7,000 guided hikes hosted by Greenbelt Trail Conference

The Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference has now hosted 7,000 guided hikes since its formation 45 years ago. 

The Trail Conference is a volunteer nonprofit organization that established Long Island’s first long distance hiking trails. 

The trails include the Long Island Greenbelt Trail, 32 miles from Heckscher State Park to Sunken Meadow State Park; the Nassau-Suffolk Trail, 22 miles from Massapequa to Cold Spring Harbor; and the Long Island Pine Barrens Trail, part of the 125 mile Paumanok Path. 

Other trails include the Wantagh Nature Trail, the Walt Whitman Trail, and the Ray Corwin Trail. The 7,000-hike milestone has been accomplished with long-term partnerships with many agencies including the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and Suffolk County and Nassau County governments

Guided hikes are offered to Greenbelt members and the public every weekend and on many weekdays. The hikes are offered throughout the year and are free to all participants.

“We are very proud of this accomplishment and the dedication of our volunteers and members to the continuation of the Greenbelt trails and to the protection of the environment,” David Reisfield, Greenbelt president, said in an organization statement.

Nancy Manfredonia, a founder of the group and longtime board member, said: “It’s wonderful that so many thousands of hikers have discovered the beauty and history of our amazing Island on our Greenbelt Trails.”

For more information visit: ligreenbelt.org