Sunken Meadow State Park is one of Long Island’s most popular parks with trails through the beautiful woods on the shore of the Long Island Sound. Walking over the bridges overlooking the Sunken Meadow Creek the natural beauty is bound to catch your eye and make you stare in awe.
Avid hikers and nature lovers explored Sunken Meadow State Park on SUNY Old Westbury’s biannual off-campus hike on May 3. It was a great spring morning for a hike. The temperature was moderate, and the sky was clear. The park was in bloom, the hiking trails full of vibrant colors.
Sunken Meadow is great for both walkers and runners. The layout and size are perfect for cross country. Sunken Meadow can be a challenge for long-distance runners. “Cardiac Hill and lesser known Snake hill, Sunken Meadow’s 5k Course is definitely among the toughest in the nation,” according to DyeStat, a high school track news site.
We walked along the edge of the Sunken Meadow Creek. Baby crabs burrowed at home in the marshes. The sandy shore led us to the docks at the mouth of the Nissequogue River. We followed a wooded trail and took a left on Old Dock Rd leading us towards the Kings Park Asylum.
Known as the Kings Park Asylum by locals, the Kings Park Psychiatric Center was one of the largest institutions for the mentally ill in the nation with over one hundred buildings at its peak. It opened in 1886 and finally closed in 1996. Now there are less than thirty buildings still standing in this relic from a bygone era. The grounds are a scenic and peaceful place to hike (just stay out of the buildings!)
Walking back, we headed north down to the shore of the Nissequogue River and the dock at the mouth of the river.
Sunken Meadow has many beautiful trails through the wooded hills that provide beautiful views of the Long Island Sound. Some of the hills are steep which can be an issue for some hikers.
On a day with great weather, Sunken Meadow is a great spot to hike. There’s a lot to explore and we didn’t get to see all the park had to offer. You can always come back and discover something new.
