There&#39;s a chill in the air, but that doesn&#39;t mean you have to stay inside. Browse our guide to Long Island&#39;s outdoor activities this winter, from ice skating and sledding to seal cruises and polar plunges.&nbsp;Call ahead to make sure these spots are open, as many are weather dependent.

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Things to Do

Recreation

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<div class="description"> 
 3340 Merrick Rd., Seaford 
 Cedar Creek’s sledding hills are easy to find. They’re next to parking fields at the south end of the park. The sledding is intermediate, on hills bordered by tall trees, including some evergreens. One of the hills is bowl-shaped, offering an up-and-down roller-coaster ride. 
 More info <a href="tel:516-571-7470">516-571-7470</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://nassaucountyny.gov/2792/Cedar-Creek-Park">nassaucountyny.gov/2792/Cedar-Creek-Park</a> 
</div>

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Sledding

Sledding at Cedar Creek Park

AIAudio - Sledding at Cedar Creek Park


CedarCreekSledding

<div class="description"> 
 <address> 7800 Jericho Tpke., Woodbury </address> 
 Season Nov. 28 through late Feb., weather permitting. 
 Cost Residents: $7, $6 ages 5-17, $4 ages 2-4; nonresidents: $11, $9 ages 5-17, $6 ages 2-4; $5 skate rentals. 
 Hours 4-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Fri.; 1-3 p.m., 4-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Sat.; 1-3 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Sun. Additional days and hours during school holiday breaks (closed Dec. 25). 
 More info Offers public sessions. 516-677-5990,&nbsp;<a href="http://oysterbaytown.com/ice">oysterbaytown.com/ice</a> 
</div>

Holidays

Winter Holidays

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Skating

Syosset-Woodbury Community Park

AIAudio - Syosset-Woodbury Community Park


<div class="description"> 
 Stony Brook Marine Station, 8 Little Neck Road, Southampton 
 A CRESLI scientist leads a two-hour expedition to view, photograph and gather information about the diversity and distribution of the seals on the Riverhead Peconic around Shinnecock Bay. Meet and board 30 minutes before the listed departure at the dock area of the Stony Brook Marine Station. Spaces are limited and registration is required. 
 Season&nbsp;3 p.m. Jan. 25, noon Jan. 31, noon Feb. 15, noon March 15, 10 a.m. March 28 
 Fee $40. 
 More info&nbsp;<a href="tel:631-319-6003">631-319-6003</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://cresli.org">cresli.org</a> 
</div>

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Seal walks 

CRESLI seal cruises

AIAudio - CRESLI seal cruises


SealCruise

<div class="description"> 
 Village Center, 101-A E. Broadway, Port Jefferson 
 Season Nov. 28 through the second weekend in March. 
 Cost $15, $12 ages 11 and younger weekends and school holidays; $13, $11 ages 11 and younger weekdays; $7 skate rentals. 
 Hours Noon-8 p.m. Mon.-Thur., noon-10 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun. 
 More info Offers public sessions, learn to skate, birthday parties and private rentals. 631-403-4357,&nbsp;<a href="http://TheRinx.com">TheRinx.com</a> 
</div>

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The Rinx at Harborfront Park

AIAudio - The Rinx at Harborfront Park


AIAudio - The Rinx at Harborfront Park

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<div class="description"> 
 RTE. 25A and Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park 
 "There are some really pretty trails overlooking Long Island Sound in the section known as The Bluffs," says Edward Moran, former president of the Long Island chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club. You can start from the picnic area inside Sunken Meadow State parking Field 4, and head east on the Long Island Greenbelt Trail, he says. 
 More info&nbsp;<a href="tel:631-269-4333">631-269-4333</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://alltrails.com">alltrails.com</a> 
</div>

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snowshoeing

Snowshoeing at Sunken Meadow State Park

AIAudio - Snowshoeing at Sunken Meadow State Park


AIAudio - Snowshoeing at Sunken Meadow State Park

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<div class="description"> 
 <address> Broadway and Sheridan Avenue, Hewlett </address> 
 Season Late Nov. through mid-March, weather permitting. 
 Cost Nassau County residents with Leisure Pass: $10, $6 ages 4-17; nonresidents: $15, $10 ages 4-17; $5 skate rentals; puck shooting: $10 resident, $20 nonresident. 
 Hours 1:15-3:15 p.m. Mon., Tues. and Thur.; 1:15-3:15 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Wed.; 1:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m., 4 p.m.-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Fri.; 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 1:15-3:15 p.m., 4-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Sat.; 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 1:15-3:15 p.m., 4-6 p.m. Sun.; puck shooting sessions: 4-5:30 p.m. Mon. and Thur. 
 More info Offers public sessions and puck shooting. 516-571-7821,&nbsp;<a href="http://nassaucountyny.gov">nassaucountyny.gov</a> 
</div>

