Suffolk: Beaches, Nature and History

In Suffolk County, beaches on the bay and by the sea alternate with wooded bluffs. Cedar Point County Park is a beach on a bay in East Hampton; Smith Point County Park is an ocean beach in Shirley. The county park beaches stretch along the north and south shores. At Wildwood State Park, the area includes 600 acres of undeveloped hardwood forest, ending at a high bluff overlooking Long Island Sound.

Hiking and experiencing nature

Suffolk County offers hiking opportunities in numerous parks and nature preserves—from the Nassau-Suffolk border to the easternmost points of Long Island. At Sunken Meadow State Park, you can hike year-round from sunrise to sunset on nature trails, a 3/4-mile boardwalk, and the Greenbelt Trail. Its varied topography supports a wide variety of plants and animals. The trail types and varied landscape give the park diverse natural features.

Historic sites and their stories

Hawkins House was built around 1850 by Robert Hewlett Hawkins in the Italianate style. The Yaphank Historic Society offers tours of the house on weekends from spring through fall. The Yaphank Historic District is a historic district dating to around 1850. Built in 1860, Cedar Island Lighthouse guided ships into and out of the harbor during Sag Harbor’s heyday as a major port. Walt Whitman Birthplace is a New York State historic site.

Museums, collections, and planetarium

The Long Island Museum campus covers 9 acres and includes historic buildings and art installations. The museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate and holds significant collections of Long Island regional art and history. Its 40,000-square-foot Carriage Museum displays artifacts from American horse-drawn carriages and wagon transportation. Regional art and history collections thus meet a clearly defined focus on the history of horse-drawn transportation.

General admission to the Vanderbilt Museum includes Vanderbilt Mansion with its dioramas and galleries, the Hall of Fishes marine museum, planetarium exhibits, and the grounds and gardens. Outdoor tours of Vanderbilt Mansion cover its distinctive architecture and collections, the history of the Vanderbilt family, and the Eagle’s Nest estate. Reichert Planetarium offers live presentations and tours of the night sky, as well as laser shows set to classical and popular music. Admission details, tour availability, and programs may change; check the latest visitor information before your visit.

Winegrowing and seasonal golf

Since the first vineyard was established on Long Island in 1973, Suffolk County has developed into a winegrowing region. Agricultural visitor experiences at farms in the county include tasting rooms at vineyards; availability varies by farm and tasting room. Suffolk County’s park system also includes four distinct golf courses. Weather permitting, they are open from mid-March through December. If a round of golf is part of your stay, check whether the courses are open during your planned dates.

Discover more destinations: East Quogue, Sag Harbor, Farmingville, Holbrook, Hauppauge, St. James, Upton, Shirley, Quogue, Saltaire, Sagaponack, Mattituck, Huntington, North Babylon, Smithtown, Riverhead, Ronkonkoma, Bay Shore, Bohemia, Fire Island, Rocky Point, Cutchogue, Amagansett, Water Mill, Shelter Island Heights, East Marion, Southold, Copiague, Commack, Melville, Calverton, Medford, Brentwood, Bellport, Holtsville, Bridgehampton, Wainscott, Montauk, Islandia, East Hampton, Southampton, Centereach, Port Jefferson Station, Hampton Bays, Brookhaven, Shelter Island, Greenport, Aquebogue, Peconic, Cold Spring Harbor, Coram, Wading River, Fishers Island, Greenlawn.

For the broader travel overview: New York.