Caleb Smith State Park Reserve — Attraction in Town of Smithtown

SEVERE TICK WARNING: Today my daughters went for a walk at Caleb Smith State Park on the walking trails. They were walking for less than 30min and stayed on the manicured walking trails (mostly paved). When they got into the car to come home, my youngest noticed a tick crawling up her leg. They did full body checks when they got home just to be safe and lost count at 50 ticks on them! Most of the ticks were larvae (recent hatchlings about the size of a poppy seed and unable to spread Lymes disease) but they had multiple nymph ticks ("teenager" ticks which have had 1 blood meal and can spread Lymes). This is outrageous! The park posted 1 tick warning sign for walkers, but what does that matter if the park is still open while being INFESTED and isn't doing anything about it?!

My advise - contact your local representatives and demand proper tick control (bio control like the introduction of guinea foul and other natural "tick-eaters"; chemical control like the spraying of specialized insecticides). Caleb Smith State Park is not unique and many of our loved ones and neighbors are suffering from the transmission of Lymes disease from deer ticks all over the island. Lymes disease ruins lives and causes life long debilitating symptoms for out children, pets, and selves. Long Island is an epicenter - this need to...

Went to the southern part. Was a little unclear where we are allowed and where we aren't. I guess on days it's closed, which it was open on my visit according to the sign by the gate, it's still used as part of the trail system. So I wasn't sure if we or the other 6 or so people there were actually allowed past the greenbelt trail sections. The main gate was closed and says you need permission for access. But I didn't see if that meant just for cars or for walkers that came in through the open gate.

Pleasant walk though. A few smaller ponds a lot of which are set up for fishing, so during that season I probably wouldn't visit. But a nice mix of wildlife given the time of year. Various insects, geese, swans, turtles, turkey vulture, goldfinch, flycatchers, deer etc. The fishing area was swarming with gnat and annoying flying insects. Great for me as I was looking to photograph birds, which were attracted to the bugs as much as the bugs were attracted to me. Many others might want to avoid the area at this time of the year. The north side of the park is less isolated despite being much larger. It's a very easy walk with week groomed trails. Overall a wonderful park for...

Nice park for a hike and spending time with kids. Nestled in the heart of Smithtown, it allows visitors to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy the peaceful serenity of nature.

Children, 15 and under, can fish on Willow Pond from April 1st to October 31st. Also, Fly fishing on the Nissequogue River is available from April 1st to October 15th (NYS freshwater fishing license and reservations required). You can take fishing lessons too. Bikes are not allowed in the park.

The Nature Museum showcases natural history exhibits including a Great Blue Heron, Red Fox, Flying Squirrel and a River Otter. You can get a park map from there.

The color-coded hiking trails in the park are challenging for first-time visitors as they converge in some areas, displaying multiple colors and directions. To improve navigation, each hiking section in each part of the park should have a designated color and separate colors for...