Directions
Alley Pond Park
Take the Long Island Expressway west to Exit 29 (Springfield Blvd.). Turn left onto Springfield Blvd. south. Go five blocks and turn left onto 76th Ave. Quickly turn left into the 76th Ave. parking lot. We will meet at the far end of the lot. For a street map that shows the parking lot (and the entire neighborhood), go to www.nycgovparks.org/parks/alleypondpark/map (Google Maps labels it “Aarya park Parking lot"). For online directions, enter "76th Ave 11364" as the location.
Freeport Memorial Library
Travel south on the Meadowbrook State Parkway to Merrick Road (Exit M9) west. Drive west on Merrick Road through the Village of Freeport to the Freeport Memorial Library, located on the corner of South Ocean Avenue and Merrick Road. Parking can usually be found in the rear of the library.
Hempstead Lake State Park
From the Southern State Parkway, take Exit 18 (Eagle Avenue) south to Field 3 (use second park entrance and make an immediate left turn.)
Hempstead Plains
Take Meadowbrook Parkway Exit M4, west towards Nassau Coliseum and Charles Lindbergh Blvd. Follow Charles Lindbergh Blvd. a short distance to first exit on right, East Parking Area for Nassau Community College. Turn right into East Parking Area and see entrance to Hempstead Plains ahead to the right. There is parking at the Entrance.
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
From the Southern State Parkway, travel west to the Belt Parkway. Exit at Cross Bay Boulevard (Exit 17) south. Continue south on Cross Bay Blvd. through Howard Beach and over the North Channel Bridge (also known as the Congressman Joseph P. Addabbo Bridge). The entrance to the refuge parking lot is on the right side of the road, at a traffic light approximately one and a half miles past the bridge.
JFK Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary
From the Jones Beach traffic circle, drive east about four miles (to just west of the Suffolk County line) and enter the Tobay Beach parking lot, which is on the north side of Ocean Parkway. Turn left as soon as you enter that lot and follow the narrow road about 1/2 mile to the Sanctuary’s parking lot. A free permit is required to use the latter lot without risking a $25 summons; to obtain an application, call the Town of Oyster Bay’s Parks Department, Division of Beaches, at 797-4110 or visit them at 977 Hicksville Road, Massapequa.
Jones Beach Coast Guard Station Parking Area
From the Wantagh State Parkway, travel south. Upon entering Jones Beach State Park, exit at Bay Drive and continue west. Turn right (north) at entrance for Coast Guard Station and West End Boat Basin; turn right again for parking.
Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside
From Sunrise Highway in Rockville Centre, turn onto Long Beach Road, traveling south. Proceed to Waukena Avenue and turn left. From this point onward, there are brown signs directing visitors to the sanctuary. Turn right onto Park Avenue (at a traffic light), then turn left onto Golf Drive. Continue on Golf Drive to Slice Drive, turn right, and proceed one short block into the sanctuary.
Massapequa Lake
Use street parking on the westbound side of Merrick Road. Massapequa Lake is at the south end of Massapequa Preserve, between Lakeshore Boulevard and Ocean Avenue.
Massapequa Preserve
From Sunrise Highway, turn north onto Broadway, Massapequa. Travel under the Long Island Rail Road overpass, then make the first right onto Veterans Boulevard (headed east). Go past the Massapequa train station and into the parking lot at the east end of the station. The preserve is directly east of the parking lot.
Mill Pond Park
Use street parking on the westbound side of Merrick Road. The park is four blocks west of the Wantagh State Parkway.
Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve
From the Meadowbrook Parkway, use the Merrick Road M9 east exit. Enter the Department of Sanitation entrance immediately on right (if you’re driving west on Merrick Road, make a U-turn after Central Boulevard and before the Meadowbrook Parkway). Look for signs to Levy Park and Preserve parking lot.
Pelham Bay Park
Pelham Bay Park (where we hope to see owls): Wear hiking shoes — it’s a hilly forest walk to the bay. Take Throgs Neck Bridge to I-695 north to I-95 north. Take I-95 to exit #9, Hutchinson River Parkway north. Take first exit #5, Orchard Beach Rd., go past traffic circle, and continue on Orchard Beach Rd. to end. Turn left on Park Dr. Go past another traffic circle and enter parking lot through toll gates (free); meet at far left corner of parking lot (northeast corner). See www.mappery.com/Pelham-Bay-Park-NYC-Map or Google’s map of “Orchard Beach Parking Lot” for reference.
Point Lookout Park and Lido Beach Preserve
From the Southern State Parkway, exit onto the Meadowbrook State Parkway south. Exit from the Meadowbrook at Loop Parkway (just before the Jones Beach toll booths) toward Point Lookout. The Loop Parkway ends west of Point Lookout at Lido Boulevard. Continue straight across Lido Boulevard into Point Lookout Park. Travel past the ticket booths and curve left into the very large parking lot on the south side of the park. Park in the southeast corner, closest to the private homes of the village of Point Lookout and the beach. We will walk east along the beach toward Jones Inlet. After returning to the parking lot, we will drive west on Lido Boulevard to Lido Beach Passive Nature Preserve on the north side of Lido Boulevard to walk through the bay marsh.
Directions to Point Lookout Park via Google Maps | Directions to Lido Beach Passive Nature Preserve via Google Maps
Tackapausha Museum and Preserve
Tackapausha Museum & Preserve is located in Seaford, on Washington Avenue, between Merrick Road and Sunrise Highway. The entrance to the museum is on the east side of Washington Avenue, just north of Merrick Road.