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Grant Park Ice Rink

AIAudio - Grant Park Ice Rink


<div class="description"> 
 500 Searingtown Rd., Roslyn-North Hills 
 Season Early Dec. through early March, weather permitting. 
 Cost Nassau County residents with Leisure Pass: $10, $6 ages 4-17; nonresidents: $15, $10 ages 4-17; $5 skate rentals; puck shooting: $10 resident, $20 nonresident. 
 Hours 1:15-3:15 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Mon.-Wed.; 1:15-3:15 p.m., 4-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Fri.; 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 1:15-3:15 p.m., 4-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Sat.; 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 1:15-3:15 p.m., 4-6 p.m. Sun.; puck sessions: 5-6:30 p.m. and 7-8:30 p.m. Thur., 6:30-8 p.m. Sun. 
 More info Offers public sessions and puck shooting. 516-571-8123,&nbsp;<a href="http://nassaucountyny.gov">nassaucountyny.gov</a> 
</div>

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Christopher Morley Park Ice Rink

AIAudio - Christopher Morley Park Ice Rink


<div class="description"> 
 Unqua and Merrick roads, Massapequa 
 Season Nov. 28 through late Feb., weather permitting. 
 Cost Residents: $7, $6 ages 5-17, $4 ages 2-4; nonresidents: $11, $9 ages 5-17, $6 ages 2-4; $5 skate rentals. 
 Hours 4-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Fri.; 1-3 p.m., 4-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Sat.; 1-3 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Sun. Additional days and hours during school holiday breaks (closed Dec. 25). 
 More info Offers public sessions. 516-797-7990,&nbsp;<a href="http://oysterbaytown.com/ice">oysterbaytown.com/ice</a> 
</div>

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Marjorie R. Post Community Park

AIAudio - Marjorie R. Post Community Park 


IceSkateStock

<div class="description"> 
 Jericho Turnpike (Route 25), Woodbury to Cold Spring Harbor State Park, Route 25A adjacent to Cold Spring Harbor Library 
 The trail starts right off on Jericho Turnpike for the Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt Trail and continues to Cold Spring Harbor State Park. "For getting into the hills, I like the northern part better," says George Gorman, regional director of New York State parks on Long Island. "You’ll feel like you climbed a mountain in the Catskills at the end of it." He recommends beginners try a different park before taking on this more challenging trail. 
 More info&nbsp;<a href="tel:631-423-1770">631-423-1770</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://parks.ny.gov/parks">parks.ny.gov/parks</a> 
</div>

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Snowshoeing at Trail View State Park

AIAudio - Snowshoeing at Trail View State Park


AIAudio - Snowshoeing at Trail View State Park

<div class="description"> 
 1001 Stewart Ave., Bethpage 
 Season All year. 
 Cost Residents: $7, $6 ages 5-17, $4 ages 2-4; nonresidents: $11, $9 ages 5-17, $6 ages 2-4; $5 skate rental. 
 Hours 4-6 p.m. Mon. and Wed., 10 a.m.-noon Tue. and Thur., 4-5:30 p.m. and 8:30-10:30 p.m. Fri., 2:45-5:45 p.m. Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. Additional days and hours during school holiday breaks (closed Dec. 25). 
 More info Offers public sessions, ice hockey, figure skating and birthday parties. 516-433-7465,&nbsp;<a href="http://oysterbaytown.com/ice">oysterbaytown.com/ice</a> 
</div>

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Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center

AIAudio - Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center


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<div class="description"> 
 270 Indian Head Rd., Kings Park 
 Season All year. 
 Cost $10; $15 Fri. nights; $5 skate rental. 
 Hours 8:30-10:30 p.m. Fri., 12:30-2p.m. Sat.-Sun. Additional public sessions on holidays and school vacations. 
 More info Offers public sessions, hockey, lessons and parties, pro shop and snack bar. 631-269-3900,&nbsp;<a href="http://superioricerink.com">superioricerink.com</a> 
</div>

