A year and a half ago the 200 acres across the street from the North Hempstead Beach Park was wild and practically unnavigable for hikers or mountain bicyclists. The acreage, now officially called the Hempstead Harbor Woods, is home to natural wonders that few had the ability to see due to the difficult conditions preventing a safe access to the woods. Old paths that once existed had long been turned over to vines, poison ivy and invasive plants. Wetlands, streams, ponds, wildlife and even something called a hoodoo, which is a tall, irregularly shaped rock formations, couldn’t be viewed by most people.
However, thanks to the “Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists,” in partnership with Supervisor Judi Bosworth and the Town of North Hempstead, a series of mountain bike and multi-use trails have been created. The Town cut the ribbon on the bike trails Monday, much to the jubilation of the mountain bikers who attended the ceremony.
“Our alliance with C.L.I.M.B. is a wonderful example of a public-private partnership that benefits everyone,” said Supervisor Bosworth. “Town residents now gain multi-use trails for both hiking and mountain biking at no cost and we have added a wonderful recreational aspect to a parcel of Town-owned land that previously was difficult to access. The Hempstead Harbor Woods is bio-diverse home to a wide variety of wildlife. These trails will allow users to appreciate the nature that surrounds them, while helping to conserve and protect that sensitive wetlands environment.”
According to C.L.I.M.B. President Michael Vitti, the non-profit organization’s team of volunteers designed and constructed the trails and will continue to maintain them as well. There are currently about two miles of trails finished, with at least four more miles left to create, which will total between five and six miles when completed.
The Town’s agreement with C.L.I.M.B. is enthusiastically endorsed by PWGreen, a local non-profit group that protects natural areas, promotes eco-friendly living, and provides environmental education. The five miles constructed by C.L.I.M.B. at Hempstead Harbor Woods were done without any cost to the town.
C.L.I.M.B. was established in 1990 as a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to the growth and safe enjoyment of mountain bicycling. The organization promotes a strong relationship between recreation and conservation by educating the mountain bicycling community on environmentally sound and socially responsible trail use.
The organization’s trail committee can teach volunteers how to design, build and maintain sustainable recreational mountain bike trails, enhancing the recreational opportunities in public parks.
“C.L.I.M.B. as a public nonprofit is happy to partner with the Town of North Hempstead so we can provide these recreational trails at no charge to their residents,” said C.L.I.M.B. President Michael Vitti. “This area has a unique history as a former sand mine and the trails will be just as unique due to the glacial influences. We designed the trails to be sustainable, meaning they resist the forces of erosion and use but are enjoyable to use. Not only did we build a trail but in the process we built a community of caretakers for Hempstead Harbor Woods.”
A map of the biking trail can be found at trailforks.com/hempstead-harbor-woods-32469/. The southern entrance to the trail can be find on the left-hand side .8 miles past the entrance to Harbor Links Golf Course on West Shore Road. The northern entrance can be found across the street from 145 West Shore Road, marked by a sign for the aerodrome.
Submitted by the Town of North Hempstead and C.L.I.M.B.
