park — Fall Hike + Private Beach Day
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- When
- Where
- Caumsett State Park, Lloyd Harbor
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
- See ticket page
Read before you go
- town spotlight Sayville Village: A Local's Guide for 2026 Sayville Village — the South Shore walkable downtown that locals refuse to gentrify, with restored 19th-century Main Street, the Sayville Cab Company since 1958, the Sayville Restaurant Group anchors (Casa Luis, Cull House), the Saturday Farmers Market on Foster Avenue, the Fire Island ferry terminal at the harbor, and an annual event calendar that runs from Memorial Weekend Classic Car Show through Holiday Stroll. Walking distance from the LIRR. The slow-paced South Shore village that works.
- town spotlight Northport Village: A Local's Guide for 2026 Northport Village — the North Shore harbor village with restored 19th-century Main Street, the working harbor + town park, the Engeman Theater, the Saturday farmers market, and the John W. Engeman Theatre + Northport Yacht Club rituals that anchor the village's calendar. Walking distance from the LIRR. The North Shore family Saturday at its best.
- seasonal What We're Tracking: The Long Island Summer 2026 Calendar Takes Shape The Editors' Memorial Weekend reset on what we're tracking for Long Island summer 2026. Programming announcements, venue updates, the new restaurants worth a drive, the festivals that bumped their dates, and the East End rhythm shifts. Updated weekly through Labor Day.