Gary Nickerson
November 26, 2006

This weekend, Carol and I took a little day trip to Brookhaven, NY to the Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge (WNWR), http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=52561, and stopped at nearby Glacier Bay Sports,http://www.glacierbaysports.com/index.php, to inquire about kayaking on the Carmans River. I last canoed the Carmans in the early nineties and thought it would be a great place to take kids.  The Carmans is one of four Long Island rivers and runs from Yaphank to the Great South Bay, about 10 miles.  It offers lovely, easy canoeing and kayaking. I loved it because you can get there by train. We went to see what kind of trip the wildlife refuge and river might make for our kids.

The Wertheim refuge is“the largest contiguous wetland on Long Island”and “supports wintering and nesting waterfowl and breeding Neo-tropical migrants, and protects the Carmans River Estuary.”  The original parcel was given in 1947 by Cecil and Maurice Wertheim who had maintained it as a preserve for private hunting.  Additional parcels were acquired or donated, so the entire river is surrounded by undeveloped land.

The Carmans River starts at the north end of Suffolk County’s South Haven Park and runs south through it and Wertheim into Bellport Bay.  There is no adjacent private property along its course, although it does cross under Sunrise and Montauk Highways,and the Long Island Railroad.  The river starts in forest and then runs through mostly tidal marsh areas.  It is separated by a dam above Sunrise Highway into an upper and lower part.  Unfortunately,according to the manager at Glacier Bay Sports someone had dumped an aquarium in to the upper river, which is now overrun by an invasive plant species that makes paddling very difficult.  That still leaves about five miles from the dam to the bay for paddling.

The area itself is in the Long Island Pine Barrens – so named by early settlers because of the abundance of pines and their inability to grow crops in the sandy soil.  The Wertheim NWR has two trails, one of which heads out from the office.  It is a flat trail – typical of the terrain –through a hardwood forest at the north and, after a transition, a typical pine forest in the south.  The water side is atypical tidal marsh.  The trail is marked with numbers keyed to explanations in a pamphlet available at its start.  There are a couple of blinds and an observation platform over the marsh.  The main trail is about 3 miles long and took Carol and me less than an hour an a half to walk.  A second trail, located further south in the park appears to be accessible only by boat.

This is potentially a great “multisport” opportunity, especially for elementary and middle schoolers.  You can paddle from the Glacier Bay Sports store put in, a little below the dam, down through the salt marsh area and then back in the morning.  The refuge is then a couple of minutes by car from the shop and has picnic tables near the office that are good for lunch.  The nature trail can provide a nice afternoon walk.

Wertheim is right on the Atlantic flyway for migrating birds, so spring and fall are ideal times to visit.  Besides the migrating birds, there are a number of native species.  In addition,the refuge is home to gray squirrels, muskrat, eastern moles, white-tail deer,and red fox.  Look for signs.

How to get there:  Take the Long Island Expressway to Exit 68 to the William Floyd Parkway (CR 46) south for several miles.  At Montauk Highway (CR 80), turn right and go about one mile.  For Wertheim NWR, turn left on Smith Road and go about ¼ mile to the entrance on your right. To get to Glacier Bay Sports, stay on Montauk Highway, crossing the small bridge over the Carmans River; it is immediately on your right.

Wertheim is open 8:00AM to 4:30 PM (gate closes); trail hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Dana, the manager at Glacier Bay, quoted the following (2006) rates.

Note:  Since you are renting the boats without guides, a concessionaire agreement is not required.

Safety: All locations on this trip are within cell phone and 911 range in calling for help.

Other Resources:

Friends of Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge: http://www.friendsofwertheim.org/index.html

Quiet Water New York: Canoe and Kayak Guide, Hayes, John and Alex Wilson, (Appalachian Mountain Club, Boston, MA.2007), pp. 18-21.

The Carmans River Story A Natural and Human History, Borg, Pamela and Elizabeth Shreeve (1974), 47 pp. +bibliography and appendix.  (I have a copy that I will lend to anyone who is interested.)