Sunken Meadow State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
1,400 acres19.3 mi of trail
Wetland TrailLong Island Greenbelt Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Smithtown
20% of Smithtown’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
101 miles of mapped trail cross Smithtown, 1.9 per square mile of land. 20% of Smithtown’s land is conserved, about 6,888 acres. 5,392 acres are parks and preserves, 46 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #31 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
20%
6,888 acres · of 53.8 sq mi of land
Trails
101 mi
1.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,392 ac
46 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
15 mi
3.0 mi lanes · 12 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
13
6 beaches · 6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Smithtown?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Smithtown have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Smithtown is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #31 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 Smithtown’s overall grade.
Conserved land20% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (101 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land46 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,392 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)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 96%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Smithtown ranks #13 on Outdoors.
Water is more than half of Smithtown’s area (58 of 111 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 10%.
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 Sunken Meadow State Park, with 19.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Blydenburgh County Park
Park
602 acres15.8 mi of trail
Blue TrailLong Island Greenbelt Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Caleb Smith State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
541 acres9.6 mi of trail
Long Island Greenbelt TrailRed TrailBlue-Green TrailOrange Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Nissequogue River State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
542 acres4.4 mi of trail
Long Island Greenbelt Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
David Weld Sanctuary
Nature preserve
115 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto David Weld Sanctuary Parking LotWebsite ↗
Lily Ponds Park & Nature Preserve
Park
104 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Arthur Kunz County Park
Nature preserve
118 acres1.3 mi of trail
Long Island Greenbelt Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 48 parks & preserves
Sunken Meadow State Park1,400 acres · 19.3 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsBlydenburgh County Park602 acres · 15.8 mi of trail
DirectionsCaleb Smith State Park541 acres · 9.6 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsNissequogue River State Park542 acres · 4.4 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsAvalon Preserve105 acres · 3.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDavid Weld Sanctuary115 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsLily Ponds Park & Nature Preserve104 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
DirectionsArthur Kunz County Park118 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsKings Park Unique Area68 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsSweetbriar Nature Center49 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Town of Smithtown
DirectionsBill Richards Memorial Park39 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsButler-Huntington Woods68 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
Weld Park21 acres · 1 mi of trail
Hilltop Meadow19 acres · 1 mi of trail · Avalon Preserve
DirectionsBlydenburgh Park Historic District17 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsForestwood Park36 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Avalon Nature Preserve7 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsMillers Pond County Park57 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · County of Suffolk
DirectionsSuffolk County Park30 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsCharles P. Toner Nesconset Community Park25 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsLake Ronkonkoma County Park18 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPine Cone Woods Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsDaniel J. Flynn Memorial Park17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCallahan's Beach Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLong Beach Town Park24 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOlson Memorial Town Park22 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGibbs Pond Park / Andreoli Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSprofera Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRobert A. Brady Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOtto Schubert Beach6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPaul T. Given County Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsYoungs Island Tidal Wetland17 acres
DirectionsMorewood Park16 acres
DirectionsHarrison Pond Park16 acres
DirectionsValmont Village Park10 acres
DirectionsBurr-Winkle Park9 acres
DirectionsCy Donnelly Park9 acres · Town of Smithtown
Metuxen Lane Park9 acres
Gaynor Park8 acres
DirectionsKings Park Memorial Park8 acres
DirectionsStony Brook Harbor State Tidal Wetland7 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
St. Joseph Field4 acres
DirectionsSan Remo Community Park3 acres
DirectionsEast Hill Park2 acres
Landing Avenue Park1 acres
Cordwood Park1 acres
San Remo Civic Association Park1 acres
9/11 Memorial: We Shall Never Forget1 acres
Who protects it
6,888 conserved acres
