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3 CARMANS RIVER

OVERVIEW The Carmans is Long Island’s most beautiful and perhaps most protected river. Like all of Long Island’s major rivers, it originates from an underground spring, then flows into a series of small ponds in the center of the island. From there it forms a freshwater river, eventually turning into a saltwater estuary that empties into the Great South Bay. Most of the land along its 10-mile length is designated parkland and is almost completely undeveloped. In fact, New York State has designated the Carmans as a Scenic and Recreational River—a distinction that has helped to protect its natural beauty and make it an extremely popular paddling destination.

Although the Carmans flows almost unimpeded from Yaphank to the Great South Bay, most paddlers choose to break it up into two portions: an upper and lower, separated by the dam at the south end of Southaven County Park. Doing so makes perfect sense logistically (the dam’s portage can be quite tricky) and geographically (the two sections flow through very different habitats).

The upper, freshwater portion of the Carmans River flows through land once owned by a hunting and fishing club in the 1800s. In fact, the river—originally known as the Connecticut—was given its present name to pay homage to the operator of the hunting club, Samuel Carman. Thankfully, Suffolk County obtained the land decades ago and forever protected it by creating the 1,500-acre Southaven County Park. Red maple trees abound along this stretch of river, as do pepperidge trees, honeysuckle bushes, swamp rose bushes, and sprawling groves of bright-blue forget-me-nots. Also common are muskrats, brook trout, wood ducks, and cedar waxwings.

The lower, tidal portion of the Carmans River flows just south of NY 27 (Sunrise Highway). Vastly different from the upper river, this estuarine portion lies almost entirely within the bounds of the Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge, a 2,500-acre property designed to help protect the area for migrating birds. Huge stands of phragmites line most of the river in the refuge, augmented by spartina grasses and other salt-tolerant plants. Great blue herons, great egrets, and ospreys are numerous on the Lower Carmans, as are bluefish and striped bass. More recently, a pair of bald eagles has also been spotted on refuge property.

It seems a shame that the river flows through such beautiful and pristine lands, yet access to its waters is either somewhat limited or completely prohibited altogether. Southaven County Park does allow paddling through its boundaries, but only later in the week and for a fee of $2. On the lower river, there is only one convenient spot to put in, on Montauk Highway. Likewise, Indian Landing and Squassux Landing are the only take-out sites available. The Wertheim refuge prohibits visitors from entering by water. But despite its limited access, the Carmans is a true gem from beginning to end. Many who paddle the river declare it one of the prettiest spots they’ve paddled on the island.

USGS Quadrangles BELLPORT (NY)

Yaphank Avenue to Southaven County Park A

Level		1A
Distance		3.5 miles one-way
Time		2 hours
Navigable Navigablehs		February–March (weekends only), May–October (Thursday–Sunday)
Hazards		Deadfall
Portages		2
Rescue Rescue		Easy
Tidal Tidals		Spring-fed—not affected by tides
Scenery		A+

3A DESCRIPTION The best place to begin your paddle on the Upper Carmans River is just below Lower Lake in Yaphank. Although the paddling is not exactly easy on this stretch of river—the water is very shallow and contains submerged logs and deadfall—the exquisite scenery is well worth the extra effort and care needed to navigate it. Red maple leaves hang low over the river, forming a tunnel of sorts to paddle through, while alder branches fill in most of the gaps left open. Expect to see aquatic plants such as buttonbush, water willow, sweet pepperbush, and arrowhead growing at the river’s edge, with muskrat, great blue heron, wood duck, and white-tailed-deer sightings just as common.

As the river winds its way south, it continues to flow through this narrow, secluded environment until it passes under the Long Island Expressway (I-495) 0.3 mile from the put-in. South of the highway, the river widens a bit, making paddling much easier. The more-open river also gives you the chance to observe the myriad colorful insects (including butterflies, damselflies, and dragonflies) that inhabit the Carmans during spring and summer, as well as the striking plumage of the wood duck during fall. Don’t get too wrapped up in insect- or bird-watching, however, because the river leads to a small waterfall just 0.5 mile from the I-495 overpass. This waterfall is visible directly under the concrete railroad trestle but can be heard much earlier. Daring paddlers may simply head straight over the 2-foot drop, though the more cautious, and perhaps smarter, approach is to land your boat on the right-hand (western) bank before you reach the train trestle. From there you can easily walk your boat over the drop and resume paddling on the other side.

THE UPPER CARMANS RIVER

Once past the waterfall the river widens even more as it enters Southaven County Park. Keep an eye out on land and you should be able to see more pitch-pine trees growing in this new section of river. These trees are known for their resistance to forest fires and are synonymous with the Long Island Pine Barrens region, although they can be found elsewhere across the island. The easiest way to distinguish pitches from other pine trees is by counting the number of needles growing in each bunch: pitch pines will always have three.

