Sports & the Outdoors in Hamptons and Montauk

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Sports & the Outdoors

Ticks are an issue on Long Island; wear insect repellant, cover exposed skin, and check for ticks after spending time outdoors.

Biking

Long Island has a relatively flat terrain that makes it good for biking. On its Web site, the Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau outlines more than two dozen suggested routes all over the island. The Web site of the Paumonok Bicycling Advocacy, an umbrella group of Long Island's major bike clubs, lists cycling events; it also gives nearly 20 suggested routes. You can take your bike on the Long Island Rail Road if you have a permit ($5); applications are available on the LIRR Web site.

Contacts

Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau (631/951-3440 or 800/441-4601. www.licvb.com). Paumonok Bicycling Advocacy (www.bicyclelongisland.com).

Golf

Long the home of great private courses, Long Island today is also known for its excellent public courses. Bethpage State Park has five municipal courses, including the Black Course, which hosted the U.S. Open in 2002 and is considered one of the top places to play golf in the United States. Montauk Downs State Park and Long Island National are fantastic options. Getting onto a course can be tough, especially from Memorial Day through Labor Day, the peak season. The Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau has an extensive list of courses on the island.

Contacts

Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau (631/951-3440 or 800/441-4601. www.licvb.com).

Hiking

A beautifully preserved and extensive system of trails veins Long Island, leading through peaceful woodlands and fields and past windswept dunes. Most trails are open to the public and free of charge; trail maps are available at local chambers of commerce and visitor centers as well as at parks and trailheads. The Nassau-Suffolk and the Long Island Greenbelt trails are north-south paths. The Paumanok Path starts in Rocky Point, on the North Shore about 9 mi east of Port Jefferson, and stretches south and then east to Montauk Point; several preserves and parks are strung along it. The Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau details many other routes on its Web site.

Contacts

Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau (631/951-3440 or 800/441-4601. www.licvb.com). Paumanok Path (631/563-4354. www.paumanokpath.org).

Surfing

The Long Island chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has information about current conditions and surf forecasts on its Web site. Surf Long Island has links to other sources of information about surfing on the island.

Contacts

Surf Long Island (www.surfli.com). Surfrider Foundation, Long Island Chapter (www.surfriderli.org).