Join us for a guided walk through Big Reed Woods to discover the beauty of spring ephemerals—wild geraniums, wood anemones, trout lilies, jack-in-the-pulpit, marsh violets, all framed among unfurling native ferns. The Big Reed area, a highlight of the 1,100-acre Montauk County Park, is home to many rare and unique plant species. Our hike will take us through sensitive ecological communities, with a stop at Big Reed Pond, a pristine 57-acre coastal plain pond. This area also holds historical significance as the last ancestral home of the Montaukett tribe. Be sure to bring your binoculars! With spring migration in full swing, we’ll be on the lookout for remarkable species, including Scarlet Tanagers, Great Crested Flycatchers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, warblers, vireos, and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.
Directions:
Take route 27 Montauk Highway east through the Hamptons into Montauk. Pass straight through town continuing east toward the lighthouse ~4 miles turn left (north) onto East Lake Drive, follow ~2 miles north, see the sign for the Big Reed Nature Area on right, follow up a short dirt drive into the parking lot. If you come to the airport you’ve gone too far.
Special instructions:
Tick precautions, sturdy boots and binoculars are recommended. Plan to bring water, lunch and/or a snack. Note there are no bathrooms in the park, so allow for time to stop in downtown Montauk beforehand and find one of the public bathrooms in town (Kirk Park ball field, one behind Fort Pond Native Nursery, one attached to the Montauk Police sub-station, one before Gosman’s Dock, also a couple at the public beaches).
Trip Leaders: Victoria Bustamante & Ed Johann
Third House Nature Center, Inc.
Email/contact info: vickibustamante@gmail.com, (631) 747-8273
