Natural Areas of the South Shore of Long Island

Twin Lakes Preserve
(Bellmore)

“A magnet for wildlife” sums up Twin Lakes Preserve, run by the Town of Hempstead. Adjacent to Mill Pond Park, it is an outstanding setting for visitors to experience nature and for educators to teach nature in the densely developed setting of Wantagh. About 1.8 miles of beautiful trails loop around three different ponds. An exquisite footbridge spans Bellmore Creek.

The town’s brochure for the preserve describes it best:

Naturalist-led organized tours can be arranged through the Oceanside Center at (516) 766-1580 or 221-1300. The park is open every day, dawn to dusk.

How to Get There: Take Wantagh Parkway to exit W6W. Follow Merrick Road west, continuing two blocks past Mill Pond and turn right onto Bellmore Avenue. Drive two blocks and turn right onto Lakeview Road. There is a small cemetery that dates back to the 1800’s which is open to the public, located at the sharp curve along Lakeview Road. Cross Sunrise Highway and continue on the road, which is now called Old Mill Road. Go about 7 blocks and turn right into a parking lot next to Forest Lake School. If you reach Beltagh Avenue, you just passed it. The parking lot entrance is locked on weekends.

Facing the school, the trailhead is to your right at the edge of the woods. As soon as you enter the trail, turn right (the left trail quickly dead-ends). The first pond you see is Forest Lake. Just past the red brick pump station building, turn left onto the graceful footbridge over Bellmore Creek. The trail quickly crosses to the shore of the second lake, Seaman Pond. It bears left along the shore of the lake. (The trail will dead end in approximately 100 feet, if you bear right at the lake.) It rounds the north end of the lake, and continues south along the lakeshore. The noise from Wantagh Parkway reminds you that this is indeed an oasis amongst the urban sprawl.

When you come out onto Park Avenue, cross it and turn right. Almost immediately (before you cross the bridge over the creek), look for the trail where it re-enters the woods through a break in the fence. The trail passes next to Sunrise Highway at the south end before completing its circuit around Wantagh Pond. When you arrive again at Park Avenue, cross it and re-enter the woods to continue the trail. The trail is hard to locate, and not very well maintained at this point. It passes along the west shore of Seamans Pond. The path becomes clear again about 100 feet from the footbridge. When you see the footbridge you crossed earlier, cross it and turn right to return to your car.

Access Guide Introduction :: Map and Guide :: More Estuary Site Information
	Twin Lakes Preserve (Bellmore) “A magnet for wildlife” sums up Twin Lakes Preserve, run by the Town of Hempstead. Adjacent to Mill Pond Park, it is an outstanding setting for visitors to experience nature and for educators to teach nature in the densely developed setting of Wantagh. About 1.8 miles of beautiful trails loop around three different ponds. An exquisite footbridge spans Bellmore Creek. The town’s brochure for the preserve describes it best: “Water lilies, duckweed and milfoil provide food and shelter for aquatic insects which in turn become food for fish such as the large-mouth bass, bluegills, bullheads, pickerel and crappies. If you are very observant you may glimpse a painted turtle basking on a log or a muskrat cruising in the water toward its den. [The pond is also stocked with trout.] In the woodlands and swamps around the ponds you may see trees such as sassafras, red and Norway maples, dogwood, sweet gum, black cherry, black oak, and tupelo. Other plants, which are attractive to wildlife, include blackberry, blueberry, catbrier, grape, and wild rose. Winter brings a variety of waterfowl to the ponds. Hooded merganser, ruddy duck, widgeon, shoveler, coot and pied-billed grebe are regular visitors. During the warmer months, black duck, mallard and Canada geese nest, while snipe and spotted sandpipers search the banks for small invertebrates. Occasionally you can spot an osprey soaring overhead, hunting fish.” Naturalist-led organized tours can be arranged through the Oceanside Center at (516) 766-1580 or 221-1300. The park is open every day, dawn to dusk. How to Get There: Take Wantagh Parkway to exit W6W. Follow Merrick Road west, continuing two blocks past Mill Pond and turn right onto Bellmore Avenue. Drive two blocks and turn right onto Lakeview Road. There is a small cemetery that dates back to the 1800’s which is open to the public, located at the sharp curve along Lakeview Road. Cross Sunrise Highway and continue on the road, which is now called Old Mill Road. Go about 7 blocks and turn right into a parking lot next to Forest Lake School. If you reach Beltagh Avenue, you just passed it. The parking lot entrance is locked on weekends. Facing the school, the trailhead is to your right at the edge of the woods. As soon as you enter the trail, turn right (the left trail quickly dead-ends). The first pond you see is Forest Lake. Just past the red brick pump station building, turn left onto the graceful footbridge over Bellmore Creek. The trail quickly crosses to the shore of the second lake, Seaman Pond. It bears left along the shore of the lake. (The trail will dead end in approximately 100 feet, if you bear right at the lake.) It rounds the north end of the lake, and continues south along the lakeshore. The noise from Wantagh Parkway reminds you that this is indeed an oasis amongst the urban sprawl. When you come out onto Park Avenue, cross it and turn right. Almost immediately (before you cross the bridge over the creek), look for the trail where it re-enters the woods through a break in the fence. The trail passes next to Sunrise Highway at the south end before completing its circuit around Wantagh Pond. When you arrive again at Park Avenue, cross it and re-enter the woods to continue the trail. The trail is hard to locate, and not very well maintained at this point. It passes along the west shore of Seamans Pond. The path becomes clear again about 100 feet from the footbridge. When you see the footbridge you crossed earlier, cross it and turn right to return to your car.