An Adventure Traveler's Guide To Long Island

Only a short train ride away from New York City, Long Island is famous for its scenic beaches and green spaces. It offers plenty of opportunities for beachside camping, all-level hiking, and non-traditional sports, such as polo and stand-up paddleboarding. Here is our adventure traveler’s guide to having fun outdoors on Long Island.

Beachside camping

Campers no longer have to head upstate to connect with New York’s great outdoors. For beachside camping, the 155-acre Nickerson Beach Park on Long Island’s South Shore offers Atlantic Ocean views on a campground equipped with both water and electricity. Further east, outdoorsy types will find the Eastern Long Island Kampground and its standout amenities including laundry, Wi-Fi, and an on-site store.

Learn to surf

Mashomack Preserve

Despite being located only 90 miles from New York City, Mashomack Preserve may as well be a different country. The 2,100-acre area on Shelter Island comprises diverse habitats, including 10 miles of coastline, wildlife, and salt marshes. The “Jewel of the Peconic” occupies nearly one-third of Shelter Island, and hiking it will occupy a full day.

All-level hiking

For hikers doing it for the ‘gram (no judgement!) or those traveling with underage adventurers, there’s the Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge, known for its rare-bird-watching (the “threatened” species piping plovers arrive between mid-March and early April. Similarly, in terms of required skill level, the Walking Dunes Trail in Hither Hills State Park comprises shifting sand dunes hidden between Long Island’s Montauk and Amagansett.

Try your hand at a non-traditional sport

Recently, paddleboarding has emerged as a popular, if unlikely, sport among celebrities and Hamptons athletes. Open-minded adventurers can join the ranks of both when they enroll in a stand-up paddleboarding class. Women should turn to the East Hamptons’ acclaimed Paddle Diva, while everyone is welcome to learn at Main Beach Surf & Sport.

Play polo

If athletes find themselves in the Hamptons—you knew this was coming—that means it’s time to play polo. Southampton Hunt & Polo Club is one of the largest polo clubs in America and is the perfect place for beginners and experienced players alike to ride their way to victory. Adventurers can take classes in this surprisingly challenging sport or attend matches here.

Do yoga on a vineyard

Blame it on the Hamptons: Long Island athletes can’t resist making sweating a scene. Visitors can expect as much at Yoga in the Vines, a summer series hosted by Wölffer Estate Vineyard. At these morning and evening classes, yogis can detox outdoors on the 55-acre vineyard – with the option to re-tox in its winery afterward, of course.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.