Planting Fields Arboretum Trail is a 1.5 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Oyster Bay, New York that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for walking and is accessible year-round.
Parking Fee $8- bathrooms are open (was here on a Saturday) Wandered around some of the paved paths first. Then through the small bird watching garden. Took Oak Trail to Boundary Trail. At that point got onto North Shore Trail alliance trail, but that was ending in people’s backyards. Turned back and too the Lowland Trail to the Zigzag Trail which comes out onto the lawn by the big gate. Walked back towards the gardens near Coe Hall. Beautiful spring day. Paved and garden paths are stroller & wheelchair friendly. Hiking trails through the woods are well marked.
This windy route through Planting Fields gives you a loop through everything noteworthy about it. From the planting gardens, across the Great Lawn to the formal drive down to the gate, cut across the grass and find the entrance to the woodland trails - Zig Zag to Steep Wash to Oak to East. Come out for a few loops on meadow trails, cut across another lawn (Taxus) and find Memorial Trail to Oak, and come out in the perennial garden/bird blind area. Another loop through the formal gardens and one more past the greenhouses and dahlia gardens, skirting the Magnolia Cafe as you finish. Back to your car. This trail is easy but it can get hikers who can’t leave LI over 3 miles half in pretty good solitude.
Absolutely beautiful place, hiked the maple trail and then the east trail and it was a great little hike through the woods. The gardens in summer are stunning.
One of my favorite places on the island and my go to park on a rainy day - due to the phenomenal greenhouses. The trails are lovely too, especially the little huts (and of course the enormous mansion I have yet to tour). Worth the fee, but a treasure to enter with the Empire Pass. Follow my instagram for more adventures @julie_journeys
Wonderful leisurely hikes. We’ll maintained paths, well marked. Some paths are paved and others are dirt/gravel. Absolutely beautiful.
Great trail! We took Oak Trail all the way down to Lowland trail, got a little lost and turned around, then back on Lowland to Steep Walsh Trail then to ZigZag Trail and back up the main road. Started recording at the end of Oak Trail. Fun walk in the woods!
Easy trail, no bugs. Actually, I roamed through the gardens, really took my time, then picked the Oak Trail off the main road. Nobody on the trail, it ended at the edge of a golf club, which I followed a bit, looking for a continuation to the trail, but I had to turn back. From there, I chose a nameless trail which took me back to the gardens.
Not a hard trail at all. Mostly/entirely paved. Small inclines/decline. Beautiful views on the property, took a lot of pauses with my nephew because of all the cute benches and photo-worthy spots :)
The trails were awesome. While they are not very well marked with signs (sometimes the signs are far and few between--one star taken off), the actual "beaten paths" are pretty easy to follow. From Carshalton Road, took Zig Zag down to Boundary Road then up to Oak Trail (I forgot the name of the one between Zig Zag and Boundary). Oak Trail has some nice hills. Looking forward to returning in the other seasons.
The Arboretum has something for just about everyone. There are greenhouses with tropical plants, outside gardens, a large rolling estate to amble around. There are guided tours of the mansion. And of course, there is a wooded area with many trails to explore. Maps available at entrance (maybe not during winter season) are pretty good.
Many trails. Miles of them. Trails can go from paved & manicured to open fields & thick woods. Some of the most diverse vegetation you'll find anywhere. A bird sanctuary. Beautiful greenhouses with many specimens of tropical vegetation. A mansion with guided tours. You can spend a whole day there.