For an enjoyable 6-mile hike take the following route: From the Sarnoff CR 104 parking area, follow the white rectangular-painted blazes of the Paumanok Path west.  Cross the DEC yellow trail.  If you turn left here, you visit the dwarf pines; a right will take you up to the NYSDEC red loop trail.  The destination is the red loop, but first continue west on the Paumanok Path to Wildwood Lake.  After one mile, turn right (north) onto an unmarked dirt, woods road that after about 100 yards leads to Wildwood Lake.  This is a good place to rest, snack, and enjoy the view. This same much worn illegal ATV trail will take us north to the DEC red loop trail.  When we intersect the DEC red-blazed-loop trail, you can turn right and walking through the wetlands surrounding Wildwood Lake (where the trails are badly overgrown), instead continue straight ahead, following the trail as it turns eastward.  On this magnificent trail you will encounter remnants of the RCA radio tower fields with the giant wooden poles, concrete footings, and cables, along with carpets of bearberry, wintergreen, reindeer moss, and dense woodlands. This trail is very well-blazed now despite incessant vandalism of the plastic, round, DEC blazes.  John will then follow the red blazes right (south) to the DEC yellow trail.  All DEC access trails are marked in yellow.  We will follow this trail back to the parking area.

An access permit is required for activities on NYSDEC managed lands on Long Island.  If you wish to preview this 6-mile walk through the Pine Barrens on your own, the permit is free and valid for three years (call 631-444-0273). The Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference (631) 360-0753 is in the process of printing an updated version of the map produced by Larry Paul, of the Central and Eastern Pine Barrens. Lee McAllister’s book, Hiking Long Island is another excellent resource for exploring this preserve.