Paumanok Path - Section 1 - Rocky Point, NY

Where: Paumanok Path Beginning Point at Rocky Point ( Section 1 of links below)
Mileage: 8.37 one way, 16.75 out and back
Difficulty: Moderate for length, Terrain easy
Scenes: Lots of Mushrooms, a Neon Caterpillar

Everything must have a beginning and here we start at the beginning of the 125 mile Paumanok Path on eastern Long Island. Are you excited? We will traverse a wide range of terrain over the course of the next few weeks varying from wooded forests of pines and sporadic ponds to the sandy dunes that lead to the Montauk Lighthouse.

I can't mention the Paumanok Path and not mention Stephen Talkhouse...  (who was famed for his 25-50 mile daily round trip walks from Montauk, New York to East Hampton and Sag Harbor)

This post covers the majority of the first section of the Paumanok Path up until you reach the William Floyd Parkway. The main reason I decided to stop there is that I did not want to dart across the busy parkway. We will continue on from there in another post.

This is the first time I hiked this part. The parking lot is easy to miss off 25A as it is a small dirt road. Look for it carefully. As it is fall, the trail rewarded with pleasant views of foliage peeping through. I will post a few photos below and then a video to follow. Videos are a learning process so far and will be posted on my Vimeo account. Hope you enjoy.

Not sure...is it 110 or 125 miles?

My camera ran out of battery when I came across this magnificent caterpillar. It was bright neon green and at first I thought someone dropped a glow stick on the trail but it was a caterpillar trudging along. This is what it looked like since I am not able to provide a photo: Polyphemus Moth  It is lime green with red dots. Beautiful and unique.

Video of the hike can be found below:

http://vimeo.com/111382459

Music used is by Laura Stevenson

Links:

Trail Info

Map