HISTORY
The Southampton Trails Preservation Society (STPS) was founded in 1986 by a group of horseback riders when they discovered that the scenic trails they rode were being lost to development. Many other community members realized the importance of saving the walking and hiking trails of the Town of Southampton and joined in this preservation effort.
Since its beginning, STPS has worked actively with the Town of Southampton government, other government bodies, neighboring trail groups, and other environmental organizations to promote and create a system of public use trails. STPS helped amend the Southampton Town Code, establishing parameters for trail preservation and use. STPS also was instrumental in creating the Southampton Town Trails Advisory Board, which makes recommendations to the Southampton Town Planning Board on opportunities for trail easements within subdivisions.
Today, STPS is a not-for-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to protecting historic trails, preserving greenbelts and open space, and creating new trail systems. STPS also includes Horses on Trails (HOT) which encourages recreational horseback trail riding. We originated and annually participate in The Great East End Cleanup and organize community activities on National Trails Day (in June) and South Fork Trails Day weekend (in October).
Over the course of more than two decades, the Southampton Trails Preservation Society has sponsored thousands of free weekend hikes led by experienced volunteers. Some particular favorites:
- Welcome sunrise on New Year’s Day
- Daffodils blooming at Morton Preserve at the end of March
- Easter Egg Hunt
- Great East End Cleanup on Earth Day
- Laurel blooming at Laurel Valley County Park in June
- Walk-it-off hike on the Friday after Thanksgiving
- Historic walks through some of our Villages
Welcome sunrise on New Year’s Day Daffodils blooming at Morton Preserve at the end of March Easter Egg Hunt Great East End Cleanup on Earth Day Laurel blooming at Laurel Valley County Park in June Walk-it-off hike on the Friday after Thanksgiving Historic walks through some of our Villages
Hike schedules are sent to members each month, are listed in local newspapers, and can be found here at www.southamptontrails.org.
STPS hikes range from two to fifteen miles with our average hike of approximately four miles. We lead brisk hikes and also meander through scenic woods and meadows, up to hilly overlooks and alongside farmland ponds, bays, and the ocean. During the summer months, we also sponsor kayak trips in many of the beautiful bays along with our shore and bike trips down country roads.
Our volunteers work hard to create public trails, among them the Paumanok Path, a 125-mile long regional trail, which stretches from Rocky Point in Brookhaven Town to the Atlantic Ocean at Montauk Point in East Hampton Town.
Some favorite hiking trails are:
- The Long Pond Greenbelt stretching from Sag Harbor to Sagaponack
- The Northwest Path at the juncture of the Towns of Southampton and East Hampton
- Laurel Valley County Park and Trout Pond in Noyac
- The Mulvihill Preserves in Bridgehampton
- Elliston Park and Tuckahoe Swamp in the North Sea
- Red Creek, Hubbard, Sears Bellows, and Munn’s Park in Hampton Bays
- Tuckahoe Hills & Tuckahoe Swamp
- Morton Wildlife Preserve
Please check out our monthly hike schedule to see when we hike these favorite trails. If you have a favorite hike that’s not listed, give us a call and volunteer to lead a hike for STPS on your favorite trail!
SOUTHAMPTON TRAILS
PRESERVATION SOCIETY
P.O. Box 1171
Bridgehampton, NY 11932
