Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest
Nature preserve
187 acres10.7 mi of trail
Calverton Mountain Bike TrailRollercoasterScuttle Hole
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Team jib · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Wading River
28% of Wading River’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest (10.7 mi), Wildwood State Park (9.1 mi). 28% of Wading River’s land is conserved, about 1,734 acres. 1,053 acres are parks and preserves, 126 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
28%
1,734 acres · of 9.8 sq mi of land
Trails
21 mi
2.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,053 ac
126 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.6 mi
2.9 mi lanes · 1.6 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
3 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 Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest, with 10.7 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
766 acres9.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Who protects it
1,734 conserved acres
28% of Wading River’s land. Water is left out: Wading River has 9.8 square miles of land and 2.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Wading River’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks1,388 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits202 ac
State conservation190 ac
Town or city53 ac
County9 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government3 ac
State Park · 1,388 acPrivate Conservation · 197 acState Conservation Area · 190 acLocal Park · 69 acLocal Resource Management Area · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 37 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildwood State Park State Park | State parks | 1,388 | Open |
| Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 190 | Open |
| Wading River Marsh (Kempf Preserve) Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 92 | Open |
| Kempf Preserve at Wading River Marsh Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 92 | Closed |
| Town Of Riverhead Land Local Park | Town or city | 46 | Unknown |
| County Of Suffolk Land Local Park | County | 9 | Unknown |
| Bayberry Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Reppa Pond Preserve at Wading River Marsh Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 6 | Closed |
| Reppa Pond Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 6 | Restricted |
| Unknown Park Local Park | County | 6 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
9 places to go in Wading River
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Wading River
Wading River Landing
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Wading River
3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Wading River
Wading River Boat Ramp
DirectionsCampgrounds in Wading River
John M. Schiff Scout Reservation
DirectionsWildwood State Park CampgroundIn Wildwood State Park · New York State Parks
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 9.0 miUnpaved · 2.2 mi
Calverton Mountain Bike Trail7.9 mi
Rollercoaster0.5 mi
Scuttle Hole0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.9 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.6 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
3Baseball
2Basketball
1Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Wading 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) | 9.5 | 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 | 68 | 77 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 64 | 54 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 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 Wading River →
Next door
Wading River and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Brookhaven592 miRiverhead84 miRidge53 miCalverton52 miEast Shoreham40 miWading River21 miBaiting Hollow15 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wading River | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Riverhead | 17% | 1.2 | 161 | 94% | A+ |
| Brookhaven | 25% | 2.3 | 79 | 99% | A+ |
| East Shoreham | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Calverton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Baiting Hollow | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ridge | — 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 Wading River
Where can I hike in Wading River?
The longest trail networks: Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest, 10.7 miles; Wildwood State Park, 9.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Wading River’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 Wading River?
4.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.9 of painted or protected lanes and 1.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Wading River?
31,067 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Wading River or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,053 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Wading 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 →