Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest
Nature preserve
185 acres10.5 mi of trail
Calverton Mountain Bike TrailRollercoasterScuttle Hole
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Riverhead
Riverhead has 5,796 acres of parks, 161 for every 1,000 residents
17% of Riverhead’s land is conserved, about 7,258 acres. 84 miles of mapped trail cross Riverhead, 1.2 per square mile of land. 94% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #51 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
7,258 acres · of 67.4 sq mi of land
Trails
84 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,796 ac
161 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
94%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
22 mi
8.6 mi lanes · 13 mi paths
Highest peak
131 ft
Jacobs Hill
Lakes & rivers
28
14 beaches · 8 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Riverhead?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Riverhead have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Riverhead is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #51 of 758 in New York. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Riverhead’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (84 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land161 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,796 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13AParks close to home94% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 97%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 93%
Water is more than half of Riverhead’s area (134 of 201 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 6%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to 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 Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest, with 10.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Wildwood State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
768 acres9.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Otis Pike Preserve - West
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
823 acres7.8 mi of trail
Paumanok Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Robert Cushman Murphy County Park
Nature preserve
1,698 acres4.7 mi of trail
Paumanok Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Indian Island County Park
Park
335 acres2.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hallock State Park Preserve
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
203 acres2.1 mi of trail
Maritime Forest TrailYellow TrailBeach Access Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Calverton Ponds Preserve
Nature preserve
148 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 32 parks & preserves
Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest185 acres · 10.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWildwood State Park768 acres · 9.3 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsOtis Pike Preserve - West823 acres · 7.8 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsRobert Cushman Murphy County Park1,698 acres · 4.7 mi of trail
DirectionsIndian Island County Park335 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsHallock State Park Preserve203 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsCalverton Ponds Preserve148 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Veterans Memorial Park63 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsBaiting Hollow Tidal Wetlands Area74 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Stotzky Memorial Park29 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsSound Avenue Nature Preserve14 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Otis Pike Preserve - East139 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Jamesport Park15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Riverhead
DirectionsIron Pier Beach3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Two Bears Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOtis Pike Preserve - Fresh Pond485 acres
DirectionsPeconic Estuary65 acres
Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center40 acres · Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Otis Pike Preserve - Canoe Lake35 acres
Andrew E. Sabin Nature Preserve33 acres
DirectionsEast Creek Boat Launch13 acres · Town of Riverhead
DirectionsPolice Officers Memorial Park7 acres
DirectionsHorton Avenue Park4 acres
Otis Pike Preserve - South River Road2 acres
North Shore Rail Trail2 acres
DirectionsMilton L. Burns Park2 acres
DirectionsAmmann Park2 acres
DirectionsMiamogue Point Park2 acres · Town of Riverhead
DirectionsNadel Drive Park2 acres
Millbrook Gables Park2 acres
Meeting House Creek Park1 acres
Lutheran Church Playground1 acres
Who protects it
7,258 conserved acres
17% of Riverhead’s land. Water is left out: Riverhead has 67.4 square miles of land and 133.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Riverhead’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks2,519 ac
County2,516 ac
State conservation1,798 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits370 ac
Town or city312 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government122 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)107 ac
Local Park · 2,868 acState Conservation Area · 1,952 acState Park · 1,784 acPrivate Conservation · 327 acConservation Easement · 312 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 419 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 10 of 81 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| County Of Suffolk Land Local Park | County | 2,107 | Unknown |
