Brookhaven State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
1,623 acres21.1 mi of trail
Green TrailBrookhaven TrailRed TrailBlue Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: DanTD · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Ridge
42% of Ridge’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Brookhaven State Park (21.1 mi), Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest (6.5 mi), Robert Cushman Murphy County Park (4.8 mi). 42% of Ridge’s land is conserved, about 3,550 acres.
Conserved land
42%
3,550 acres · of 13.2 sq mi of land
Trails
53 mi
4.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,475 ac
278 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.1 mi
4.1 mi lanes
Lakes & rivers
8
3 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Ridge?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
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 Brookhaven State Park, with 21.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest
Nature preserve
611 acres6.5 mi of trail
Raymond P. Corwin TrailRed Horse Trail EastLust Garden LoopYellow Shortcut East+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Robert Cushman Murphy County Park
Nature preserve
340 acres4.8 mi of trail
Brookhaven TrailPaumanok Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ridge Pine Barrens State Forest and Maintenance Center
Nature preserve
179 acres2.3 mi of trail
Red Trail in Ridge New York State Conservation AreaBlue Trail in Ridge New York State Conservation AreaYellow Trail in Ridge New York State Conservation Area
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Pine Trail Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
36 acres1.5 mi of trail
Paumanok Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Panamoka Pine Barrens State Forest
Nature preserve
95 acres0.5 mi of trail
Tarkill TrailMontauk Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Longwood Estate
Park
37 acres0.3 mi of trail
Raymond P. Corwin Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 11 parks & preserves
Brookhaven State Park1,623 acres · 21.1 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsRocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest611 acres · 6.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRobert Cushman Murphy County Park340 acres · 4.8 mi of trail
DirectionsRidge Pine Barrens State Forest and Maintenance Center179 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
Pine Trail Nature Preserve36 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsPanamoka Pine Barrens State Forest95 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsLongwood Estate37 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLongwood Pine Barrens State Forest164 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsBrookhaven Pine Barrens State Forest34 acres
Leisure Knoll Park5 acres
Ridge Community Park1 acres
Who protects it
3,550 conserved acres
42% of Ridge’s land. Who manages Ridge’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks1,641 ac
State conservation1,103 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government331 ac
County240 ac
Town or city219 ac
State fish & wildlife182 ac
Regional agency44 ac
State Park · 1,641 acState Conservation Area · 1,148 acLocal Park · 744 acState Resource Management Area · 182 acLocal Other or Unknown · 35 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 18 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookhaven State Park State Park | State parks | 1,641 | Open |
| Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 619 | Open |
| Firemens Memorial Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 298 | Open |
| Peconic River Headwaters Local Park | County | 207 | Open |
| Ridge Conservation Area State Conservation Area | State conservation | 189 | Open |
| Middle Island State Environmental Education Center State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 182 | Open |
| TOWN OF BROOKHAVENC/O DEPT OF FINANCE Land Local Park | Town or city | 176 | Unknown |
| Longwood Pine Barrens State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 164 | Open |
| Panamoka Pine Barrens State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 97 | Open |
| Shoreham Wading River School District Lands State Conservation Area | Regional agency | 44 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
3 places to go in Ridge
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Ridge
Trails & water
19 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.9 miHorses · 4.3 miUnpaved · 20.8 mi
Paumanok Path4.5 mi
Brookhaven Trail4.0 mi
Raymond P. Corwin Trail3.5 mi
Green Trail3.5 mi
Red Trail2.1 mi
Lust Garden Loop1.6 mi
Red Trail in Ridge New York State Conservation Area1.3 mi
Red Horse Trail East1.2 mi
Blue Trail in Ridge New York State Conservation Area0.9 mi
Yellow Shortcut East0.7 mi
9 more trails
Blue Trail
0.5 miLust Garden Connector
0.4 miTarkill Trail
0.4 miBlue Horse Trail SE
0.3 miSunrise Trail
0.2 miMontauk Trail
0.2 miCorey Trail
0.1 miYellow Trail in Ridge New York State Conservation Area
0.1 miRockaway Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
Courts & fields
10Tennis
6Baseball
2Soccer
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Ridge: 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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 41 | 48 | 59 | 68 | 77 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 64 | 54 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.7 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Ridge →
Next door
Ridge and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Brookhaven592 miRiverhead84 miRocky Point57 miRidge53 miEast Shoreham40 miYaphank38 miWading River21 miMiddle Island19 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridge | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| East Shoreham | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Middle Island | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rocky Point | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Brookhaven | 25% | 2.3 | 79 | 99% | A+ |
| Riverhead | 17% | 1.2 | 161 | 94% | A+ |
| Yaphank | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wading 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 Ridge
Where can I hike in Ridge?
The longest trail networks: Brookhaven State Park, 21.1 miles; Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest, 6.5 miles; Robert Cushman Murphy County Park, 4.8 miles; Ridge Pine Barrens State Forest and Maintenance Center, 2.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Ridge’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 Ridge?
4.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.1 of painted or protected lanes.
Is there public land near Ridge?
32,867 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ridge or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,478 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Ridge 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 →