8-18-2026 8:32am

HIDDEN GEMS ON LONG ISLAND YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT

Samantha Hespos Editor

By Samantha Vogel | Long Island Daily News

Living on Long Island, it’s easy to think we’ve seen everything our Island has to offer.

We know the beaches. We know Montauk. We know Jones Beach, the Hamptons and many of the attractions that bring visitors here every summer.

But tucked between our busy roads, neighborhoods and downtowns are some incredible places that even longtime Long Islanders may have never explored.

Here are a few worth putting on your list.

🌳 Tackapausha Museum & Preserve — Seaford

Hidden in the middle of the busy South Shore is an 84-acre nature sanctuary filled with oak forests, ponds, streams and wildlife.

With approximately five miles of trails, Tackapausha offers a peaceful escape without having to travel far from home. There’s also a museum featuring exhibits about Long Island ecology, animals and interactive activities for children.

It’s the kind of place that makes you forget you’re in the middle of Nassau County.

🪨 Garvies Point Museum & Preserve — Glen Cove

Part museum, part nature adventure, Garvies Point is one of those Long Island destinations that deserves more attention.

The preserve features woodlands, meadows, ponds and shoreline along Hempstead Harbor, while the museum explores Long Island’s geology and archaeology.

Visitors can learn about rocks, minerals, fossils, Long Island’s glacial history and the Indigenous peoples who lived here long before us.

🌊 Long Island Maritime Museum — West Sayville

Long Island’s relationship with the water is a huge part of our history, and this waterfront museum tells that story.

Located along the Great South Bay, the museum explores Long Island’s maritime heritage, including shellfishing, boatbuilding, shipwrecks and lifesaving history.

Rather than being contained inside one building, the property feels more like a small historic waterfront campus.

🌿 Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge — Shirley

Sometimes you don’t need to leave Long Island to feel like you’ve escaped from it.

The wildlife refuge in Shirley offers nature trails and opportunities to experience some of the wildlife and ecosystems that still exist right here in Suffolk County.

There’s also a visitor center with interactive exhibits about Long Island’s environment.

It’s an especially nice destination for families, photographers, birdwatchers and anyone who simply wants a peaceful walk surrounded by nature.

🌲 The Sunken Forest — Fire Island

Yes, everyone knows Fire Island.

But not everyone knows what’s hiding within it.

The Sunken Forest is a rare maritime holly forest located near Sailors Haven. Protected by the surrounding dunes, the forest creates an environment that feels completely different from the beaches most people associate with Fire Island.

It’s one of those places that reminds you just how geographically diverse Long Island really is.

🌅 Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve — Lloyd Harbor

History, nature and incredible North Shore scenery come together at Caumsett.

The sprawling former estate features meadows, woodlands, historic buildings, trails and shoreline along Long Island Sound.

It’s a beautiful destination for walking, biking, birdwatching, photography or simply spending a quiet afternoon outside.

Long Island is much more than beaches, traffic and shopping centers.

There are historic properties, wildlife refuges, forests, museums, trails and waterfront treasures hiding throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Sometimes the best adventure isn’t hundreds of miles away.

Sometimes it’s sitting in your own backyard waiting to be discovered. ❤️📍

📰 LONG ISLAND DAILY NEWS WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU!

What’s a Long Island hidden gem that you think more people should know about?

A tiny park?
A beautiful trail?
A family-owned shop?
A historic location?
A restaurant tucked away somewhere unexpected?