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Superior Ice Rink

AIAudio - Superior Ice Rink


<div class="description"> 
 70 Seaview Blvd., Port Washington 
 Season All year. 
 Cost $18; $7 skate rental. 
 Hours 2:30-4 p.m. Mon., 2:25 p.m.-5:15 p.m. Tues., 1-4 p.m. Fri., 2:15-3:45 p.m. Sat. and Sun. Reserve tickets in advance and register for time sessions on website. 
 More info Offers public sessions, classes, clinics, birthday parties, private lessons and hockey leagues. 516-484-6800,&nbsp;<a href="http://pwskating.com">pwskating.com</a> 
</div>

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Port Washington Skating Center

AIAudio - Port Washington Skating Center


<div class="description"> 
 50 Barry Dr., Glen Cove 
 .5 mile It’s about a half mile to the beach over easy, tree-shaded terrain, on dirt paths with added wood chips. In another area of the preserve, a loop trail for the visually impaired is equipped with a guide rope and Braille signage. 
 The Garvies Point Museum and Preserve opened in the late 1960s on land where the Matinecock tribe sheltered millennia ago, and the Scottish immigrant Garvie family settled in the early 1800s. But a much older story draws scouts, field trips and hikers to its dawn-of-time evoking beach. 
 More info The preserve is open daily, dawn to dusk. Free parking. 
 Shorter routes: 
 0.16 miles: A new beach route 
 To get to the beach, also known as the Shoreline Trail, take one of the two paths that begin behind the museum. If you choose the left fork, turn right at the bluffs and head north. The path eventually merges with the Old Woods Trail for the remainder of your northward walk. 
 0.23 miles: Lunch and a landmark 
 At the end of the Old Woods Trail, turn right to a deck overlooking Pioneer Pond, which is fed by a natural spring. Picnic on the deck to a chorus of bullfrogs, before resuming your walk to the beach. 
 0.01 miles: Cretaceous Park 
 Take a sharp left, walk a few steps and you’re walking a beach that’s also a geologic time machine. 
 0.35 miles: Shoreline Trail 
 As you walk south on this trail along the Hempstead Harbor beachfront, observe the clay cliffs above to your left. They are one of the few places where the rock formed under Long Island 70 million years ago during the Cretaceous period can be seen. Those hulking boulders strewed in your path? They were carried by glaciers to Long Island at the end of the last ice age, about 20,000 years ago. 
 The beach gravel under your feet also contains a science lesson: plant fossils with fragments of Earth's oldest flowering trees. 
 "A few years ago I was just walking the beach, and I looked down and there was this big chunk of red shale imprinted with a magnolia leaf fossil, which dates to 65 million years ago," says Veronica Natale, museum director. 
 If you find a fossil, bring it to the museum, Natale says. Cretaceous period plant fossils are among the artifacts in the museum’s exhibits on geology and Native American archaeology and culture. 
 More info&nbsp;<a href="tel:516-571-8010">516-571-8010</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://garviespointmuseum.com">garviespointmuseum.com</a> 
</div>

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Hiking

Winter hike: Garvies Point Museum and Preserve

AIAudio - Winter hike: Garvies Point Museum and Preserve


AIAudio - Winter hike: Garvies Point Museum and Preserve

GarviesPoint

<div class="description"> 
 2600 Newbridge Rd., Bellmore 
 Season All year. 
 Cost Town of Hempstead Park residents: public sessions $8 weekdays, $10 weekends; nonresidents $10 weekdays, $13 weekends; $6 skate rental. 
 Hours Winter schedule through March 1: 4-6 p.m. Wed.; 8-10 a.m. Thurs.; 8:30-10:30 a.m., 4-6 p.m. and 8:30-10:30 p.m. Fri.; 12:30-2:30 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 
 More info Offers public sessions, skating lessons, youth hockey programs and police and fire league. 516-783-6181,&nbsp;<a href="http://newbridgearena.com">newbridgearena.com</a> 
</div>

