Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest
Nature preserve
5,718 acres64.1 mi of trail
Blue Horse TrailPaumanok PathRed Horse Trail EastRocky Point Red Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Vitsuha · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Brookhaven
Brookhaven has 592 miles of mapped trails, 2.3 for every square mile of land
25% of Brookhaven’s land is conserved, about 41,354 acres. 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 38,599 acres are parks and preserves, 79 per 1,000 residents.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #15 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
25%
41,354 acres · of 259.6 sq mi of land
Trails
592 mi
2.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
38,599 ac
79 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
124 mi
88 mi lanes · 35 mi paths
Highest peak
210 ft
Rock Hill
Lakes & rivers
69
93 beaches · 27 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Brookhaven?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Brookhaven have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Brookhaven is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #15 of 758 in New York. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Brookhaven’s overall grade.
Conserved land25% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (592 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land79 acres of park per 1,000 residents (38,599 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home99% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 98%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Brookhaven ranks #4 on Outdoors.
Water is more than half of Brookhaven’s area (272 of 532 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 12%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest, with 64.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Fire Island National Seashore
Managed by National Park Service
14,818 acres34.5 mi of trail
Dune WalkOcean WalkFire Island BoulevardBay Walk+1
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Manorville Hills County Park
Park
2,046 acres33.7 mi of trail
Paumanok PathManorville Orange TrailMannorville Hills Mountain Bike TrailToppings Path+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Laurel Ridge Setauket Woods Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
518 acres28.1 mi of trail
Ground Hog HillSwitcharoo
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Southaven County Park
Park
1,320 acres22.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Brookhaven State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
1,633 acres20.3 mi of trail
Green TrailBrookhaven TrailRed TrailBlue Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
The Overton Preserve
Nature preserve
424 acres16.1 mi of trail
Overton Moutain Bike Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Otis Pike Preserve - Toppings Path
Nature preserve
1,214 acres16 mi of trail
Paumanok PathToppings Path
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 179 parks & preserves
Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest5,718 acres · 64.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFire Island National Seashore14,818 acres · 34.5 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsManorville Hills County Park2,046 acres · 33.7 mi of trail
DirectionsLaurel Ridge Setauket Woods Nature Preserve518 acres · 28.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSouthaven County Park1,320 acres · 22.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBrookhaven State Park1,633 acres · 20.3 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsThe Overton Preserve424 acres · 16.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOtis Pike Preserve - Toppings Path1,214 acres · 16 mi of trail
Glacier Ridge Preserve234 acres · 13.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWertheim National Wildlife Refuge2,521 acres · 9.7 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service;United States Department of the Interior
DirectionsRobert Cushman Murphy County Park1,142 acres · 8.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSmith Point County Park1,126 acres · 6.9 mi of trail · Suffolk County
DirectionsEastport Pine Barrens State Forest651 acres · 6.7 mi of trail
DirectionsSailor's Haven196 acres · 4.9 mi of trail
William Floyd Estate611 acres · 4.7 mi of trail
DirectionsTerrell River County Park261 acres · 4.1 mi of trail · Suffolk County Parks
DirectionsOtis Pike Preserve - East599 acres · 3.9 mi of trail
DirectionsOtis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness1,255 acres · 3.6 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsThomas Muratore County Park at Farmingville Hills106 acres · 3.3 mi of trail
DirectionsEast Bartlett Pine Barrens State Forest97 acres · 3.2 mi of trail
West Meadow Wetlands Reserve117 acres · 3.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRidge Pine Barrens State Forest and Maintenance Center171 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
Fish Thicket Preserve99 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
Pine Trail Nature Preserve52 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsLevitt Park Running Trail27 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsChandler Estate County Park45 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBrookhaven Wildlife & Ecology Center133 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsCupsogue Beach County Park210 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Suffolk County
DirectionsFlax Pond State Tidal Wetland149 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsMcAllister County Park86 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCordwood Landing Country Park65 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsProsser Pines County Park56 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOtis Pike Preserve - Nugent Drive264 acres · 1 mi of trail
Coram Airfield153 acres · 1 mi of trail · County of Suffolk
DirectionsHedges Creek County Park59 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Cedar Beach Town Park47 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsShirley Marina County Park41 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsLevitt Ballfield Park27 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsDefense Hill Park25 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBlue Point Nature Preserve16 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Neil Folley
