The Nature Conservancy in New York - Long Island: Big Woods Preserve

Big Woods is comprised of scarlet, white, and black oak, American beech, and scattered white pines.

Visitor Information

The preserve is open to the public from dawn to dusk seven days a week for passive recreation such as hiking, photography, and birdwatching. Find out more information and directions.

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The people of Southampton Town, The Nature Conservancy, and other conservation organizations have long recognized the area surrounding Big Woods for its natural beauty and ecological significance, as well as its importance to the water quality in the Peconic Estuary.

In late 1995, as a result of an ongoing dialogue with the owners of the largest privately-owned property in the area, The Nature Conservancy, in partnership with Southampton Town, acquired the Big Woods Preserve.

Location: Southhampton, Suffolk County

Size: 87 acres

What to See: Animals
Comprised of woodlands, wetlands, ponds, and beaches overlooking the Great Peconic Bay, this spectacular area attracts a high concentration of waterfowl, including black duck.

Its beaches provide nesting habitat for federally endangered piping plover (Charadrius melodius), New York State endangered least terns, and New York State rare common terns.

Its wetlands and inlets provide feeding and nursery areas for finfish and shellfish, as well as for endangered Kemps Ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii).

What to See: Plants
Comprised of scarlet, white, and black oak, American beech, and scattered white pines, Big Woods includes a high quality example of a very rare assemblage of plants and animals called a maritime beech forest.

The understory includes huckleberry, blueberry, arrowwood and mountain laurel, and where land meets water, an exemplary salt marsh is fringed by tupelo trees, red maple, red cedar, and cinnamon fern.

Rare plants such as sea pink (Sabatia stellaris) and salt marsh asters (Aster tenuifolia), slender blue flag (Iris prismatica), and seaside plantain (Plantago maritima) find refuge in undisturbed wetland areas of the preserve.

Why the Conservancy Selected this Site:
Located in the North Sea area of Southampton, just south of Robins Island, Big Woods is part of one of the most extensive salt marsh-tidal creek systems remaining in the Peconic Estuary.

What the Conservancy Is Doing:
The Conservancy's management goals for Big Woods include a commitment to sharing the preserve with visitors and educating them about its ecological importance. Future plans include continued monitoring and maintenance; the construction of a boardwalk into the marsh for wildlife viewing; and more ecological inventories.

Visiting the Preserve
The preserve is open to the public from dawn to dusk seven days a week for passive recreation such as hiking, photography, and birdwatching.

Visitor amenities and boardwalks over wetland areas have been built, including marked trails, entrance signs and a parking area. Trail maps and information about plants and animals found in the area are available for self-guided hikes.

Additionally, Nature Conservancy staff lead guided walks at the preserve as part of its regular excursion schedule. Please contact Uplands Farm Sanctuary for more information and prepare for your visit by reading our guidelines.