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Newbridge Arena

AIAudio - Newbridge Arena


<div class="description"> 
 8101 Jericho Tpke., Woodbury 
 7.4 miles 
 Had enough of the treadmill? You can burn calories amid actual scenery, hiking the rolling hills of Trail View State Park in Woodbury. Trail View, a narrow 400-acre belt of green space, sends hikers along wooded hills on the north and past ponds and streams near its south end. With comparatively rugged terrain — for Long Island at least — and some hills rising to several hundred feet above sea level, it can be challenging for inexperienced hikers, Gorman says. 
 More info&nbsp;Access at 8101 Jericho Tpke., Woodbury, and near Cold Spring Harbor Library,&nbsp;<a href="tel:631-423-1770">631-423-1770</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://parks.ny.gov">parks.ny.gov</a> 
</div>

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Winter hike: Trail View State Park

AIAudio - Winter hike: Trail View State Park


Trail View

<div class="description"> 
 660 Terry Rd., inside Hidden Pond Park, Hauppauge 
 Season All year. 
 Cost $13 weekdays, $15 weekends, holidays and school vacation; $11 weekdays, $12 weekends, holidays and school vacation, ages 11 and younger. $16 on Fri. nights. $7 skate rental. 
 Hours 12:30-2:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 4-5:45 p.m. Tue.-Wed., 8:15-10:15 p.m. Fri., noon-3 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Check website for additional public sessions on holidays and school vacations. 
 More info Offers public sessions, skate lessons, hockey, figure skating, camps, birthday parties and private rentals. 631-232-3222,&nbsp;<a href="http://TheRinx.com">TheRinx.com</a> 
</div>

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The Rinx At Hidden Pond Park

AIAudio - The Rinx At Hidden Pond Park


AIAudio - The Rinx At Hidden Pond Park

<div class="description"> 
 <address> Veterans Memorial Park, 5789 Middle Country Rd., Calverton </address> 
 Season All year. 
 Cost Public sessions: $14, $11 ages 5-12; $7 skate rental. 
 Hours Public skating: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri, 3:50 - 5:50 p.m. Wed., 1:30-3:00 p.m. Sat. through Nov., 1:30-3:30 p.m. Sat. beginning Dec.; 10:15-11:15 a.m. Mon.-Fri. adult only; 8:30-10:30 p.m. teen night. 
 More info Indoor and outdoor rink with learn-to-skate and learn-to-play programs, clinics, youth and adult hockey leagues, special events. Outdoor ice programs in winter. Deck/roller hockey, soccer, basketball programs during fall, spring and summer. 631-953-6300,&nbsp;<a href="http://peconicicerinks.com">peconicicerinks.com</a> 
</div>

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Peconic Ice Rinks

AIAudio - Peconic Ice Rinks


<div class="description"> 
 Eisenhower County Park, East Meadow 
 Season All year. 
 Cost Public sessions $16; $7 skate rental. 
 Hours Public skating Fri.-Sun., additional dates and hours added based on availability. 
 More info Offers indoor rinks and one outdoor rink where visitors can join learn-to-skate programs, take lessons or participate in hockey leagues and clinics.516-441-0070,&nbsp;<a href="http://northwellhealthicecenter.com">northwellhealthicecenter.com</a> 
</div>

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Northwell Health Ice Center at Eisenhower Park

AIAudio - Northwell Health Ice Center at Eisenhower Park 


<div class="description"> 
 <address> Heckscher Parkway Field 1, East Islip </address> 
 "Heckscher has 25 miles of trails. It’s pretty much flat," says park manager David Auguste. "We also have a beach environment because we’re on the Great South Bay."&nbsp; 
 More info&nbsp;<a href="tel:631-581-2100">631-581-2100</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://parks.ny.gov/parks">parks.ny.gov/parks</a> 
</div>

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Snowshoeing at Heckscher State Park

AIAudio - Snowshoeing at Heckscher State Park


AIAudio - Snowshoeing at Heckscher State Park

<div class="description"> 
 3345 Hillside Ave., New Hyde Park 
 Season All year. 
 Cost $15, $12 ages 10 and younger; $6 skate rental. 
 Hours Open Sat.-Sun., weekdays during holidays and school vacations. Call for hours. 
 More info Offers group lessons, hockey clinics, public sessions, figure skating and hockey games.516-746-1100,&nbsp;<a href="http://icelandlongisland.com">icelandlongisland.com</a> 
</div>

