Protecting the headwaters of the Nissequogue River, which meanders north on its way to the Long Island Sound, is Blydenburgh Park, a 627-acre preserve in Smithtown offering visitors panoramic views of Stump Pond, miles of trails, and a wide array of cultural and recreational activities.
The pond was born of a dam created in 1798 when Isaac Blydenburgh, along with his cousins Joshua Smith II and Caleb Smith II, stopped up the headwaters of the river to power a grist mill. The pond’s name derives from the tree stumps protruding through the water on what were previously the riverbanks.
A boardwalk through swampland in the southwest region of the park affords hikers a 5.7-mile loop trail around the entire pond. They can also visit the Blydenburgh Farm and New Mill Historic District, the 19th-century settlement established by the Blydenburgh family. The historic milling center includes the 1798 New Mill, the 1802 Miller's House, the circa 1860 Farm Cottage, outbuildings, and the circa 1820 Blydenburgh Farmhouse. It is protected through the Suffolk County Historic Trust and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The center illustrates much of the farm-to-mill-to-market cycle of the pre-industrial American economy and is the only group of indigenous farm and mill buildings in close proximity to each other in public hands anywhere on Long Island.
A descendant of the original settlers was former Suffolk Legislator and state Supreme Court Justice Donald R. Blydenburgh. The park is also featured through the Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference.
RV and tent sites are available for campers at the Suffolk County park from April 1 to November 11. Freshwater fishing is permitted from sunrise to sunset along the shoreline or from a rowboat, kayak, or canoe. You can also get a rowboat rental from mid-May to Labor Day; personal kayaks and canoes may also be launched from the rowboat rental area or by the Historic District. Horseback riders can ride or trailer their mounts to utilize an extensive bridle path system and practice ring. Trailer parking is available via the north entrance. The park is also a great place for picnicking, and there is also a dog run for pet owners.
For his Eagle Scout project, Jacob Gaio from Troop 888 in Smithtown created a hand-drawn map of the park and installed numbered trail marker posts with QR Codes that enable anyone with a smartphone to download the map and find their location. The map is available for free from the Avenza Maps app. For more information about hikes and tours call (631) 360-0753 or visit http://www.ligreenbelt.org/.