By lirunning.com - The following was written by Bob Nugent, a former nationally ranked distance runner who used to live in the Hamptons (an upscale vacation spot for New Yorkers located on Long Island). This is truly one of the most idyllic places to go for a run. Fortunately, it is east of the area where the August 1995 fires occured. Directions: take Sunrise Highway to exit 65. Go South on Route 24 to Montauk Highway. One mile west is the entrance to Munn's Pond (if closed, park at lot 0.25 mile south of entrance). The area is owned by the Suffolk County Parks Department. Many hiking trails criss-cross the Sears-Bellows Parkland, all are worthy of exploration. Head north from Munn's Pond sand parking lot and onto the heaviest sand encountered on the run. The mixed oak and pitch-pine forest supports a large amount of wildlife, all of whom make their way across the trail to drink and feed at Munn's Pond. While on the opening stages of the trail always bear left. Unique to this run is a series of tunnels running under Sunrise Highway 0.5 to 0.75 miles into the run. You are running in the intermediate zone between the terminal moraine and the outwash plain - the furthest southern reach of the last great glacier. You will be running up and over both sides of the terminal moraine. However, this is the lowest elevation the morraine reaches on Long Island. Continue across a fire trail/power line into Sears-Bellows Park. When you hit pavement you are one mile into the run. Cross the parking area, keeping the lake on the left. The trail is very seldom open for auto traffic, and I've never seen a single car in ten years of running. Horses and interesting horse-drawn carriages may be present in the fall. Relax, they move slowly. As you move along the trail/road the forest alternates from open to brushy. Wood grouse, turtles and an occasional deer can be spotted along the trail as it rolls past Bellows Pond. One mile from the entrance to this trail, the road rises and swings left or southwest. Continue right heading north on an old fire trail. Duck under the barrier and enjoy the next 0.75 mile of a particularly pristine path. Several kinds of lichen and heather grow throughout. Because lichens do not grow in polluted air, their presence may attest to clean atmosphere 80 miles east of New York City. The trail intersects Route 24, a fairly busy road, 60 yards west of the famous "Big Duck" (a well-known Long Island landmark). Be careful crossing directly across the road. Now marks 1.5 miles of gradual downhill running into Flanders Bay. The narrow road to Penny Pond winds through a mixed-oak and pitch-pine forest. In summer, ferns abound. The fine gravel sparkles on sunny fall days. The soil is slightly richer than the the poorest Long Island grapes. Here black, white and scarlet oaks prevail. Through the heaths, pass the ranger house. Continue under the metal barrier and follow the main trail. Penny Pond is an unspoiled representative of a kettle pond left on Long Island by small chunks of glacial ice melting in depressions. The pond is shallow and sandy and is populated by large-mouth bass, pumpkinseed and pickerel. Deer are abundant here as well. Continue on the trail down to the marsh. Hubbard Creek Marsh is a classic example of the transition from pine-oak upland to salt-marsh. Cruising through the pines, you suddenly are out onto the salt marsh surrounded by sea lavender and salt-meadow cordgrass. Look for the osprey stands erected by the county to the left. Twenty-five feet in the air, these platforms are intended to increasee the osprey (eagle family) population. Look out for red fox, sea turtles and deer on the marsh, particularly at sun-up and sun-down. Continue to the water and take in the view. That is Aqueboque across the bay, Flanders to your west and Red Cedar Point just east. If you miss any sights on the way out, don't worry - you will be retracing your steps on the way back! Distance: 7.75-8 miles; flat to slightly graded - out and back - sand hard-packed (except soft in one section). P.S. - Flies can be bad in early summer. Beware of deer season.

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