#mill pond preserve and adam d rand memorial trail

[cathikesny]

MILL POND PARK (& ADAM D. RAND MEMORIAL TRAIL)

I feel like this is a really a hyper-local park, as in, not every park is worth coming in from out of town for and honestly, not every park has to be either. Some places are just meant for the locals. This park absolutely serves its purpose of being a lovely place to take a calm and easy walk on a paved loop-trail and to see some nice waterfowl if that’s something you’re into. 

💰 : FREE

⏰ : Open from dusk to dawn, 365 days a year

📍 : 2935 Merrick Road, Wantagh, Long Island (sometimes listed as being in Bellmore.. it's very on the border of both towns)

♿️ : trail is completely paved, however there is NO designated handicapped parking spots

🏃‍♀️ : beginner intenstity

🐶 : dog are allowed but must remain on leash

🚗 : only unmetered street parking 

📸 : moderate, high if you like ducks though..

In order to not accidentally end up hiking up to Twin Lakes, if you started the loop path by going to the right first, when looking at the pond, I tend to take the left turn at the bridge when you get near the Parkway, to remain inside the loop of Mill Pond Park.

Now, some parks, have old mansions or the ruins of old mansions, some have lots of features like bird sanctuary habitats or or even plaques explaining local wildlife scattered around the trails; this is NOT any of those things. Mill Pond is very no frills, but that’s fine. Preserves like these serve a real purpose and a real service to the local community they reside in. Communities, especially in the monotonous suburbs, are absolutely worthless without diversity of nature and ecology. Honestly, who wants to live in a place where the only trees are between the sidewalk and the street and have to be cut back so as to not mess with your cable lines? The only time that's acceptable is when you live in a big city, and Wantagh is NOT a big city.

Now, some parks, have old mansions or the ruins of old mansions, some have lots of features like bird sanctuary habitats or or even plaques explaining local wildlife scattered around the trails; this is NOT any of those things. Mill Pond is very no frills, but that’s fine. Preserves like these serve a real purpose and a real service to the local community they reside in. Communities, especially in the monotonous suburbs, are absolutely worthless without diversity of nature and ecology. Honestly, who wants to live in a place where the only trees are between the sidewalk and the street and have to be cut back so as to not mess with your cable lines? The only time that's acceptable is when you live in a big city, and Wantagh is NOT a big city.

Parks are necessary. People need nature. 

Mill Pond really is nothing special. It has no discernible history that I could find and definitely no special features besides the beautiful pond that make it anymore exciting than its nearby counterparts, and yet, I come here often. I’ve seen some really cool birds here, the trees are really lovely and the paths are well maintained. I’m not sure what more you can ask for when you’re looking for just a simple and small dose of nature. 

The uniqueness of this park lies in the micro-ecosystem of Mill Pond and its plethora of waterfowl, and also how dangerously close a person can get to just walking directly onto the Wantagh Parkway… There are so many parks like this up in Westchester too and they really baffle me every time. Not even a low fence to step over….

I digress… Mill Pond Preserve is a really well-maintained park, regardless of the time of year, and worth your time if you have a spare forty-five minutes and want to take in some easy and beautiful nature. 

This does NOT make my “Run, Don’t Walk” list, but it’s being included so I obviously think it’s worth something. 

Just a small and unusual P.S. for me:

I had to look this up, and I thought it would be nice to mention that Adam Rand was a local of Bellmore (the park is really on the border of the two towns) and a career firefighter who lost his life when the Twin Towers collapsed as he was trying to help evacuate people on September 11th and this park would be a fitting honor for anyone who was that much of a hero.