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Iceland

AIAudio - Iceland


<div class="description"> 
 130 E. Merrick Rd., Freeport 
 Season All year. 
 Cost Residents with Freeport Activity Card $4, nonresident with Activity Card $8, nonresident guest $10, puck shoot $10, skate rental $4. 
 Hours 3:30-4:45 p.m. Thurs., 7:30-9 p.m. Fri., 1:30-3:30 p.m. Sun.; puck shoot 1:15-4:15 p.m. Fri. Public sessions Nov.-March; puck shoots Sept.-June. 
 More info Offers public sessions, puck shoot, youth hockey, skating academy and birthday parties. 516-377-2314,&nbsp;<a href="http://freeportny.gov">freeportny.gov</a> 
</div>

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Freeport Recreation Center

AIAudio - Freeport Recreation Center


XLWINTER_Freeport

<div class="description"> 
 150 Bay Pkwy., Wantagh 
 2 miles 
 An easy to moderate loop runs mostly on sand with a possibility of marshy sections through the dunes area. Not wheelchair accessible. 
 Getting there: Take Bay Parkway to the end and follow the curve in the road to the parking field. 
 A century ago, the West End 2 area was an "open ocean," but nature and humans gradually extended the 17-mile barrier island to its current footprint, according to Mia Ramirez, educator at the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center in Wantagh. 
 The end of the 6.5-mile beach is quiet and often deserted, especially during the offseason. "It’s the closest you can get to being on the moon while being only a half-hour from the house," Michael Diaz, 53, of Massapequa, a surfcaster, says before hitting the beach trail. 
 More info: Open sunrise to sunset. Free parking. 
 Shorter routes: 
 0.4 miles: Trail through the dunes 
 The main trail to this lonely strand begins at the southwest corner of the West End 2 parking field. You’ll be immersed in a dune ecosystem where bayberry bushes and seaside goldenrods flourish, marsh hawks and ospreys fly overhead and a toad was seen hopping by on a recent hike. Turn right at the fork. The wind-swept beach will peek through the dunes as the trail opens up on a 360-degree panorama of wild Long Island. 
 Walk 0.6 miles: The jetty 
 Crashing surf serenades you west to the jetty. Avoid walking on the slippery rocks jutting into the Atlantic, but do point your field glasses seaward from the beach for humpback whale and cargo ship sightings. 
 Walk 0.6 miles: Jones Inlet 
 Walk north beside the rock wall paralleling Jones Inlet, a major navigation route and surfcasting destination known for striped bass and solitude. On a recent day, surfcasters described the beach as a peaceful and serene spot to try their luck with rod and reel. (Fishing regulations: dec.ny.gov) Across the Inlet, look for Point Lookout and, on a clear day, the Manhattan skyline and One World Trade Center. 
 Walk 0.4 miles: The end 
 Turn right at the break in the dunes marked by sand fencing, and follow the trail back to the parking lot. 
 More info&nbsp;<a href="tel:516-809-8222">516-809-8222</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://jonesbeachenc.org">jonesbeachenc.org</a> 
</div>

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Winter hike: Jones Beach State Park West End 2

AIAudio - Winter hike: Jones Beach State Park West End 2


winterjonesbeach

<div class="description"> 
 150 W. Bay Dr., Long Beach 
 Season All year. 
 Cost $10, $5 skate rental and $5 walker rentals. $20 for figure skating freestyle and hockey programs. 
 Hours 12:15 p.m.-1:45 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Additional holiday hours. 
 More info Offers public sessions, skating lessons, an adult and youth hockey program and freestyle sessions for figure skaters. 516-705-7385,&nbsp;<a href="http://longbeachny.gov/icearena">longbeachny.gov/icearena</a> 
</div>

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City of Long Beach Ice Arena

AIAudio - City of Long Beach Ice Arena


<div class="description"> 
 480 W. John St., Hicksville 
 Season October through April 
 Hours&nbsp;1-3 p.m. Mon., Wed., Sat., 1-3 p.m. and 3:30-5:30 p.m. Fri. 
 Cost Nassau County residents with Leisure Pass $10, $6 ages 4-17; nonresidents: $15, $10 ages 4-17; $5 skate rental. 
 More info Offers public sessions, hockey program and lessons. <a href="tel:516-571-7058">516-571-7058</a> <a href="tel:516-571-7056">516-571-7056</a><a href="http://nassaucountyny.gov">nassaucountyny.gov</a> 
</div>

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Cantiague Park Indoor Ice Rink