DirectionsDaniel R. Davis Wildlife Sanctuary65 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Beaver Dam Creek25 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · The Post-Morrow Foundation
Panamoka Pine Barrens State Forest95 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Country Open Space / Nature Preserve59 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Sipp Avenue Baseball Complex27 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsEagle Estates Park16 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHagerman Landing34 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Brookhaven
St. Joseph College Outdoor Field Complex18 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Setauket Park18 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Shoreham Bluffs County Park16 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Dowling College Sports Complex14 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Fireplace Neck State Tidal Wetland185 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Percy B Raynor Memorial Park77 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsDiamond in the Pines Park32 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsRobert S Reid Community Center29 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsShorefront Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBald Hill Cultural Park74 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLongwood Estate36 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMoriches Athletic Complex18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsZiegler Park18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCharles Pond Scenic Area11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Suffolk County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFrank Melville Memorial Preserve7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsEastport South Manor Athletic Complex7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPine Meadow County Park140 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Shore Rail Trail119 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMoriches Bay Marine Waterway Access14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRobert J. Henke Nature Preserve Passive Park9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFrank Melville Memorial Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSSgt. James D McNaughton Memorial Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMagnolia Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Woodedge Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Waverly Ave Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsOtis Pike Preserve - South River Road149 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMartha Avenue Recreation Park32 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSuffolk County Open Space29 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Raynor Beach County Park23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Shore Little League16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSchuyler Hollow County Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Smith Road Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMorris Ave Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsStaff Sergeant Keith Bishop Memorial Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBarlett Pound Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Robert Rowley Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCorey Creek Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Heckscher State Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Twelve Pines Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRobert Miller Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLonghorn Lane Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Selden Dog Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCovair Lane Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSwan River Preserve2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAtlantic Avenue Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Greentree Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Parson Drive Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Swan Lake Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSycamore Circle Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Brookhaven Department of Parks, Recreation and Sports, and Cultural Resources
Yale Street Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Block Boulevard Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Minrol Street Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Continental Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
School Drive Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Longwood Pine Barrens State Forest169 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsJohns Neck State Tidal Wetland83 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Havens Point State Tidal Wetland68 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Little Bay State Tidal Wetland65 acres · wikidata=Q3339061
Otis Pike Preserve - West61 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsBellport Bay State Tidal Wetland56 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway45 acres
DirectionsPatriot's Hollow State Forest43 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsLymans Marsh State Tidal Wetland41 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Sipp Avenue Soccer Complex36 acres
DirectionsBrookhaven Pine Barrens State Forest32 acres
Stillman Creek State Tidal Wetland29 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Baseball Heaven27 acres
DirectionsRobinson Duck Farm County Park27 acres
DirectionsTown of Brookhaven Open Space27 acres
Middle Country Park23 acres
DirectionsCarmans River Pine Barrens State Forest20 acres
Centereach Park16 acres
DirectionsHeritage Park16 acres
DirectionsRider Avenue Park16 acres
DirectionsGranny Road Park16 acres
DirectionsMedford Athletic Complex14 acres
DirectionsOtis Pike Preserve14 acres
Henrietta Acampora Recreation Center14 acres
Brookhaven Model Aviation Facility11 acres · Long Island Aero Radio Society (L.I.A.R.S.)
