Mashomack Preserve — Attraction in Town of Shelter Island

Shelter Island is so lucky to be home to this incredible nature sanctuary. The trails are gorgeous with spectacular views, gorgeous grounds, and an amazing staff. A fantastic place to bring your kids and anyone who loves nature and likes to walk or hike. There are lots of trail options for short or longer walks. The birds and other animals (I've seen foxes, turtles, raccoons and obviously lots of deer) are plentiful as are the many species of plants and trees. Make sure to where bug repellent and to check yourself for ticks after. And also don't miss their annual benefit in July which is always a spectacular night and a fun fundraiser for this very...

Great place for people who want nice water views, flat terrain, and a couple of varying length trails. We did the entire 9 miles in about 3 hours, at a reasonable pace with only short water breaks. The one major word of caution is TICKS. I checked myself at our first stop after about an hour's drive and found OVER A DOZEN TICKS! Once I got home and checked more closely, I found over a dozen more! This is with wearing high socks, long pants, and staying on the trail. Enjoy the hike, but please be very careful to check very throughly for ticks after leaving...

Absolutely stunning nature walk! Saw a lot of wildlife along the way :) However, it was abounding in ticks. Even while constantly staying on the main path, I had to during our ca. 8 mile walk, brush off at least 40 ticks. And at home while checking myself I had 4 more crawling on me. (I wore long pants, which is probably why I didn't notice them - my friends wore shorts, and while brushing several off during the walk, none of them could find any on them once checking back home). So bring repellent! And wear shorts, do you can spot any ticks crawling...