Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest

Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest is a 191-acre state-owned preserve in the Calverton area of eastern Suffolk County. Located in the Town of Riverhead, the undeveloped property protects characteristic Long Island Pine Barrens habitat while supporting hiking, mountain biking, hunting, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and wildlife viewing.

Despite its relatively compact acreage, Calverton has developed into an important mountain-biking destination. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation identifies an 8.5-mile beginner-to-intermediate single-track loop along with approximately 1.5 miles of optional advanced hill climbs, giving riders substantially more trail mileage than the forest’s acreage might suggest.

A Pine Barrens Preserve in Calverton

Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest lies east of William Floyd Parkway and north of Middle Country Road, also known as New York State Route 25. The forest is administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as part of its Region 1 state-land system on Long Island.

The property remains largely undeveloped, preserving the wooded character of the Pine Barrens rather than functioning as a conventional developed park. Visitors encounter forest trails and natural habitat instead of athletic fields, playgrounds, extensive paved facilities, or other features normally associated with municipal parks.

Mountain Biking at Calverton Pine Barrens

Mountain biking is one of the forest’s most notable recreational uses. According to the DEC, the designated bicycle system includes an approximately 8.5-mile single-track loop intended primarily for beginner and intermediate riders, with another 1.5 miles of optional advanced hill climbs. The mountain-bike trails are maintained with assistance from Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists, commonly known as CLIMB.

The trail system makes use of Long Island’s relatively subtle terrain rather than mountainous elevation. Riders encounter narrow wooded single-track, sandy Pine Barrens soils, turns, short elevation changes, and optional more difficult sections. DEC’s official trail map identifies several advanced segments within the system, allowing more experienced riders to add technical challenges without requiring less experienced riders to follow the same route.

Calverton is one of several state-managed properties included in Long Island’s broader mountain-biking network. Riders looking for additional destinations can use the Mountain Biking on Long Island directory to compare Calverton with other trail systems across Nassau County and Suffolk County.

Hiking and Other Recreation

The forest is not exclusively a mountain-biking property. Numerous trails can also be used for hiking and other permitted recreational activities. During winter conditions, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are permitted on hiking trails, giving the relatively small forest a range of seasonal uses.

Because the property is shared by different types of visitors, trail users should remain aware of other recreation taking place in the forest. Cyclists are required to yield to official vehicles and equipment, horseback riders, and hikers, and bicycles are restricted to marked bicycling trails on applicable DEC properties.

Hunting

Hunting is permitted at Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest under New York State regulations, although the DEC specifies that the property is open to big-game hunting and not small-game hunting. The forest is within Wildlife Management Unit 1C, and special regulations apply to the January firearms deer season.

The presence of hunting also affects parking access. During hunting season, the main Middle Country Road parking area is reserved for hunters. Two small parking areas along Kay Road on the western side of the property are also designated for hunters during hunting season. Visitors planning other recreational activities should check current DEC information before traveling to the forest when hunting seasons are underway.

Wildlife and Pine Barrens Habitat

The forest protects part of the distinctive Pine Barrens environment of central and eastern Long Island. The combination of pine and oak woodland provides habitat for mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians adapted to the region’s sandy soils and forest ecosystem.

Wildlife documented by the DEC as occurring in Pine Barrens habitat such as Calverton includes white-tailed deer, red fox, opossum, Eastern cottontail, wild turkey, red-tailed hawk, osprey, pine warbler, bald eagle, Eastern box turtle, and Eastern hognose snake. Wildlife viewing is among the recreational activities recognized for the property.

Permit and Bicycle Requirements

A free three-year New York State DEC Managed Land Access Permit is required to use Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest. The permit requirement applies to visitors using the property for recreation, not only hunters or mountain bikers.

Mountain bikers are subject to additional DEC rules. Bicycles must remain on marked bicycling trails, and cyclists must wear a hard-shell helmet and eye protection. Riders should also check current trail conditions before visiting because seasonal freeze-and-thaw conditions can result in temporary trail closures intended to prevent damage to soft trail surfaces.

Getting to Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest

Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest is located north of Middle Country Road/Route 25 and east of William Floyd Parkway in the Town of Riverhead. The primary public access point is the Middle Country Road parking area at approximately 40.919932, -72.823879.

The DEC identifies this as the forest’s main parking area. Parking arrangements change during hunting season, when the lot is reserved for hunters, so visitors should verify current access information before making a trip.

Nearby State Lands and Recreation

Calverton sits within a much larger concentration of protected land in central and eastern Suffolk County. DEC identifies Brookhaven Pine Barrens State Forest, East Bartlett Pine Barrens State Forest, Longwood Pine Barrens State Forest, Panamoka Pine Barrens State Forest, Ridge Conservation Area, Otis Pike Preserve, Brookhaven State Park, Wildwood State Park, and Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest among the public lands and recreational properties in the surrounding region.

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Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest

Map location identifies the New York State DEC Middle Country Road parking area for Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest. Location coordinates provided by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

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Key Facts & Details

Property	Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest
Location	Town of Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York
Community	Calverton
Managing Agency	New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Size	191 acres
Habitat	Long Island Pine Barrens
Mountain Biking	Approximately 8.5-mile beginner-to-intermediate single-track loop with about 1.5 miles of optional advanced hill climbs
Other Recreation	Hiking, hunting, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and wildlife viewing
Permit	Free three-year DEC Managed Land Access Permit required
Bicycle Safety Requirements	Hard-shell helmet and eye protection required; bicycles restricted to marked bicycling trails
Hunting	Big-game hunting permitted under applicable regulations; small-game hunting not permitted
Wildlife Management Unit	1C
Admission	Free
Recreation Season	Property open for recreation year-round; individual trail access and parking may be subject to seasonal restrictions or closures
Main Access	Middle Country Road/Route 25
Parking Coordinates	40.919932, -72.823879
DEC Region	Region 1

Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest combines habitat conservation with an unusually extensive trail system for a 191-acre property. Its Pine Barrens setting, designated mountain-bike network, hiking opportunities, seasonal recreation, hunting access, and proximity to other protected lands make the forest an important piece of the public open-space network in central Suffolk County and a particularly notable destination for off-road cycling on Long Island.