One of LI's hidden gems - also happens to be free. Well kept trails and birds of prey you can check out before talking a nice walk. Trails are very easy to walk, even if you have a stroller with you. Easy beginner hike or leisurely stroll for just about anyone. read more

Quogue Wildlife Refuge - Parks Near Me - Quogue, New York

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4.5 Stars.    I love the Long Island Pine Barrens Region. So much so, that in Las Vegas, I have had dreams that I was hiking in Sears Burrows County Park. A few forested miles southwest of it, my dream kind of came true when we visited the Quogue Wildlife Refuge. My stepmother, who is familiar with the Refuge encouraged my dad and I to join her there on a nature walk.    The Quogue Wildlife Refuge has been protecting this 305 acre naturescape since 1934. It is a naturescape adorned with pine forests, fields, the rare dwarf pine forest, bogs, swamps, a pond, and pine oak forests.    Contrary to how I envisioned the Refuge, it was not this difficult to find place. Parking was right off Old Country Road. Across from the unpaved parking lot were the attractions that serve as a trailhead to the four color coded trails (please see the map proceeding the review) that range from a 0.8 mile hike on the Green Trail to a 2.5 mile hike on the Blue Trail. Welcoming us was the Outdoor Wildlife Complex where injured wildlife are well taken care of thanks to the kindness of people that care. One of the acts of kindness are the Visitors who donate money at the entrance. This leads to the point that admission is free, yet a donation is the right thing to do. I took some time photographing the animals that included owls, foxes, raccoons, and Giant African Spurred tortoises in the nearby greenhouse. Although these aren't grand habitats that would be found in the Bronx Zoo, I appreciated that the animals had a home. In the shadow of the Outdoor Wildlife Complex and pine trees was the full service restrooms. All the way to the left was the Old Ice Pond.    My Dad, stepmother, and yours truly engaged in a relatively short walk in the southeast corner of the park where a pine oak forest interspersed with fields dominate. My Dad's knees bother him, so we engaged in a shorter hike with breaks on the benches breathing, hearing, and sightseeing the pine barrens. We'd see a deer and birds up on the pine trees. Our ears would also take in the sound of the nearby train. Our experience leads to the point that the seven miles of hiking trails appear to be more relaxing than strenuous.    The Old Ice Pond framed by a mature forest is the picture postcard centerpiece of the landscape. There are hiking trails that overlook it. We took in this picture postcard from a bench and inside the Charles Banks Belt Nature Center, which looks like an inn overlooking the pond. We shared the panoramic spectacular views of the ice pond with several volunteers who were sending out materials that we assumed were promoting the Refuge. Within this building that reminds me of a lodge, is a museum of neat nature related stuff. Some were real like the lizards. The preserved butterflies were really cool. This is a neat place to check out when it os open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays 11:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.    Our visit ended with the three of us taking in the springtime scenery of the Old Ice Pond.    I do have a concern that is causing me to leave my rating at 4.5 instead of 5 stars. That has to do with the east preiphery fence. When we walked along the southeast border there was a fence smack dab in the middle of the pine forest. My concern is that this is unprotected land that can fall victim to the bulldozer. If that were to happen, it would ruin the experience on account of a truncated forest causing the Refuge to feel more like a caged in 305 acre yard than a part of a pine forest. I really hope that the other side of the east periphery fence is a protected forest. My concern is merited from seeing a before and after picture inside the Nature Center of rapid sprawl along nearby County Route 104.    On the future, I would love to return to Quogue Wildlife Refuge. Especially in the Fall when the trees change colors over the pond. Until then, I hope to have more dreams about the Pine Barrens. read more

Always a great walk, lots of different trails and the pond is so relaxing. Best hidden spot. read more

Quogue Wildlife Refuge - Parks Near Me - Quogue, New York

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The nice weather warranted for a family adventure. So we set out East where we heard there was a wildlife refuge. My son loves the outdoors and animals so we figured it would be a perfect activity for him. We were totally right. Several trails, that aren't too difficult, surround this gorgeous spot on the Island. We did one of the shorter hikes and it was perfect for us for our first time. We were also able to bring the stroller on the hike with us. There are owls, birds, fish and turtles that can be seen throughout the refuge. It really was a fabulous day. They also have a ton of family programming too. Looking forward to making the trip out here again soon! read more

Quogue Wildlife Refuge - Parks Near Me - Quogue, New York

Quogue wildlife refuge is a great place to enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature. Choose to walk one of the 3 trails that are surrounded by trees. Keep an eye out for their seasonal family events. Monetary donations are greatly appreciated. read more

