Fall Foliage Nature Walks & Activities

Long Island is finally approaching its peak leaf-changing display of the season! The I ♥ New York website issues a Fall Foliage report each week to map which areas of the state are experiencing the most colorful leaves, and Long Island is due to be next.

Image from LongIslandPress.com

With this in mind, I wanted to share some of my favorite places in Nassau County to view the fall's colors in the next few weeks. It's nice to be able to put a name to the leaves you'll see, and I'd recommend this brief Leaf ID page or a more comprehensive field guide to take along with you. There's also easy art projects to do with children, like creating animals and people with the leaves you find, or doing leaf rubbings with paper and crayons.

Tanglewood Preserve
Rockville Centre

Open Daily from 9:00am - 5:00pm [ Trail Map ]

Tanglewood Preserve hosts 2 very short & level loop trails: one around a pond and one through the woods. The Center for Science Teaching and Learning is also on this site, offering the Amazing Animals exhibit from 10:00am - 4:00pm Wednesday through Sunday. The ease of the trails and exhibit make it a great place to bring children. I've seen red ear slider turtles, woodpeckers, and swans at this park.

Massapequa Preserve
Massapequa

Open Daily from sunrise to sunset [ Google Map ]

There are great trails all over this 423-acre parcel in Massapequa. My favorite places to pick up the trail are on Linden Street immediately off of Exit 31S of  Hecksher State Parkway (all woods trail), from the baseball fields &  parking lot down Lakeshore Drive & Walker Street (woods and streams), from Van Buren Street and Lake Shore Drive (pond and woods), and from Veterans Boulevard and Parkside Boulevard (pond and woods). The Bethpage Bikeway runs north and south throughout the park, and Brady Park offers a playground for kids. 

Eisenhower Park
East Meadow

Open Daily sunrise to sunset [ Park Map ]

I'm not sure I remember exactly where I picked up the Eisenhower Park trail, but I believe it was Park Boulevard going towards the picnic area, because there were lots of park benches and picnic tables to sit under. What was most impressive about this spot was the super smooth pavement (for my new longboarding skills); would definitely be a great spot to rollerblade or bike too. 

Leeds Pond Preserve
Plandome Manor

Open Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm [ Google Map ]

Leeds Pond Preserve overlooks Manhasset Bay and is home to the Science Museum of Long Island. This hike offers great woods, as well as a historic Victorian mansion (which hosts the Museum). 

Where are your favorite spots to see the leaves change colors? What are your favorite fall activities for nature walks?

Book: Short Nature Walks on Long Island

Short Nature Walks on Long Island

Wandering through the Barnes & Nobel on Old Country Road in Carle Place, I was thrilled to find an entire section dedicated to Long Island books! There was Long Island Rail Road, a history of the LIRR, Crazy Stuff Long Island: Little Known Facts About the Longest Island in America, and the most exciting to me, Short Nature Walks on Long Island. 

Now, I've been known to push myself through a challenging hike (willingly or otherwise...), but I'd been looking for a guide to easy trails on LI. This book includes maps, park hours, facilities & suggestions for what to bring, and the low-impact nature of these spots makes them accessible to any age. There are so many ecosystems here on LI - the marshlands of Jamaica Bay, the rocky beaches of the North Shore, the woodlands of central LI, and historic former estates - that I can't wait to explore with the help of this guide.