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THE PARK
In 1879, ten years before his
death, Arthur W. Benson, of Brooklyn Gas 7 Light and Bensonhurst
fame, purchased 10,000 acres of government land around Montauk
for a little more than $15 an acre. He envisioned his new lands
as a playground for the rich.
A generation later Robert Moses, the visionary New York land
planner, saw a different future for Montauk. He wanted a necklace
of public parks along the Montauk shores and in 1924 announced
plans to condemn 1700 Benson estate acres for the flegling New
York State Parks system.
It took a three-year court battle that wound its way to the New
York Supreme Court but Moses prevailed. The enduring jewel of
his struggle is Hither Hills State Park that stretches from ocean
to bay and is the largest state park in Montauk.
WALKS
For most visitors, Hither Hills
is a mile of pristine, dune-backed Atlantic Ocean beach and top-rated
campground. With such delights, the 1755-acre park's interior
that stretches to Napeague Bay is often overlooked. All the better
for canine hikers, who are not welcome on the beach anyway. Miles
of informal sandy trails and jeep roads pick through the pitch
pine, scrub oak and beach heather.
Of the marked trails, the long-distance Paumanok Path that crosses
to Montauk is the most prominent. It can be combined with the
Serpent's Back Trail and others to form sporty hiking loops that
will delight your dog for hours. Expect plenty of ups and downs
as you twist through the pine barrens. Highlights include the
bass-stuffed Fresh Pond, panoramic overlooks and the sandy/cobbly
shore of Napeague Bay.
Dogs are not permitted anywhere south
of Route 27 including the beach and campground but can hike east
of Napeague Harbor and south of Napeague Bay.
BONUS
Hither Hills is home to the unique
walking dunes - 80-foot high piles of sand that are blown more
than three feet each year by the strong westerly winds.
As the sand shift they completely bury trees and vegetation,
eventually moving on and leaving phantom forests of dead trees.
A 3/4-mile trail loops through the dunes and giant bowls for
you and your dog to explore the bogs and coastal shrubs up close.
Further explorations can take place along the shore of Napeague
Harbor and around Goff Point. Parking for the Walking Dunes is
at the end of Napeague Harbor Road and is limited to a few cars.
DIRECTIONS
parking available on north side of
Montauk Point State Parkway (Route 27) at the Hither Hills Overlook,
one mile east of the split with Old Montauk Highway.
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