Hometown hikes
North shore long island, New york
c/o steven john @thedadgearreview
What it’s like around here
The North Shore of Long Island has plenty of opportunities for shorter, relatively easy wooded hikes that are family-friendly and approachable for kids and adults of varied fitness levels. Many are on largely flat ground, with some hilly hikes available, too. There is also ample opportunity for paddling in the many bays and inlets off the Long Island Sound.
family-friendly outdoor recreational activities
The Nassau County Museum of Art
https://nassaumuseum.org in Roslyn Harbor has multiple wooded and hilly hiking trails that can provide some real exercise as well as several flatter, kid-friendly trails, and there is also outdoor art and plenty of wildlife to see, all free of charge.
Planting Fields Arboretum
https://plantingfields.org is free in some seasons but requires an Empire Pass or daily fee at other times, but is a large and great place to explore nature and also to see many curated outdoor gardens and woodland areas, and there is also a large series of indoor greenhouses that are fun to explore.
The Cold Spring Harbor State Park
https://parks.ny.gov/parks/coldspringharbor/maps.aspx offers a long enough hike with sufficient elevation changes to be a real challenge if you move fast and plan to complete the out-and-back route twice. It's a great spot for trail running with older kids or just with adults or for a single out-and-back trek with younger kids that will truly challenge them.
top tips for family fun outdoors
Always bring more food than you think you'll need and keep some snacks hidden in reserve. And learn from past outings, the successes and fails, as you plan future ventures.
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