Call (631) 444-0273 for a free permit to hike on DEC managed land; call Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference (631) 360-0753 for a map of the Central and Eastern Pine Barrens and Lee McAllisters book, Hiking Long Island.  There is a seemingly endless choice of routes through this vast expanse of protected land in the Pine Barrens Core Preservation Area. You will wish to visit all the varied habitats, ranging from dry stands of pine to moist deciduous woodlands with streams, ponds, lakes, and marshlands

The Red Loop is a trail of moderate difficulty.  Bring a map and compass the first time you walk it.  Looking at the LIGTC map, you will see that there are several ways to access this trail.  I park in the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation parking lot located on CR 104, 2 miles south of the Riverhead roundabout, between CR 105 to the north and CR 31 to the south is an excellent place to access the trails that run through the Pine Barrens. It has several kiosks with maps and ecological information.  These maps don’t show the Paumanok Path; this can be confusing.  This parking area is quite visible, so I feel secure in leaving my car there.

The easiest way to access the Red Loop from this parking area is to follow the yellow DEC trail west and then north.  The Red Loop can be followed in either direction.  Remnants of the RCA radio tower fields with the giant wooden poles, concrete footings, and cables, compete with views of Wildwood Lake, carpets of bearberries, wintergreen, reindeer moss, and dense woodlands.  The Red Loop is approximately 6 miles; the yellow access trail about 1 mile. Access closer to the loop is on CR 63; 0.2 mile south of the Riverhead Circle.  With a map of this area it is easy to plan a number of hikes in any direction.