AIAudio - Cantiague Park Indoor Ice Rink


XLWINTER_Cantiague

<div class="description"> 
 581 W. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown 
 "It’s like being in an upstate area, without the intrusion of residences. You see nature at its best with a beautiful snowy landscape," said&nbsp;George Gorman, regional director of New York State parks on Long Island. 
 More info&nbsp;<a href="tel:631-265-1054">631-265-1054</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://parks.ny.gov/parks">parks.ny.gov/parks</a> 
</div>

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Snowshoeing at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve

AIAudio - Snowshoeing at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve


AIAudio - Snowshoeing at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve

<div class="description"> 
 North Hempstead Beach Park, 175 W. Shore Rd., Port Washington 
 Date Feb. 7, registration at 9-10 a.m., plunge at 10:15 a.m. 
 Cost $25 suggested donation 
 More info Benefits the athletes of the Special Olympics. Raise at least $150 to receive an official plunge sweatshirt. 631-254-1465,&nbsp;<a href="http://events.nyso.org">events.nyso.org</a> 
</div>

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Plunges

North Hempstead Polar Plunge

AIAudio - North Hempstead Polar Plunge


XLPLUNGE_NHemp

<div class="description"> 
 <address> 41425 NY-25, Orient </address> 
 About 1 mile 
 An easy route follows a dirt path through woods, a grass trail along the beach, packed gravel in the parking lot and some rocks at the point. Not wheelchair accessible. 
 Getting there: Take Route 25 East to the end. Turn left at the break in the trees across from the ferry entrance and park in the small dirt lot. 
 The North Fork’s glorious scenery climaxes here in a spectacular Long Island Sound seascape. "You just walk and enjoy nature … without any disturbances from the outside world," East Hampton artist Ewa Banas says of her hikes here for creative inspiration. 
 More info: Open 8 a.m. to dusk. Free parking. 
 Shorter routes: 
 0.25 miles: Into the woods 
 The trailhead enters a fairy tale woods full of birdsong, wildlife and native plants. Forge ahead for breathtaking scenery. 
 0.52 miles: Long Island Sound 
 Choose from two byways paralleling this pristine stretch of Long Island Sound: a well-maintained grass trail on the bluff, or a white stone beach, where you can picnic under an endless sky while watching cormorants dive for a fish dinner. 
 0.14 miles: The end 
 The trail ends as Orient Point narrows to a strip of land a few hundred feet wide. It’s mostly a parking lot with a million-dollar view, where anglers surfcast off the rocks and beach. (Fishing regulations: suffolkcountyny.gov) Local anglers say there are days when seals outnumber human visitors. Walk around the fenced-in area marked "Cable Crossing," for a lands-end view of Plum Gut. Beyond, hikers can see the Orient Point "Coffee Pot" Lighthouse and the mysterious Plum Island. 
 More info&nbsp;<a href="tel:631-852-3232">631-852-3232</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://suffolkcountyny.gov">suffolkcountyny.gov</a> 
</div>

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Winter hike: Orient Point County Park

AIAudio - Winter hike: Orient Point County Park


<div class="description"> 
 Riverside Boulevard, Long Beach 
 Date Feb. 8 at 1:30 p.m., merchandise sales at 10 a.m., festivities begin at noon. 
 Cost Donations accepted. 
 More info Benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 212-957-9474 ext. 4583,&nbsp;<a href="http://wish.org/newyork">wish.org/newyork</a> 
</div>

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Long Beach Polar Bear Super Bowl Splash

AIAudio - Long Beach Polar Bear Super Bowl Splash


Southern State Parkway Exit 38, North Babylon 
7.6 miles 
Belmont Lake is your classic walk in the park. A flat path loops through the woods and then wraps around the lake, making it an easy jaunt for hikers of all ages. The trail passes benches for impromptu rest stops and a pair of cannons captured from a British warship during the War of 1812, and then goes over a bubbly waterfall at the south end of the park. 
More info&nbsp;<a href="tel:631-667-5055">631-667-5055</a>,&nbsp;<a href="parks.ny.gov/parks/belmontlake">parks.ny.gov/parks/belmontlake</a>

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Winter hike: Belmont Lake State Park

