Mashomack Preserve spans more than 2,000 acres on Shelter Island

Amsterdam Beach Preserve
This just-opened 200-acre preserve “is a fantastic walk,” says The Nature Conservancy land manager Paul D’Andrea. “The well-maintained trail traverses the property through all sorts of vegetation and runs from the highway all the way out to the beach,” while the bluffs offer sweeping panoramas of the Montauk Lighthouse and the Atlantic Ocean. Montauk

Bridge Gardens
Sculpture exhibition Uncommon Ground returns for its third season. “The gorgeous landscape works so well with the large-scale sculptures,” says curator Cheryl Sokolow. The property also hosts workshops and educational programs, including a garden-to-table cooking class for kids with chef Ellen Greaves on July 18. 36 Mitchell Lane, Bridgehampton, 537-7440; peconiclandtrust.org

Center for Conservation
The headquarters of The Nature Conservancy, housed in a 130-yearold farmhouse, has “a restoration project for native plants, grasses, and flowers underway in the garden,” says TNC’s Paul D’Andrea. Stop in for information on all of the Conservancy’s East End projects and preserves. East Hampton

LongHouse Reserve
This reserve, encompassing nearly 16 acres of East Hampton’s North Woods, was founded by textile designer Jack Lenor Larsen, who celebrates his 85th birthday with a bash on August 3. Join a Monday Twilight Tour or partake in sound meditation, offered every Saturday at 8 am through August 25. 133 Hands Creek Road, East Hampton, 329-3568; longhouse.org

Long Pond Greenbelt
The six-mile-long expanse of ponds, woods, and wetlands supports one of the highest concentrations of rare plant and animal species in the state. Night hikes guided by Dai Dayton, president of the Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt, are offered during the full moon, and patrons can support the organization at its 15th anniversary party on September 28. Southampton

Mashomack Preserve
Covering one-third of Shelter Island, this preserve “is special in that it’s big enough to include all of the major types of habitats we have on eastern Long Island,” says the preserve’s director Mike Laspia. Hike more than 20 miles of trails to experience one of the densest populations of breeding ospreys on the East Coast. 47 S. Fourth Ferry Road, Shelter Island, 749-1001; nature.org

Merrill Lake Sanctuary
This nature preserve includes panoramic views of Accabonac Harbor and winding trails across pasture and woodland. July also sees Joe-Pye weed and goldenrod in bloom and, for bird-watchers, the appearance of the willet, which breeds on the upland edge of the salt marsh. Springs; nature.org

Montauk Mountain Preserve
This four-acre preserve is home to three rare East End plant species— bushy rockrose, Nantucket shadbush, and New England blazing star—as well as local birds like the grasshopper sparrow and upland sandpiper. Montauk; nature.org

Sagg Swamp Preserve
Located at the southern end of the Long Pond Greenbelt, this 105-acre preserve is unique in its vistas of red maples and sphagnum moss. A boardwalk offers visitors a path over a freshwater stream that bisects the woodland and swamp, an incredible destination for birders, as 84 species have been recorded here. Bridgehampton; nature.org

Shadmoor State Park
Enjoy more than 2,400 feet of sandy beach at this dog-friendly state park named for the shadbush that grows across its 99 acres. The park also includes hiking trails, elevated platforms for bird-watchers, and two concrete bunkers erected during World War II to protect the coast against invasion. 900 Montauk Hwy., Montauk, 668-3781; nysparks.com