We took a drive out to Long Island specifically to explore the Long Island Pine Barrens. I had visited the New Jersey Pine Barrens before, but had recently learned about this stretch of protected landscape on Long Island. The ecosystem here is incredibly diverse with wetlands, marshes, bogs, red maple swamps, and rare Atlantic white cedar swamps. It’s also an excellent area for birding.

There are several preserves scattered across the island, and our plan was to start at Sears Bellows County Park to get our bearings, then continue on to Hubbard County Park to experience the ecological transition where the “pines meet the sea.”

We parked at Sears Bellows and walked down toward Bellows Pond. It was overcast with rain in the forecast, but we had rain jackets in the car and planned to just take a short walk before heading up the road to Hubbard.

What was meant to be a quick stop turned into a nearly five-mile walk. We passed a variety of ponds, marshes and wetlands along the trails, and decided to keep going even after leaving our rain gear behind.

We looped around Sears Pond, and just about a quarter of the way back to the parking area, it started to rain more heavily. Luckily it wasn’t too cold, so we didn’t mind getting a little wet.

Because we spent so much time wandering through Sears Bellows, we decided to save Hubbard for another day. Even without mountains, this landscape offered a unique walk through a diverse landscape. The quiet woods here are enough to feel disconnected from the hustle and bustle of the city and reconnect with the natural landscape. I’m already looking forward to coming back and exploring Hubbard County Park next time.

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