Where: Nissequogue River State Park (Kings Park, NY)
What: Bike (trail, paved)
Snacks : Strong Island Ice Cream (Smithtown, NY)
Nestled among the ruins of the old Kings Park Psychiatric Center is a short, sweet multi purpose paved path. The 1.5 mile path stretches from the Old Dock Road entrance of Nissequogue River State Park to a public parking lot on Church Street.
The option also exists to bike through the park lots and on town roads. Shady spots however, are few and far between. I pair this path with a stroll around the park grounds. Not only do you get an up close personal view of the old facilities but, just across Old Dock Road is another park entrance that boasts beautiful water views.
Entering the buildings constitutes trespassing. Now, you know how I feel about trespassing. So, I’ll just say this, for the curious – there are plenty of missing doorways and open crawl spaces. Don’t get tetanus. The grounds are supposed to be patrolled by State Police. In daylight. I have never seen an officer. That doesn’t mean they aren’t present.
For snacks this week, we ventured to a local ice cream shop. Rumor has it, they opened in winter so you know they have to good to stay open through a pandemic and a cold season.
See you on the trails,
x
Jess
