Lloyd Point

"the long, bare, unfrequented shore that I had all to myself"

Walt Whitman

When I was first tossing around ideas about a blog devoted to Long Island Sound, I thought about a grading system for the parks and beaches. Eventually I decided against this idea because there were too many variables and intangibles. A beach that might be perfect for a winter walk was a poor place to spend a summer afternoon. An ideal place to read a book would be an inappropriate place to bring the kids. A beautiful municipal park might be a poor choice for a nature lover. I decided to treat each location for what it is. Had I decided on a rating system, Caumsett State Park would have scored an A; maybe even an A+. In my opinion, this is one of the premier pieces of public coastal access land on Long Island Sound. Acquired by the state in 1961, the former Marshall Field III estate is 1600 acres of farmland, salt marsh, horse stables, and footpaths. One drawback here is that a significant amount of walking is required to reach the water. In many ways however, this can be seen as a positive. The two mile walk along the bridle path is an easy one and it tends to discourage the beach cooler crowd from overrunning the park. My visit in early April focused on Lloyd Point which is a sandy peninsula in the northwest corner of the park. A few hikers and early season fishermen dotted the shoreline, but for the most part it was as if I had the beach all to myself. New York Parks: Caumsett State Park The Caumsett Foundation Map