Quogue Wildlife Refuge - Serene surroundings - Parks Near Me - Quogue, New York

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This is saved under one of my favorite escapes from the city. They have beautiful, easy trails that immerse you in nature. They also have animal rescues and rehabilitated animals as well - from owls, to falcons, to eagles, to possums and tortoises! In the visitor's center, they have reptiles and insects! It's a great place to clear your mind, do some light aerobic activity, or to educate your young kids. The place is maintained well and is clean. The staff are friendly and engaging. They offer so many free activities and programs. It's never full any time I've gone either so I'm a bit weary to promote it because I want to keep it an IYKYK kind of gem, but a place like this that offers so much beauty and help for free should be shared. Please come and support them! read more

Quogue Wildlife Refuge - Parks Near Me - Quogue, New York

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What a gem. First off, the fact that this place is involved in any form of wildlife conservation efforts earns an extra two points from me, as I value such efforts. Then, the unassumingly tranquil ambience with more natural (vs paved) trails around a lake is definitely to my liking. Parking is ample for the size of the park and is right across the one-lane road from the endurance, and it was a perfect respite from the bustle of many areas of LI. read more

Quogue Wildlife Refuge - Parks Near Me - Quogue, New York

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Quogue Wildlife Refuge is a great place to go for a hike! It's never too crowded and there's plenty of fun paths to go through! The people that work there are very altruistic and care about the injured animals they tend to. read more

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Went to my first event here after visiting it casually for years. The full moon night hike was so great and the ladies that led it were funny, knowledgeable and very sweet. I had a great time and look forward to attending more events. read more

While I don't like seeing animals in cages, tiny cages at that, and the park itself seams underwhelming with the trails seaming pretty basic it still feels like a nice place to be. Five stars seams a tad out of touch though read more

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A lovely place to visit. There were nice trails for walking/ hiking that were in the shade. There were benches and tables at the entrance. There were a lot of bugs, we were bitten. read more

Nice please you can go and still enjoy nature. Not crowded and lovely for a couple to enjoy the day together read more

Quogue Wildlife Refuge - We went out for a nice couple's walk. Very peaceful and generally pretty quiet. Its nice to have a place you still can go and enjoy nature. - Parks Near Me - Quogue, New York

Great place to spend a day with nature. Fresh air and sunshine... what more could you ask for.

Great place to go with small kids and see their reactions to the amazing animals and property. We have a summer home in Westhampton Beach, and this was always a winner for us and our grandchildren. read more

Always cool to see the animals, very nice place, always clean, no litter, always love coming here

Peaceful quiet and serene. Very quiet on a weekday afternoon perhaps not so much on weekends. Took the short .8 mile walk, it's flat through woods and a small bridge. Might be buggy in summer. read more

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Gorgeous. The long and varied paths made the whole refuge unexpectedly large. Beautiful to be by the water, you really get lost in nature. read more

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Great! A few short trails to walk in the woods and see some neat things on the way. Not a fan of keeping all the birds in cages so they can't fly, but interesting none the less. I love the bald eagle wood carving at the entrance, can't wait to walk in the trails here again. read more

Beautiful refuge off the beaten path. Great walking trails. Beautiful lake. Very informative. read more

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Great place! Such nice, well-marked and tidy trails. Lots of wildlife to see and scenery to take in. The pond is very picturesque and there are loads of fish and turtles in the ponds and streams between them. I saw a large snapping turtle and a bunch of smaller turtles swimming near the bridge -- the smaller ones were even playing at chasing on another around the logs and mud on the bottom. read more

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An amazing place ! Great trails, easy to walk, beautiful nature. The animals rescued there seem very happy. I especially loved the turtles read more

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Cute easy activity for the kids and relaxing environment. We went into the cabin and the young guy there was SO nice. He took out some of the bearded dragons and let me kids pet them. He was patient with my toddlers who wanted to pet ALL of them read more

Really nice preserve! I like how the types of trees change and get smaller as you walk further north. I think the most interesting part is the Dwarf pines all the way at the back. There are tons of wide trails to run or walk for miles and miles. Don't worry the signage is pretty good for finding your way out. And yes, there is plenty of wildlife to see here. read more

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The QUOGUE Wildlife Refuge is a must place to go it's so picturesque and peaceful. There's tons of stuff to do lots of trails animals birds tortoises fish the list goes on and on it's a great place to go just to get your mind back on track read more

Very nice nature preserve in Quogue offers plenty of hiking trails through the southern extent of the pine barons. Peaceful and quiet place to hike. They also have a small animal sanctuary and a spacious nature center building where you can rest and enjoy the view of Old Ice Pond. Recommended for a visit. Just bring plenty of bug spray and be careful of poison ivy along the trails. read more

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Perfect for a family outing. Walking in nature is fantastic. Great for kids exploration and leaning about animals.