20% of Smithtown’s land. Water is left out: Smithtown has 53.8 square miles of land and 57.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Smithtown’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks4,151 ac
Town or city1,613 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government931 ac
County864 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits656 ac
State conservation95 ac
Private owners10 ac
State Park · 3,607 acLocal Park · 3,403 acState Conservation Area · 639 acPrivate Conservation · 421 acLocal Conservation Area · 223 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 19 of 97 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred E. Smith/Sunken Meadow State Park State Park | State parks | 3,098 | Open |
| Town Of Smithtown Land Local Park | Town or city | 1,268 | Unknown |
| County Of Suffolk Land Local Park | County | 707 | Unknown |
| Smithtown Town Lands Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 622 | Open |
| Caleb Smith State Park Preserve State Conservation Area | State parks | 544 | Open |
| Nissequogue River State Park State Park | State parks | 509 | Open |
| David Weld Sanctuary Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 246 | Open |
| Hoyt Town Lands Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 132 | Open |
| Avalon Park Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 128 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Town or city | 94 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
61 places to go in Smithtown
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Smithtown
Plus 3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Smithtown
Saf-T-Swim Smithtown
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Smithtown
holy family playground
Directions38 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Smithtown
Dog RunIn Blydenburgh County Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Smithtown
Kayak LaunchIn Nissequogue River State Park
DirectionsKayak LaunchIn Paul T. Given County Park
DirectionsPlus 4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Smithtown
Wolf 1In Blydenburgh County Park
DirectionsWolf 2In Blydenburgh County Park
DirectionsWolf 3In Blydenburgh County Park
DirectionsWolf 4In Blydenburgh County Park
DirectionsWolf 5In Blydenburgh County Park
DirectionsPlus 4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
14 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.6 miUnpaved · 10.4 mi
Long Island Greenbelt Trail11.2 mi
Blue Trail4.8 mi
Wetland Trail1.3 mi
Yellow Trail0.6 mi
Red Trail0.6 mi
Blue-Green Trail0.6 mi
Orange Trail0.5 mi
Lower River Trail0.4 mi
Half Mile Nature Trail0.3 mi
Green-Yellow Trail0.2 mi
4 more trails
Green Trail
0.2 miUpper River Trail
0.2 miFrog Hollow
0.2 miChipmunk Loop Trail
0.2 miBiking & sports
15 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.0 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
12 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
87Tennis
60Baseball
22Basketball
11Soccer
7Football
7Tracks
4Pickleball
2Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →27 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 8 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Saint James DistrictDistrict · listed 1973
About itMills Pond DistrictDistrict · listed 1973
About itBox Hill EstateDistrict · listed 1973
About itHalliock InnBuilding · listed 1974
About itBlydenburgh Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itVillage of Branch Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1986
About itStony Brook Grist MillBuilding · listed 1990
About itWyandanch Club Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1990
About itEast FarmDistrict · listed 1993
About itHarbor HouseDistrict · listed 1993
About itKate Annette Wetherill EstateDistrict · listed 1993
About it15 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Smithtown: 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 | 13.3 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 41 | 48 | 59 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 75 | 65 | 54 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.1 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 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 Smithtown →
Next door
Smithtown and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Brookhaven592 miHuntington158 miIslip137 miSmithtown101 miStony Brook7.4 miCommack5.8 miHead of the Harbor5.8 miLake Ronkonkoma5.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithtown | 20% | 1.9 | 46 | 99% | A+ |
| Huntington | 12% | 1.7 | 35 | 98% | A+ |
| Brookhaven | 25% | 2.3 | 79 | 99% | A+ |
| Islip | 22% | 1.3 | 35 | 98% | A+ |
| Stony Brook | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Commack | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Head of the Harbor | 10% | 2.1 | 142 | 88% | A+ |
| Lake Ronkonkoma | — 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 Smithtown
Where can I hike in Smithtown?
The longest trail networks: Sunken Meadow State Park, 19.3 miles; Blydenburgh County Park, 15.8 miles; Caleb Smith State Park, 9.6 miles; Nissequogue River State Park, 4.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Smithtown is conserved land?
20% 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 Smithtown’s trails?
Sunken Meadow State Park and Blydenburgh County Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Smithtown?
15 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.0 of painted or protected lanes and 12 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Smithtown?
43,121 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Smithtown or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,392 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Smithtown have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #31 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 Smithtown 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 →