The Ponds
Long Pond
Impressive representative of the Long Pond Greenbelt’s unique coastal plain pond and pond shore habitats. Seventy-five acres in size and up to eleven feet deep during wet cycles, Long Pond can be enjoyed from the trails surrounding it — Sprig Tree Path, Widow Gavits, and Long Pond — or from the water via a dirt boat launch off Widow Gavits trail. Limited parking available. MORE
Crooked Pond
Queen of the Greenbelt’s coastal plain ponds. With close to three-quarters of its shoreline free of residential development, Crooked Pond is acknowledged as the most pristine of the thirteen coastal plain ponds and pond shore communities that make the Long Pond Greenbelt such a valued and unique place. Virtually surrounded by trails, Crooked Pond can be reached from Sprig Tree Path or Widow Gavitts Trail. Don’t miss the Truman Capote memorial stone, which sits in a small clearing at the pond’s edge. MORE
Poxabogue Pond
A pond that widens. Poxabogue Pond, whose name is derived from Paugasa-baug or “a pond that widens,” is close to forty acres in size and has had most of its shoreline preserved by Suffolk County and Southampton Town. For a quick nature boost, drive along Old Farm Road in North Sagaponack and drink in the sight of sunlight skipping off the water or stop for a short hike at Poxabogue Park. The park’s entrance is near the train trestle on Old Farm, and parking is available. MORE
Little Poxabogue Pond
Picturesque pond near Poxaogue viewing blind. Connected to larger Poxabogue Pond by an intermittent stream, Little Poxabogue is a picturesque, shallow pond whose northern shoreline extends close to and just south of the LIRR underpass on Narrow Lane, Bridgehampton. To visit Little Poxy, use the Poxabogue Park trail system. The entrance is nearby on Old Farm Road near the train trestle. Parking is available. MORE
Vineyard Field PONDS AND WETLANDS
Scenic 42-acre grassland with walking trails. The six NYSDEC-designated pond and wetland zones of the Vineyard Field ecosystem support a wide variety of bird, reptile, amphibian, and insect species that have adapted to wetland and grassland habitats. For access to Vineyard Field — site of the Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt’s grassland restoration project and monthly full moon hikes – use the parking lot at the SOFO Museum in Bridgehampton. Entry to the museum is not required for access to the field. MORE
Round Pond
Favored local spot soon to have naturalized shoreline and new cul-de-sac at road’s end. Round Pond is fondly known locally as a historic ice skating venue, former site of a commercial ice house, and for being easy to reach for a quick visit by car or a quick canoe or kyack outing. Sitting at the outskirts of Sag Harbor Village, the pond can be reached from two spots: off Sagg Road where Middle Line Highway ends at a bulkhead, or from trails that start at the Round Pond Lane cul-de-sac. Southampton Town and Sag Harbor Village are partnering in a long-awaited project scheduled to start in the fall of 2021, that will replace the failing bulkhead with a more natural shoreline, complete with public access. MORE
Lily Pond
Lovely seasonal display of nymphaea odorata. Tucked away in a small residential cluster just outside Sag Harbor Village, Lily Pond takes its name from the fragrant water lilies (nymphaea odorata) that flourish there during the summer. Though it lacks public access, a small Nature Conservancy preserve off Laurel Lane provides a greenway corridor connecting it to Little Long Pond. MORE
Slade Pond
Home to rare plants and animals being cleared of invasives. Just off the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike about a mile outside the hamlet of Bridgehampton, Slade Pond offers easy viewing of one of the Long Pond Greenbelt’s smaller coastal plain ponds, one documented as hosting two state-ranked rare species of plants and animals. The invasive Japanese knotweed and mile-a-minute vines bedeviling the pond edge near the road will be removed in a multi-year FLPG invasives control project, launched in spring 2021. MORE
Ligonee Brook
Historic alewife and eel run. Called Ligonee Brook by some and Ligonee Creek by others, the Ligonee stream flows from Long Pond to Sag Harbor Cove and skirts or intersects three Long Pond Greenbelt trails. These trails can be accessed from the trailhead near the bleachers at Mashashimuet Park in Sag Harbor. Look for the FLPG kiosk as a starting point. MORE
Fore ‘n Aft Pond
A tiny gem of a pond. Shallow, covering less than an acre, and often overlooked Fore ‘n’ Aft is tucked away in the northeast corner of the Long Pond Greenbelt and is best visited by way of the trail that runs along the east side of Mashashimuet Park. Typical of coastal plain ponds, Fore’n’ Aft shrinks and expands as groundwater levels fluctuate with the seasons and the amount of rainfall. To learn more about this tiny gem of a pond and for detailed trail directions, please see the accompanying article by East End naturalist Mike Bottini. Please see the accompanying article by East End naturalist Mike Bottini. ini’s article here
Otter Pond
Visited by a seal a few years back. Sitting at the southern gateway to Sag Harbor Village across the street from Mashashimuet Park, Otter Pond for centuries has been a focal point of village life. Measuring 35 feet at its deepest, the pond’s ecology changed forever in the late 18th century, when the existing, enclosed freshwater pond was opened to the salt waters of Sag Harbor Cove. Over time Otter Pond has evolved into a tidal saltwater pond. Take a blanket and a picnic and relax at this charming spot. For more Otter Pond history, please see the accompanying article. MORE
Sagg Pond
Getting to know this 150-acre salt pond best accomplished by kayak or canoe. The Long Long Pond Greenbelt’s southernmost pond, where its fresh waters meet the salt waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Sagg Pond in Sagaponack has no public trail access but can be visited using a shallow draft paddle craft from an entry point near the bridge on Bridge Lane. For an in-depth appreciation of the complex water world of this fascinating place, see East End naturalist Mike Bottini’s comprehensive article here.