On Monday afternoon I went to the Wertheim Refuge in Shirley,NY. It is located where the Carmans River empties into the Great South Bay. The preserve features miles of woods roads to walk on, and combines upland oak/pine forest with wetlands. Through the woods I saw deer were running around, alot more bucks than I usually see, due to the "rut" activity.
Anyway, I entered on Old Barto road, a paved road that turns into a woods road.
The woods here seem quite old, and remind me in a spooky way of what the JD's birthplace looked like in the photos I saw. There's also a lack of undergrowth, due to frequent prescribed burns here.
The Carmans River empties out into the Great South Bay and many reeds grow in the estuary. As you reach the end of Old Barto road, a peek through the woods reveals this.
A good view is hard to find. I had to go down a small slope at the waters edge to get this photo!
Anyway I felt like I was being "watched" the whole time I was there.
No, it wasn't the JD. As I was walking back I NYS DEC park police vehicle stopped me. The officers asked me what I was doing there. I said I was coming back from visiting the estuary. Anyway, the guys said I wasn't supposed to be in there. Seeing that they were from the DEC, I said I have a DEC permit. But they said that these were "federal preserve lands and no one is ever allowed in there". I asked them about the parked cars that I saw in a clearing. They said they were hunters and that they are only allowed in for a few days a year (I thought it was supposed to be a REFUGE??).
Anyway they asked for ID, and I was a little worried that I'd be arrested or fined or something. But the "rangers" were nice about it, and said that I must have been confused since hiking is allowed in the part of the preserve on the east side of the river. I apologized for my mistake, but there I mentioned to them that neither my book "Hiking Long Island" or the Wertheim website itself, noted that a large portion of the preserve is off limits. They said there was a sign stating it at the old Barto road entrance. I looked for it on my way out, the sign is small and in the woods, it states " Werthiem National Wildlife Refuge..unauthorized entry prohibited". I have seen some signs like that before on some county lands, again, in the woods, not on the paths, maybe I thought it applied to bushwacking. Anyway if they are so strict about keeping ppl from this beautiful place, they should put a sign at the woods road entrance saying in bold orange letters "NO TRESSPASSING....FEDERAL LANDS".
Anyway, I'm glad I at least managed to get there one more time (I was there before...no one stopped me). I guess maybe I need to go to the NJ Pines....New York is like one big police state.
You guys in NJ are lucky. Enjoy it!
Anyway, I entered on Old Barto road, a paved road that turns into a woods road.
The woods here seem quite old, and remind me in a spooky way of what the JD's birthplace looked like in the photos I saw. There's also a lack of undergrowth, due to frequent prescribed burns here.
The Carmans River empties out into the Great South Bay and many reeds grow in the estuary. As you reach the end of Old Barto road, a peek through the woods reveals this.
A good view is hard to find. I had to go down a small slope at the waters edge to get this photo!
Anyway I felt like I was being "watched" the whole time I was there.
No, it wasn't the JD. As I was walking back I NYS DEC park police vehicle stopped me. The officers asked me what I was doing there. I said I was coming back from visiting the estuary. Anyway, the guys said I wasn't supposed to be in there. Seeing that they were from the DEC, I said I have a DEC permit. But they said that these were "federal preserve lands and no one is ever allowed in there". I asked them about the parked cars that I saw in a clearing. They said they were hunters and that they are only allowed in for a few days a year (I thought it was supposed to be a REFUGE??).
Anyway they asked for ID, and I was a little worried that I'd be arrested or fined or something. But the "rangers" were nice about it, and said that I must have been confused since hiking is allowed in the part of the preserve on the east side of the river. I apologized for my mistake, but there I mentioned to them that neither my book "Hiking Long Island" or the Wertheim website itself, noted that a large portion of the preserve is off limits. They said there was a sign stating it at the old Barto road entrance. I looked for it on my way out, the sign is small and in the woods, it states " Werthiem National Wildlife Refuge..unauthorized entry prohibited". I have seen some signs like that before on some county lands, again, in the woods, not on the paths, maybe I thought it applied to bushwacking. Anyway if they are so strict about keeping ppl from this beautiful place, they should put a sign at the woods road entrance saying in bold orange letters "NO TRESSPASSING....FEDERAL LANDS".
Anyway, I'm glad I at least managed to get there one more time (I was there before...no one stopped me). I guess maybe I need to go to the NJ Pines....New York is like one big police state.
You guys in NJ are lucky. Enjoy it!
