Heckscher State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
1,524 acres13.7 mi of trail
Long Island Greenbelt TrailDog Walking Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Field 7Website ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Great River
More than half of Great River’s land is conserved: 94%
94% of Great River’s land is conserved, about 2,501 acres. The biggest trail networks: Heckscher State Park (13.7 mi), Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park (6.5 mi), Bayard Cutting Arboretum (1.2 mi). 2,521 acres are parks and preserves, 1,327 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
94%
2,501 acres · of 4.2 sq mi of land
Trails
23 mi
5.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,521 ac
1,327 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.3 mi
5.3 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
6 beaches · 1 boat launch
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 Heckscher State Park, with 13.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
405 acres6.5 mi of trail
Long Island Greenbelt Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Bayard Cutting Arboretum
Park
33 acres1.2 mi of trail
Long Island Greenbelt Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Timber Point Tidal Wetlands Area
Nature preserve
108 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 5 parks & preserves
Heckscher State Park1,524 acres · 13.7 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsBayard Cutting Arboretum State Park405 acres · 6.5 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsBayard Cutting Arboretum33 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Timber Point Tidal Wetlands Area108 acres
DirectionsOak Park10 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,501 conserved acres
94% of Great River’s land. Water is left out: Great River has 4.2 square miles of land and 1.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Great River’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks2,338 ac
State conservation109 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits43 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government42 ac
Town or city5 ac
State Park · 2,338 acState Conservation Area · 109 acLocal Park · 47 acPrivate Conservation · 43 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 7 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heckscher State Park State Park | State parks | 1,979 | Open |
| Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park State Park | State parks | 359 | Open |
| Timber Point State Tidal Wetland State Conservation Area | State conservation | 109 | Open |
| Great South Bay Underwater Lands Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 43 | Restricted |
| West Brook Sports Complex Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 42 | Open |
| TOWN OF ISLIP Land Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Unknown |
Things to do
15 places to go in Great River
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Great River
Overlook BeachIn Heckscher State Park
DirectionsWest Beach
DirectionsPlus 4 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Great River
3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Great River
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Great River
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Great River
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Great River
Heckscher State Park CampgroundIn Heckscher State Park
DirectionsTrails & water
2 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.6 mi
Long Island Greenbelt Trail4.5 mi
Dog Walking Trail0.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
5.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
18Baseball
5Basketball
3Soccer
3Tennis
1Cricket
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Great River: May 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 42 | 48 | 59 | 68 | 77 | 83 | 82 | 75 | 65 | 54 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.1 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.5 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Great River →
Next door
Great River and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great River | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Islip | 22% | 1.3 | 35 | 98% | A+ |
| East Islip | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Brookhaven | 25% | 2.3 | 79 | 99% | A+ |
| Oakdale | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| North Great River | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Great River
Where can I hike in Great River?
The longest trail networks: Heckscher State Park, 13.7 miles; Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park, 6.5 miles; Bayard Cutting Arboretum, 1.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Great River’s trails?
Heckscher State Park and Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Great River?
5.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Great River?
38,975 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Great River or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,521 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Great River 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 →