Happy Trials #2: Blydenburgh Park

Welcome back to another issue of the Happy Trails blog. As the fall weather is now in full swing, it is, in my humble opinion, one of the best times to go out and explore some of the parks that your local area has to offer. Whether you have a camera, a camera phone, or simply a curious pair of eyeballs, the fall colors are bound to impress you. The beauty of fall can be found everywhere in this issue's park.

Blydenburgh Park is located in Smithtown, New York and is a total of 627 acres. First acquired by Isaac and Susannah Blydenburgh in 1798, the land now belongs to the Suffolk County Department of Parks. If you visit this beautiful place, you may even go see the grist mill and the Blydenburgh-Weld house, in order to satisfy the itch for historical buildings of Long Island that affects so many of us.

This park has many things to offer whether you are a hiker, sightseer, bike rider, or proud owner of a gigantic camper. A playground, large picnic area, dog park, and campground are all features that exist within the acreage of this place. There is a 5.7 mile walking trail that takes you around the entirety of Stump Pond.

During my visit to Blydenburgh, my family and I walked a total of 3.5 miles of the trail around Stump Pond before our feet, knees and hips, were barking too loud to continue. For much of the trail you are walking right next to the water, which makes for a beautiful view and a calming experience. Even when the trail takes you into a more densely wooded section and away from the water, somehow the trail has a plan to get you right back to the extraordinary pondside view. There is a good bit of wildlife to be seen around the trail as well. For the first time in a while, I was able to see a cormorant drying itself on a branch in front of me. To the best of my Galaxy S21's ability I attempted to do the bird justice. I hope I got its good side. During the journey, we saw swans create the classic heart shape with their necks. It almost brought a tear to my eye. It was either the swans or the fact that I was without water on a 5.7 mile hike.

My only complaint about the journey is that there seemed to be little direction to the start of the walking trail. Coming from the overflow parking lot, my family and I simply went down a path that said "no vehicles beyond this point" and assumed that would lead us to the water and the hiking trail. Luckily for us, it did.

I would recommend this park to anyone who wants to enjoy the fall atmosphere or just simply be out in nature and see the beauty their local area has to offer. I will absolutely be returning to Blydenburgh in the future and conquering the last 1.5 + mile that I was unable to do on my first visit. I included the photos I took on the journey below.

Sources: A huge thank you to the following for information on the history and details about the park!

-"Smithtown, A History: The Historic District of Blydenburgh Park" written by Rita J. Egan @https://patch.com/new-york/smithtown/smithtown-a-history-the-historic-district-of-blydenburgh-park

-"Blydenburgh Trail Map" @https://www.avenzamaps.com/maps/1383865/blydenburgh-trail-map