CAMP HERO STATE PARK
- Camp Hero State Park, looking east off the end of Long Island
11/16/10 Camp Hero is a New York State Park. In the photo above it is the green area to the right (south) of NY St Hwy 27. Located on the very eastern end of Long Island, just outside of Montauk, NY it is a crazy mixture of single track, wooded trails to beaches to bluff top trails overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It is an old military base that borders a lighthouse facility that was commissioned by George Washington. It is more a relic of WWII and the Cold War as evidenced by some of the relics you come across off the trails.
- Bunker, well sealed (trust me I threw some rocks at it, no echo at all)
- dismantled 16 inch gun, could fire a shell 20 freaking miles
- Radar tower used to track planes and subs coming across from Russia
But really a person comes here to get out. Plenty of trails including quiet, paved roads, sandy trails down to the beach, and of course the beloved dirt single track. Not sure the mileage of the trail, but it seemed like you could squeeze in an hour or so wandering around. Most people come to the park to surf and fish (both are epic here) and if you time it right, you have the water to yourself. But this was a rainy day, so I was lucky to have the park alone. The views are fantastic, you may catch a glimpse of whales off the shore, but more likely a surfcaster bringing in dinner in the form of some bluefish or sea bass. Which is cool in its own right. Go for a run, meet the family for a picnic, on the beach and enjoy the salt air. Not too many better days than that.
Montauk has been a summer vacation spot for my family for years. Somehow, I had never gotten around to getting out to this place. Needless to say, I will get there again. Fees: $5 in the summer to park, plus $5 to enter. After Labor Day, free. Directions: Take Hwy 27 east from central Long Island, NY.