Peconic Pathfinders was officially formed in February 2020 to serve an underused area of county and state land. Our goal is to find existing unmarked trails and connect them to form a system of smaller loops accessing our diverse ecological and historic area. Our core area is the Calverton-Manorville area that features the lakes and ponds that feed the Peconic River and is part of the northern area of the Pine Barrens. The Pine Barren Trail (AKA Paumanok Path) crosses the area.

The Robert Cushman Murphy County Park (the county’s first natural park) contains no marked or maintained trails or signage of any kind and no entrance. Otis Pike State Park shares a similar fate.

Calverton Ponds County Park has a small loop trail that is maintained by the Nature Conservancy.

In the Foreword to Dr. Murphy’s, ‘Fish-Shape Paumanok’, Steven C. Englebright writes, "that the Calverton Pond Complex in the upper reaches of the Peconic's catchment basin contained one of the greatest concentrations of rare, threatened and endangered plants and animals in New York State."

Peconic Pathfinders is in the process of finding, mapping and maintaining lost paths and opening them up for guided group hikes. We are searching for ways to connect the unmarked trails and are proposing a well mapped out network of a marked and maintained trail system.

 

 

Peconic Pathfinders is currently looking for sponsors to provide funds for organizing upcoming events.

We are looking for a meeting place.

We need sponsors for t-shirts, bibs, awards, water and refreshments.

We need volunteers to help with the finish line and on the course.

We need tools and equipment for trail maintenance.

 

Peconic Pathfinders is a non-profit organization under the auspices of the Road Runners Club of America, (501C). In addition to hiking, we are a Road and Trail Runner’s Club. We are funded by membership, organizing events and reaching out to sponsors.

 

 

 

I would love to meet with you to discuss the above and our future plans. Peconic Pathfinders would like to gain permission to work on these trails that would require minimal clearing and maintenance. Once approved, we would like to mark the trails properly, create informed signage, parking and kiosks noting the rich history and ecology of the area that Dr. Robert Cushman Murphy deserves.