| Wildwood State Park State Park | State parks | 1,784 | Open |
| Otis Pike Preserve - West State Conservation Area | State conservation | 828 | Open |
| Otis Pike Preserve - Fresh Pond State Conservation Area | State conservation | 487 | Open |
| Peconic River Headwaters Local Park | County | 264 | Open |
| Town Of Riverhead Land Local Park | Town or city | 228 | Unknown |
| Hallock State Park Preserve State Conservation Area | State parks | 197 | Open |
| Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 186 | Open |
| Otis Pike Preserve - East State Conservation Area | State conservation | 141 | Open |
| Calverton Ponds Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 125 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
62 places to go in Riverhead
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Riverhead
Iron Pier BeachIn Iron Pier Beach
DirectionsSouth Jamesport ParkIn South Jamesport Park
DirectionsWading River Landing
DirectionsPlus 11 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Swimming spots in Riverhead
Swimming Area
DirectionsPublic pools in Riverhead
Dippin' Dots
DirectionsGlenwood Pool
DirectionsKahuna Bay
DirectionsMonsoon Lagoon
DirectionsOctopus Pool
DirectionsPirate's Cove
DirectionsSurf City
DirectionsYellow Submarine
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Riverhead
20 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Riverhead
Isaac Dog ParkIn Veterans Memorial Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Riverhead
Wading River Boat Ramp
DirectionsPlus 7 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Riverhead
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Riverhead
Jacobs Hill131 ft elevation · In Hallock State Park Preserve
DirectionsFriars Head128 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Riverhead
John M. Schiff Scout Reservation
DirectionsWildwood State Park CampgroundIn Wildwood State Park · New York State Parks
DirectionsTrails & water
7 named trails and 28 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 9.2 miUnpaved · 8.4 mi
Calverton Mountain Bike Trail7.9 mi
Paumanok Path2.7 mi
Maritime Forest Trail1.1 mi
Rollercoaster0.5 mi
Scuttle Hole0.2 mi
Yellow Trail0.2 mi
Beach Access Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Atlantis Koi PondpondAtlantis Wading ArealakeBlock PondpondCanoe LakeCranberry PondpondDeep PondlakeDragon's DenDuck PondForest PondFox PondpondGrassy PondHallocks PondpondHorn PondJones PondLake ArrowheadLily PondpondLinus PondMcKay LakeMerritts PondlakeMiamogue LagoonNorth PondPeasys PondPeconic LakelakePrestons PondSandy PondpondSwan PondpondTwin PondsPeconic River
Biking & sports
22 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
8.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
13 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
33Tennis
19Baseball
10Pickleball
10Basketball
1Soccer
1Skate park
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Vail-Leavitt Music HallBuilding · listed 1983
About itHallock HomesteadBuilding · listed 1984
About itUS Post Office-RiverheadBuilding · listed 1989
About itSuffolk County Historical Society BuildingBuilding · listed 1994
About itHallock-Bilunas FarmsteadBuilding · listed 2003
About itBenjamin King Woodhull HouseBuilding · listed 2008
About itJedediah Hawkins HouseBuilding · listed 2008
About itJamesport Meeting HouseBuilding · listed 2009
About itTuthill-Lapham HouseBuilding · listed 2009
About itRiverhead Main Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2012
About itDaniel and Henry P. Tuthill FarmDistrict · listed 2015
About itDowns House and FarmBuilding · listed 2016
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Riverhead: 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 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 41 | 48 | 58 | 67 | 76 | 82 | 81 | 74 | 64 | 54 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.2 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.5 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Riverhead →
Next door
Riverhead and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Brookhaven592 miSouthampton258 miRiverhead84 miManorville81 miCalverton52 miEast Shoreham40 miWading River21 miRiverside4.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverhead | 17% | 1.2 | 161 | 94% | A+ |
| Brookhaven | 25% | 2.3 | 79 | 99% | 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 | ||||
| Southampton | 22% | 1.9 | 237 | 79% | A+ |
| Riverside | — 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 Riverhead
Where can I hike in Riverhead?
The longest trail networks: Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest, 10.5 miles; Wildwood State Park, 9.3 miles; Otis Pike Preserve - West, 7.8 miles; Robert Cushman Murphy County Park, 4.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Riverhead is conserved land?
17% 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 Riverhead’s trails?
Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest and Wildwood State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Riverhead?
22 miles of bike routes are on the map: 8.6 of painted or protected lanes and 13 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Riverhead?
44,788 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Riverhead or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,823 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Riverhead have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #51 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 Riverhead 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 →