SOUTHAVEN COUNTY PARK
Victory Avenue, Brookhaven, Suffolk County, Long Island, NY
1,336 acres
Directions:
From Sunrise Hwy, take exit 58 north. As you enter Wm. Floyd Parkway, prepare to turn west onto Victory Ave. Follow signs to main entrance to park.
History:
1844 -- the Long Island Rail Road constructed a bridge over the Carmens River.
1800s -- the area was the exclusive sportsmen's club known as the Suffolk Club. Founded in 1858 by August Belmont. Plans afoot to restore the circa 1810 Hard-Homan House located on Yaphank Road in the northern portion of the park.
Daniel Webster caught a 14 pound brook trout in the Carmans River just south of today's Montauk Highway.
early 1900s -- purchased by Anson W. Hard to be used as a hunting and fishing lodge, later known as the Suffolk Lodge Game Preserve. Plans to restore the circa 1920 Anson Hard Estate located in the southern portion of the park.
first park opened by Suffolk County
Habitats:
The Carmens River flows through this scenic, pitch pine-scarlet oak forested park with some red maple and white oak.
Facilities and Activities:
Hiking, camping, picnicking, freshwater fishing, rowboat rentals, shooting range, canoeing, hunting, bridle paths, and an Equestrian Center.
Southaven is the most popular picnicking site, with group areas capable of accommodating up to 1,000 people. Southaven's 1,356 acres also support a trap and skeet shooting range, equestrian center and bicycle hostel. Boating and freshwater fishing are permitted. Camping is very popular in this beautiful park, with sites for tents and trailers.
PLANTS:
some of the islands in Carmen's River contain
Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
other plants:
Nyssa sylvatica (tupelo) -- south of the railroad trestle are trees about 150-200 years old (LIBS Newsletter, Winter 2004, Vol. 14, No. 1.)
Caltha palustris (marsh marigold)
Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower)
Medeola virginiana (Indian cucumber-root)
Trientalis borealis (starflower)
Viola cucullata (marsh blue violet)