DirectionsTimber Point Tidal Wetlands Area9 acres
Oxhead Road Park9 acres · Town of Brookhaven Department of Parks, Recreation and Sports, and Cultural Resources
DirectionsTanglewood park9 acres
DirectionsSylvan Ave Park9 acres
DirectionsRobert Miner Park9 acres
DirectionsShoreham Village Park7 acres
Longwood Youth Sports Association7 acres
DirectionsBrookhaven Aquatic Center7 acres
DirectionsTuthill Cove Tidal Wetlands Area7 acres
Buttercup Field7 acres
Leisure Knoll Park7 acres
Youngs Island Tidal Wetland5 acres
DirectionsVeterans Ballfield Park5 acres
DirectionsPine Lake Park5 acres
DirectionsMount Sinai Tidal Wetlands Area5 acres
Strathmore Park5 acres · Town of Brookhaven Department of Parks, Recreation and Sports, and Cultural Resources
DirectionsCoed Park5 acres
Bayview Park5 acres
DirectionsPatchogue Shores Community Center5 acres
Manorville Historical Society5 acres
Rose Caracappa Memorial Park5 acres
Fowler Park5 acres
Harborfront Park5 acres
DirectionsYaphank Lake Park5 acres
Rocketship Park5 acres
DirectionsWaltess Estates Park5 acres
DirectionsOlga Wilk Memorial Park5 acres
DirectionsNamkee Creek Tidal Wetlands Area2 acres
Dorchester Park2 acres
Joe Erland Field2 acres
DirectionsOsborn Park2 acres
DirectionsBear Lane Park2 acres
The Rose Carracappa Field2 acres
DirectionsBrookhaven Square2 acres
DirectionsPine Neck Boat Ramp2 acres
Osprey Park2 acres · Town of Brookhaven, NY
DirectionsMedford Veteran Memorial Park2 acres
DirectionsFrancis P. Kelly Memorial Park2 acres
DirectionsFour Sisters Park2 acres
Iroquois Ave Park2 acres
Gary Adler Park2 acres
DirectionsGordon Heights Children's Park2 acres
Hammond Road Park2 acres
Old Schoolhouse Park2 acres
Moriches Bay Little League Field2 acres
Brewster House2 acres
DirectionsEast Setauket Pond Park2 acres
DirectionsRidge Community Park2 acres
Sequoia Park2 acres
Belzek Park2 acres
Centennial Park2 acres
DirectionsSound Beach Park2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
41,354 conserved acres
25% of Brookhaven’s land. Water is left out: Brookhaven has 259.6 square miles of land and 272.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Brookhaven’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits26,669 ac
State conservation10,120 ac
County6,707 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service5,065 ac
Town or city3,893 ac
National Park Service2,352 ac
State parks1,737 ac
Private Conservation · 26,653 acLocal Park · 10,916 acState Conservation Area · 10,118 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 5,065 acNational Lakeshore or Seashore · 2,352 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 9 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 55 of 223 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great South Bay Underwater Lands Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 26,473 | Restricted |
| Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 5,763 | Open |
| Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 5,065 | Restricted |
| TOWN OF BROOKHAVENC/O DEPT OF FINANCE Land Local Park | Town or city | 2,999 | Unknown |
| Fire Island National Seashore National Lakeshore or Seashore | National Park Service | 2,352 | Open |
| SUFFOLK COUNTYDEPT OF REAL ESTATE Land Local Park | County | 1,753 | Unknown |
| Brookhaven State Park State Park | State parks | 1,649 | Open |
| SUFFOLK COUNTYCOUNTY CENTER Land Local Park | County | 1,467 | Unknown |
| Otis Pike Preserve - Toppings Path State Conservation Area | State conservation | 1,217 | Open |
| Long Island Pine Barrens Local Park | County | 671 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
316 places to go in Brookhaven
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Brookhaven
1st Beach
Directions2nd Beach
Directions3rd Beach
DirectionsBellview Beach
DirectionsCedar Beach
DirectionsCedar Beach
DirectionsCorey Beach
DirectionsCupsoque BeachIn Cupsogue Beach County Park
Directions13 more beaches
East Beach
DirectionsMiller Place Beach
DirectionsNorth Shore Beach
DirectionsOld Field Beach
DirectionsSand Street Beach
DirectionsScotts Beach
DirectionsShirley Beach
DirectionsShoreham Beach
DirectionsShoreham Beach
DirectionsSound Beach - East Beach
DirectionsSound Beach - West Beach
DirectionsWest Meadow Beach
DirectionsWhite Beach
Directions93 beaches are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Public pools in Brookhaven
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Brookhaven
Barlett Pound PlaygroundIn Barlett Pound Park
DirectionsBarlett Pound Playground
DirectionsChapin Playground
DirectionsCorey Beach PlaygroundIn Corey Creek Park
DirectionsCountry Point Playground
DirectionsCountry Point Playground
DirectionsGranny Road Park PlaygroundIn Granny Road Park
DirectionsLearn & Play Children's Garden
Directions3 more playgrounds
Rocketship Park
DirectionsSouthaven County Park Site 33In Southaven County Park
DirectionsSt John's Playground
Directions180 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Brookhaven
Dog Walk
DirectionsRobinson Duck Farm County Park Dog Run AreaIn Robinson Duck Farm County Park
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Brookhaven
Town of Brookhaven Boat Ramp
DirectionsPlus 26 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Brookhaven
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Brookhaven
Rock Hill210 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Misery177 ft elevation
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Brookhaven