Really pretty to walk around there with our family. Good for jogging. very scenic. fun for families to walk around. really nice in the fall.

Always an amazing experience! Wonderful staff and beautiful surroundings! Can't wait to try one of the Nighttime walks!

There is a reason that no review is under 5 stars. This place is a beautiful, tranquil place to escape the hustle and bustle of the island. The volunteers are friendly, the trails are well cared for and easy to navigate, and the rescued animals are attended to regularly and seem to be doing well. Weekdays are the best days to visit, allowing you to take your time to explore everything the refuge has to offer. Wear insect repellent on humid days, this is nature after all and the insects can be quite aggressive. I don't have much more to say except that this place is wonderful, I hope it never changes. read more

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My husband and I have been coming here since we were both kids. Now we bring our item here to this wonderfully peaceful and magical place. Today they are hosting the enchanted forest. We are leading about creatures of the forest and times past. read more

Quogue Wildlife Refuge - Enchanted forest walk 2016. - Parks Near Me - Quogue, New York

Great trails, excellent vibe all around. Nice little hub of pond, rescued animals, and nature center. Don't forget to bring your breath- its all good here. read more

This is a great place. I've gone here since I was a kid, and I still can't get enough of it. There is a great abundance of wildlife including frogs, snapping turtles, humming birds, snakes, fish, many birds, box turtles, and occasional birds of prey. There is also diverse plant-life including carnivorous plants (including pitcher plants and sundew), pine barrens, wild prickly pear cacti, and there are even wild orchids. The outdoor animal complex is great for kids to see different native animals, which have been injured and are now taken care of in captivity. The nature center is has many interesting animals including snakes, lizards, tortoises, and even a chinchilla. There are always great educational, fun programs there for children including a summer camp, holiday specials, birthday parties, and for adults there is an annual spooky walk. The Quogue wildlife refuge is a great place for people of all ages, and there is always something new to see. read more

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An excellent, fairly obscure retreat in a beautiful area.

family oriented nature preserve with over three miles of trails and the rare "dwarf pine trees". ducks and chickens frolick around within a fenced enclosure. there is also a small display dedicated to the history of the lake - which was once used for procuring ice in the pre-frigidaire days. nice place for a picnic. benches interspersed throughout the park. nature center with restrooms near the entrance. read more

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Absolutely beautiful !!! The trails are great. The staff is awesome. Beautiful view of the pond. Lots of photo ops with the Lil critters. You can go alone to just walk around and meditate or come with the family. Either way you will have a blast !!! read more

I love what they are doing here! I can here for Jungle Bobs reptile show which was great! We got to sit in the nature center which was decorated with lots of birds and they had a few animals in there as well. Loved the Sulcata Tortoises! We went out to where the animals were kept and saw a couple of hawks including the bald eagle with missing wings. They all looked very healthy. Love this place and definitely look forward to coming back! read more

Excellent place to go by yourself, or with a partner or with your family. There are so many species of animals to see, such a pristine waterway to observe and many areas to walk throughout. A trip to Long Island is complete when visiting here. It is a must try! read more

I have been coming here since I was born... and every time I return, it's as magical as the last time. I'd give it 6 stars if I could. They continue to add on beautiful parts to the little park, more amenities for the animals, and education about the animals and the environment. There are trails that run around the park (about 3 miles) with little trails in the middle that lead to ponds. The maintenance on the trails is excellent. It's always an adventure coming here. It's perfect for kids or solo visits. Don't hesitate to visit any of the special areas like the butterfly garden or the new turtle habitat. They host camps in the summer and other events, like the coming spooky walk for Halloween! Beware of ticks when the season is right... The trails are in dense woods and lead into the dwarf pines, which are beautiful! I love this place with all of my heart. read more

Very nice, spacious, lots to see. But the buildings, displays, and benches could be repaired, refreshed, updated, cleaned up. Theress a map of the marked trails. You can chose which trail you want to explore - shortest, or a mile, or 3 miles. They have displays of abandoned, injured, orpaned animals. Foxes, turtles, eagles, snakes. The trails are so quiet! Scenic bridges and ponds. read more

Absolutely stunning. The trails are beautiful, the animal exhibits are great. The wildlife center keeps us entertained for quite some time. A favorite for our family. I find something new every time we go! read more