A few days ago, I decided I wanted to take Caden, my 8-year-old golden retriever/german shepherd mix, to the beach. It was a very warm day, so I thought it would be nice to walk her at a shady park rather than around the neighborhood. My parents introduced me to this cool dog park a few years ago, and it is the perfect spot for dogs to explore! Caden enjoys going to this dog park, especially since the main attraction is a beach that is meant for dogs.
Location
The name of this park is Gardiner County Park, and it is located in Bay Shore. It is located off of Montauk Highway, so it can be a little tricky to find if it is your first time going there. However, you will be happy you made the trip once your dog's face lights up as you begin to explore the park.
The Park
As I mentioned, the park does attract a large amount of dogs since it is primarily a dog park. However, there are many trails for everyone to walk and bike. While there, you will run into hundreds of dogs (no exaggeration!), especially if it is a nice day. Caden always meets a ton of new dogs! However, If you do not want to see as many people/dogs, I recommend going later in the afternoon when it is not as crowded. The part I enjoy the most about this park is the way the paths are set up. If you follow the main path from the parking lot, it will lead you directly to the beach. All you have to do is continue to walk straight (for about 15-20 minutes) and you will run straight into the beach. It looks cool since from the start you are able to see the beach in the distance and a hint of water.
Hiking Trails
While many people do just follow the primary path that leads to the beach, there are many other side trails. Personally, I do not like to walk Caden too far into the other trails since I am unsure where all of them lead to, but we do explore some of the shorter ones. One of my favorite trails, besides the beach path of course, is the one that loops around a pond, which is located at the beginning of the beach path. We like to take this alternative route back to the car on our way back from the beach. These paths tend to attract less of a crowd than the main one, so make sure you keep track as to where you are!
The Main Attraction
Obviously, based on the blog title and the one trail I keep mentioning, the beach located in this park is the main feature. When I first started bringing Caden to this park when she was younger, the beach area was a lot larger. Unfortunately, it has become smaller over the years, but it is still a great spot for dogs to enjoy the water. Additionally, although the park can be crowded at times, the beach area does not get overcrowded since while the distance to the water has shortened, it is a pretty long area that dogs can explore. From the beach, you also have a nice view of the bridge that leads to Robert Moses, as well as the lighthouse.
This is one of Caden's favorite parks to explore, and I am sure your own dog would love this park, too! Gardiner Park is often not as well known as other dog parks, but once you are aware of it, it is definitely one of the best dog parks on Long Island!
Many more posts to come(:
~Ashley
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