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 69 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 49.4 miHorses · 27.7 miUnpaved · 98.7 mi
Paumanok Path21.3 mi
Ground Hog Hill6.4 mi
Raymond P. Corwin Trail6.3 mi
Blue Horse Trail5.8 mi
Red Horse Trail East5.2 mi
Rocky Point Red Trail4.8 mi
Cathedral Pines Mountain Bike Trail4.7 mi
Toppings Path4.4 mi
Manorville Orange Trail4.2 mi
Brookhaven Trail4.0 mi
15 more trails
Green Trail
3.5 miOverton Moutain Bike Trail
3.3 miWhite Trail
2.5 miBlue Trail
2.4 miRed Trail
2.4 miRed Horse Trail West
2.3 miWhite Oak Trail
2.2 miBlack Tupelo Trail
2.0 miDune Walk
2.0 miMannorville Hills Mountain Bike Trail
1.9 miRocky Point Horse Red West
1.8 miLust Garden Loop
1.6 miYellow Shortcut East
1.4 miMain Road Connector
1.3 miRed Trail in Ridge New York State Conservation Area
1.3 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Animal Farm Duck PondpondArtist LakelakeBig Fish Creek PondCanaan LakereservoirCharles PondpondCorey PondpondCranberry PondpondDunton LakereservoirEast MillpondreservoirFlax PondGooseneck PondGould PondGreat Patchogue LakereservoirHorn PondHot Water PondLake PanamokalakeLittle Fish Creek PondpondLower LakelakeMill PondpondMiller Place Duck PondpondMooney PondNorth PondpondOrchard Neck CreekPeasys PondPeconic LakelakePine LakepondPoolRobinson PondreservoirRoe PondpondRomano PondpondRoth PondpondRound PondSetauket LakepondSetauket Mill PondreservoirSouth Haven PondSpring LakeSwan LakelakeSwan PondTarkill PondTarkill Pond ComplexThe BrookTwin PondsUpper LakelakeWeeks PondreservoirWest LakereservoirWest MillpondreservoirWoodchoppers PondWoods Hole PondZeeks PondAreskonk CreekBig Fish CreekBlue Point CanalCarmans RiverForge RiverHedges CreekHeils CreekHome CreekLittle CreekLittle Fish CreekMud CreekOld Mill CreekOld Neck CreekPatchogue RiverPeconic RiverPoospatuck CreekSenix CreekSwan RiverTerrell RiverWading River
Biking & sports
124 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
88 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
35 mi
off-road bike paths
2.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Long Island Greenway—Phase IIIBike route
3.5 miCourts & fields
317Tennis
226Baseball
59Soccer
57Basketball
28Football
16Pickleball
14Tracks
13Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →52 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 19 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Miller Place Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1976
About itBellport AcademyBuilding · listed 1980
About itBellport Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itWilliam Floyd HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itSmith EstateBuilding · listed 1981
About itUnited Methodist ChurchBuilding · listed 1984
About itRobert Hawkins HomesteadBuilding · listed 1986
About itMasury Estate BallroomBuilding · listed 1986
About itSuffolk County Almshouse BarnBuilding · listed 1986
About itThompson HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itHawkins HomesteadBuilding · listed 1988
About it40 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Brookhaven: April to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 41 | 48 | 59 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 75 | 64 | 54 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 4.6 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.6 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Brookhaven →
Next door
Brookhaven and its neighbors
Brookhaven has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Brookhaven592 miIslip137 miSmithtown101 miRiverhead84 miManorville81 miCalverton52 miEast Shoreham40 miWading River21 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookhaven | 25% | 2.3 | 79 | 99% | A+ |
| Riverhead | 17% | 1.2 | 161 | 94% | A+ |
| Islip | 22% | 1.3 | 35 | 98% | A+ |
| Calverton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Manorville | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wading River | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| East Shoreham | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Smithtown | 20% | 1.9 | 46 | 99% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Brookhaven
Where can I hike in Brookhaven?
The longest trail networks: Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest, 64.1 miles; Fire Island National Seashore, 34.5 miles; Manorville Hills County Park, 33.7 miles; Laurel Ridge Setauket Woods Nature Preserve, 28.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Brookhaven is conserved land?
25% of its land, against a typical 5% for a New York town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Brookhaven’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Brookhaven State Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Brookhaven?
124 miles of bike routes are on the map: 88 of painted or protected lanes, 35 of off-road paths and 2.0 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Long Island Greenway—Phase III.
Is there public land near Brookhaven?
86,084 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Brookhaven or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 38,602 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Brookhaven have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #15 of 758 in New York. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Brookhaven neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →