This is a nice, wooded off-road run through several parks and around two lakes in Babylon, a Suffolk County community near Islip and the Great South Bay Bridge. The paths are a combination of paved and well-groomed dirt, heading through Belmont Lake State Park, Southards Pond Park, and Argyle Park. The full out and back route is 8 miles, including the ~1.5 mile loop around Belmont Lake and the 0.8 mile loop around Argyle Lake. It’s mainly wooded, with a few open areas and some lake views — depending on foliage. Keep an eye out for cyclists and horseback riders!
Photo: Karen Bock-Losee
The north end starts at Belmont Lake Park, off August Rd. Head south, under the Southern State Pkwy., and continuing on the path along the Carlls River. The path goes under the Sunrise Highway into Southards Pond Park, continuing south for 1.5 miles into Argyle Park. Do a loop around the lake and then return north.
Our thanks to Karen Bock-Losee for her help with this route!
This is a nice, wooded off-road run through several parks and around two lakes in Babylon, a Suffolk County community near Islip and the Great South Bay Bridge. The paths are a combination of paved and well-groomed dirt, heading through Belmont Lake State Park, Southards Pond Park, and Argyle Park. The full out and back route is 8 miles, including the ~1.5 mile loop around Belmont Lake and the 0.8 mile loop around Argyle Lake. It’s mainly wooded, with a few open areas and some lake views — depending on foliage. Keep an eye out for cyclists and horseback riders!
Photo: Karen Bock-Losee
The north end starts at Belmont Lake Park, off August Rd. Head south, under the Southern State Pkwy., and continuing on the path along the Carlls River. The path goes under the Sunrise Highway into Southards Pond Park, continuing south for 1.5 miles into Argyle Park. Do a loop around the lake and then return north.
Our thanks to Karen Bock-Losee for her help with this route!
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Essentials
Full route is 8 miles (13 km), including the two lake loops
107 feet (32m)
North End: Belmont Lake State Park. Can also join at other points along the route
Parking access: Abundant lot in the Belmont Park HQ off Belmont Ave; on Park Avenue in Babylon at Southards Pond Park; and a small parking lot at the southern end of Argyle Park.
Hempstead Lake State Park is a great spot for running, with scenic trails around the namesake lake and three ponds. Trail runners will enjoy the 3-mile Bridle Path around the lake. There's also a paved, 2.4-mile bike path.
Wonderful beach and boardwalk running. At Long Beach, a festive boardwalk runs for 2.2 miles along the beach. At Jones Beach, there are miles of running, including the Jones Boardwalk and two longer multi-use paths. Beach also runnable.
Eisenhower Park is one of the larger parks on Long Island and has numerous fitness/recreational facilities, including 3-4 miles of jogging trails. There's attractive residential running near Westbury Ctr., in Old Westbury, and some sections of Roslyn.
Run the lawns of the former Guggenheim estate in Sands Point Preserve, or enjoy pleasant residential neighborhood running near the Port Washington train station and around the Plandome/Manhasset neighborhoods.
Oyster Bay is one of the prettiest spots on Long Island. For a lovely waterfront run, use W Shore Rd. to West Harbor Beach Memorial Park. Great views and a decent sidewalk. We also love running on Cove Neck Rd. to the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site.
Run a section of Long Island's longest paved multi-use trail, which passes through several parks and wetlands preserves. The 11.3 mile path runs between Plainview/Old Bethpage and Massapequa. Additional paths and trails in the parks.
Pleasant running in the Great River/East Islip area. Heckscher State Park has 4 miles of paved, multi-use trails, and with excellent bay views. Also, nice running on the pleasant residential streets and the trails in Bayard Cutting Arboretum.
3,400 acre preserve features 50+ miles of trails, with something for runners of all abilities. It's at the midway point of Long Island, between the Sunrise Highway and the L.I. Expressway. Five color-coated trails. More trail running than road running.
The mainly residential town of Smithtown has some pleasant running. Several miles of wooded trails in Blydenburgh County Park and Caleb Smith State Park. The leafy residential streets west of the parks are quiet and good for running.
The highlights of running in Kings County are Sunken Meadows State Park, which has an attractive Boardwalk Trail with views of Long Island Sound and some nice interior trails; the 1.5 mile Kings Park Hike & Bike Trail; and some nice neighborhood streets.
Southhaven County Park has some narrow, wooded paths that are good for trail running. A good road running option is the separated bike lane on River Rd. (2.6 miles). The Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge has some pretty trails for running.
On Long Island's North Fork, there's pretty running in the seaport village of Greenport. Explore the attractive residential side streets, and then out to Youngs Point. Also nice running on country roads in Orient, past farms and vineyards.
Our dedicated Hamptons Running Guide features 1-2 iconic routes in each of the major towns, from west to east: Westhampton, Southampton, Bridgehampton, East Hampton, and Montauk. Includes Fire Island.
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Essentials
Full route is 8 miles (13 km), including the two lake loops
107 feet (32m)
North End: Belmont Lake State Park. Can also join at other points along the route
Parking access: Abundant lot in the Belmont Park HQ off Belmont Ave; on Park Avenue in Babylon at Southards Pond Park; and a small parking lot at the southern end of Argyle Park.
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Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!