Hiking & the Greenbelt Trail

Heckscher State Park has three kinds of trail: four miles of paved, multi-use paths that NYS Parks built for walkers and cyclists; unpaved foot paths through the woods on the north and west sides; and the southern end of the Long Island Greenbelt Trail, a 32-mile footpath that starts at Heckscher on the Great South Bay and runs north to Sunken Meadow State Park on Long Island Sound. The ground is flat: coastal woods, open fields, marsh edges and the bay shore.

The Long Island Greenbelt Trail

The Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference describes its Greenbelt Trail as 32 miles "from Long Island Sound to Great South Bay," a National Recreation Trail that follows the Nissequogue and Connetquot rivers, crosses the Ronkonkoma Moraine, and passes through Sunken Meadow, Caleb Smith, Connetquot and Heckscher state parks. Heckscher is its southern end.

Inside the park, the state's maps trace the Greenbelt Trail down from the north, past the campground, and then south along the east edge of the park beside Nicoll's Bay, in front of the rental cottages, to the bay shore near Field 8. For a short walk, start at Overlook Beach (Field 8) and follow it north along the water. For a long one, walk north out of the park toward Connetquot River State Park Preserve, on the Greenbelt Trail Conference's route.

Paved Paths

NYS Parks says "four miles of paved, multi-use trails attract bicycle riders, walkers, and nature lovers." The state's site map draws them as the bike path: a loop inside the parkway ring, a spur up to the campground and the north entrance, and a link along the bay past the beaches. See biking for the route.

Foot Paths in the Woods

The site map shows a web of unpaved foot paths and service roads in the woods north of the parkway around the campground, in the north-west corner, and in the woods and marsh in the middle of the loop. The state does not name them or give their lengths. Keep to paths that exist: state park rules allow use only of "trails, overlooks, roads and other ways established and provided for public use."

The Dog Walking Trail

The only trail where dogs are allowed is the dog walking trail in the west woods, west of the toll booths. See dogs.

What You Will See

NYS Parks promises "stunning views of the Great South Bay with Fire Island as the backdrop," white-tailed deer, and many birds. The Friends of Heckscher State Park call it the "Home of the White-Tailed Deer." See deer and wildlife.

Winter Hiking

The park stays open sunrise to sunset all winter, and NYS Parks lists snowshoeing and cross-country skiing when conditions allow. There is no vehicle fee in the off-season (none listed after October 12 in 2026).

Ticks

NYS Parks' Long Island guide warns that deer ticks, lone star ticks and American dog ticks wait on grass and brush in wooded areas. Check yourself, your children and your dog after every walk on the foot paths.

Good For / Maybe Skip If

• Good for: flat, easy walks; birders; a first section of the Greenbelt Trail; walking from the campground or cottages.
• Maybe skip if you want hills or a long loop inside one park: Connetquot River State Park Preserve next door has 50 miles of trails (Connetquot), though it allows no dogs or bikes.