Heckscher State Park — Attraction in Town of Islip

it's not that great as parks go. I used to come here a lot as a kid since i grew up nearby. Since then I've been to a few state parks upstate and elsewhere on long island. I returned here a few months ago and it was rather dull. There's not much other than picnic areas and a few so-so beaches. If you're after beaches, there are a lot of better beaches on long island you could go to. Robert moses, jones beach, fire island are all much better for beaches. There's not much to hike either. The trails are flat and uninteresting since there's no elevation to provide panoramic views. Hiking is better done upstate where you can find hills. If you're local and looking for somewhere to get away from other human beings, looking for a casual picnic, or a walk on the sand this park might suit you just fine. It doesn't make for a major point of interest, however.

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Update 2-19-2025 Since discovering the frisbee golf course I have visited many more times and formed a new opinion of this park. It’s awesome. The beaches are a nice place to have a picnic and watch sunset. There are usually some shells or crabs or sponges washed ashore to amuse your kids or dog. There are several playgrounds in various states of repair. Some church groups come and do sermons and baptisms in the water. The frisbee golf is the only free course on Long Island, and from what I hear the only one worth visiting. It’s a great way to pass time with friends or family, enjoying nature, and getting some exercise. The park is way bigger than I thought and I wouldn’t see most of it if not for...

We came over from PA for a geocaching event in historic Smithtown. Our three nights went very well and the overall campground is kept very clean. Bathhouse is cleaned every morning. Showers were a bit small, no seat/bench for a personal bag or dry clothes on the men's side and lots of sand on the floor in the dressing area outside of the shower. An open mesh plastic mat would solve that dirty sand problem.

Campground rules said no washing dishes at the faucets between the rows of campsites. Unfortunately there was no other alternative. There are no utility sinks at the bathhouse for doing dishes. Perfect location would be on the east side, since it's outside of the showers (hot and cold water just inside the wall) and there are two bright lights under the eaves.

Only one very loud generator disrupted the peace n quiet. We joked they needed to buy a Honda generator! No loud music or screaming kids...a big plus.

Bring bikes, for there is a bike trail all around the park! There's also the Long Island Greenbelt that passes through the park. Kayaks have their own beach. No fire rings at each site, but they are available for $10/day at the camp store next to the registration office. They're well used and a bit shaky, but it served the purpose. Ashes go in the red drums by the trash dumpsters. The man in the registration office was ...

Nice park, campsites spread apart under a tall canopy of trees, so not a lot of privacy between sites. Picnic table but no fire pit, although I think you can bring one. Probably bcs people leave trash in pits, in my experience. It wasn’t busy midweek in August, i imagine when it’s busy, people may cross your site to get to the bathroom, which was very clean. I entered two nights after dark and had my pass on the dash, waved in by staff in a truck. Small camp store, didn’t visit. I drove past the cottages, they look very impressive for a state park. $20 a night but with fees (I booked on site, not online) I still went over $50 for two days. I’m from out of state, but I don’t think it said any fee was for out of state. Two bay beaches on the property (drive or bike from the camp), West was open, Overlook beach was closed during the week, but both had lots of parking. Just a few cars at West around 9:30 am. on a blustery Friday in August. Nobody at the enormous picnic area. People have talked about going 20 min south to an ocean beach at Robert Moses state park. I imagine you probably have to pay the day rate there even if you’re staying at Heckscher. Heckscher is a great spot to explore and to use as a home base for exploring the rest of...