Kings Park: Sunken Meadows State Park & Multi-Use Path

There are some lovely spots for running in Kings Park, a train-served hamlet in Suffolk County on Long Island’s North Shore.

Sunken Meadows State Park is the highlight of running in Kings Park. The park features wonderful views of Long Island Sound, a beach (not very runnable), several fields and lawn areas, and numerous trails. For running, the most stunning is the 3/4 mile Boardwalk Trail, which runs alongside the beach and has great views. In the interior, there are several miles of trails of varying surfaces and levels of difficulty. We recommend the 1-mile Bridle Trail and the 1.3 mile Wetland Trail. One can also enjoy some of the fields and lawns.  TRAIL MAP

Kings Park Hike & Bike Trail. This paved multi-use path follows an old spur of the Long Island Railroad for 1.5 miles from the center of Kings Park to Nissequogue River State Park. The southern trailhead is near the train station in the center of Kings Park. At the northern end, you can enjoy some paths in Nissequogue River State Park, with nearby access to the Bridle Path trail in Sunken Meadows State Park. For a loop, you can return on Kings Park Blvd., which has a wide median. Note: half the trail is downhill, the other half is uphill.  ROUTE MAP

Neighborhood Running. There are some pleasant, quiet streets in the Kings Park area for running. We enjoy some of the older side streets in the center. There are also pleasant, quiet streets in the area east of the High School and north of Rt. 25A.