AIAudio - Winter hike: Belmont Lake State Park


AIAudio - Winter hike: Belmont Lake State Park

BelmontLake

<div class="description"> 
 790 Hulse Landing Rd., north of Sound Avenue, Wading River 
 There’s no need to travel upstate to go sledding alongside hardwood forest. Wildwood is about as wild as wilderness gets on Long Island. There’s no particular area set aside for sledding, but that’s actually an advantage, opening up the park’s 769 acres to sledders. Just choose a hill and turn it into your own private downhill run. Many sledders gravitate toward the campgrounds, or roadways, which are closed in winter to campers and vehicular traffic, park officials say. 
 More info&nbsp;<a href="tel:631-929-4314">631-929-4314</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://parks.ny.gov">parks.ny.gov</a> 
</div>

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Sledding at Wildwood State Park

AIAudio - Sledding at Wildwood State Park


Wildwood

<div class="description"> 
 Cupsogue Beach County Park, at the Western end of Dune Road, Westhampton Beach 
 Tour departs from the area near the fence at the Western end of the parking lot. The walk is about 1.2 miles round trip and takes about 90 minutes; weather permitting. Meet 15 minutes before departure.&nbsp;The path is not suitable for strollers.&nbsp;Online reservations are required. There are no bathroom facilities available at this park during winter. 
 Season&nbsp;Through early&nbsp;April&nbsp; 
 Fee Suggested donation: $5, $3 younger than 18. 
 More info&nbsp;<a href="tel:631-319-6003">631-319-6003</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://cresli.org">cresli.org</a> 
</div>

xlwinter_CresliSealWalks

CRESLI seal walks

AIAudio - CRESLI seal walks


Cresliwalk

<div class="description"> 
 40 Station Dr., Wyandanch 
 Season December through first weekend in March, weather permitting. 
 Cost $8, $5 ages 17 and younger. Price includes skate rentals. 
 Hours 4-8 p.m. Thur.-Fri., noon-8 p.m. Sat., noon-6 p.m. Sun. No double blades permitted on the ice. Brief intermissions will be held for ice resurfacing. 
 More info Offers public sessions and learn to skate. 631-643-2050,&nbsp;<a href="http://TheRinx.com">TheRinx.com</a> 
</div>

XLHOLIDAY_WyandanchIce

The Rinx at Wyandanch Plaza

AIAudio - The Rinx at Wyandanch Plaza


XLHOLIDAY_Wyandanch

<div class="description"> 
 Veterans Memorial Hwy., Smithtown 
 There is a 6-mile loop around the emptied Stump Pond, so you start and end in the same place. 
 More info&nbsp;<a href="tel:631-854-3712">631-854-3712</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://alltrails.com">alltrails.com</a> 
</div>

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Snowshoeing at Blydenburgh County Park

AIAudio - Snowshoeing at Blydenburgh County Park


AIAudio - Snowshoeing at Blydenburgh County Park

<div class="description"> 
 2400 Ocean Parkway, Wantagh 
 Meet at the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center to learn about seals and follow an&nbsp;educator in their vehicle to the seal-watching location at Jones Beach for a guided walk. 
 Season&nbsp;January-March 
 Fee $4 ages 3 and older. Reservations&nbsp;required.&nbsp;Visit <a href="https://jonesbeachenc.org">jonesbeachenc.org</a> for program sign-ups. 
 More info&nbsp;<a href="tel:516-809-8222">516-809-8222</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://parks.ny.gov">parks.ny.gov</a> 
</div>

xlwinter_JonesBeachSeals

Jones Beach State Park guided seal walks

AIAudio - Jones Beach State Park guided seal walks


JonesBeachSeals

<div class="description"> 
 2000 Montauk Highway, Montauk 
 Meet at the park office in the lower lot next to the playground for this&nbsp;2-mile&nbsp;round-trip hike to see seals and learn about their habits, behaviors and population trends. 
 Season Weekends&nbsp;1 to 3 p.m. or 2 to 4 p.m. through April 19. (Times change based on the tide) 
 Fee $4 ages 3 and older.&nbsp;Reservations required;&nbsp;call to schedule. Dress warmly. 
 More info&nbsp;<a href="tel:631-668-5000">631-668-5000</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://parks.ny.gov">parks.ny.gov</a> 
</div>

xlwinter_MontaukPointSeals

Montauk Point State Park guided seal walks

Long Island winter fun guide 2026: Where to go sledding, skating, snowshoeing

LI winter fun guide: Where to go sledding, skating and more

Long Island winter fun guide 2026: Where to go sledding, skating, snowshoeing

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