The river widens even more past the waterfall, entering Southaven County Park. After 1.5 miles, you’ll reach a concrete dam that requires a short portage. Just as with the waterfall, there is a small landing spot on the right-hand (western) riverbank before the dam. Land your boat there and carry it over to the other side of the drop. From this point on, you’ll be paddling in the section of the river used by rental boats from the park. The water can get very crowded here, especially on summer weekends. If you stay close to the left (east) riverbank, though, you should be able to avoid most of the boat traffic.

You can end your trip at the rental-boat docks on the right-hand side of the river, in the wide portion known as Hards Lake. You can also continue farther south, paddling the Lower Carmans River to its mouth in Bellport Bay. To do so, you must portage your boat around yet another waterfall. You should be cautious if this is your plan. The current is very swift on the other side of the portage, requiring strength and care when putting your boat back in the water. A better idea is to paddle to the take-out spot in Southaven County Park and simply drive your boat to the next put-in.

SHUTTLE DIRECTIONS To get to the put-in, take the Long Island Expressway (Interstate 495) to Exit 67N (Yaphank Avenue). Turn right onto Yaphank Avenue and travel north about 0.3 mile. You will see the put-in on the east side of the road, across from the Yaphank Lower Lake. You should drop your boat off here but park down the road a bit. To do so, head back the way you came on Yaphank Avenue, taking your first right turn onto Long Island Avenue. There will be a small parking lot on the corner as you turn. Follow the signs and park your car in any available spot.

To get to the take-out from I-495, take Exit 68S (William Floyd Parkway). Travel south on William Floyd Parkway 2.7 miles until you reach Victory Drive. Turn right onto Victory Drive and follow the signs to Southaven County Park and the boat launch.

GPS COORDINATES

Put-in

N40° 50.113′ W72° 54.971′

Take-out

N40° 48.351′ W72° 39.822′

B Montauk Highway to Squassux Landing

Level		1A
Distance		5 miles one-way
Time		2–3 hours
Navigable Navigablehs		Year-round
Hazards		None
Portages		None
Rescue Rescue		Limited
Tidal Tidals		Any
Scenery		A+

3B DESCRIPTION Unless you’re continuing a paddle from the Upper Carmans, the floating dock at the vacant kayak-rental shop on Montauk Highway is the best place to launch on the lower river. You will enter the water just south of the NY 27 (Sunrise Highway) overpass and just north of NY 27A (Montauk Highway). Once you’re on the water, the excitement of being there and the immediate beauty of your surroundings may combine to urge you south. Just a short paddle north, however, lies an interesting structure that you may not want to pass by: a fish ladder, designed to help fish like alewives swim upstream. Alewives are anadromous, meaning they spend the majority of their lives in salt water but spawn in fresh water. With a dam effectively separating the upper, freshwater portion of the Carmans from the lower, marine portion, alewives were long prohibited from returning to their spawning grounds. Thankfully, the fish ladder was installed in 2008, making the alewives’ lives much easier.

After turning south and passing under Montauk Highway (NY 27A), you’ll be paddling within the borders of Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge’s headquarters will come into view on the western bank as the river continues south. As it does, a large island will also appear in the center of the river. Both sides of the island are navigable, although the eastern shore is more protected and may give you a better chance of seeing wildlife. The island itself has a slightly barren appearance due to fire. In the spring of 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a controlled burn on the island to rid it of an invasive plant known as phragmites. This plant is known to crowd out naturally occurring plants that are beneficial to local wildlife. While the burn was somewhat successful, it is amazing to see how tenaciously the phragmites has grown back in the three years since.

Past the island, the river takes on a different appearance. Gone are the red maple and birch trees that lined its shores; present in their place are huge stands of cattails and phragmites. If you keep an eye out on the western riverbank for breaks in the reeds, you may discover some side creeks to explore. The northernmost stream, Yaphank Creek, is almost 3 miles south of your put-in. Follow it and you will be led as far north as Montauk Highway. Little Neck Run, another side creek, lies 0.5 mile south of Yaphank Creek. Between these two creeks, on the opposite riverbank, is Indian Landing. This small beach, once a meeting sight for the Unkechaug Indians, is the perfect spot to beach your boat, have a snack, and stretch your legs. There is also a 0.8-mile nature trail that you can walk in less than an hour.

Many paddlers turn back around after leaving Indian Landing, paddling upstream to the put-in and their cars. The current is usually slow enough to make this easy. Another option, though, is to continue south for another 0.5 mile to the take-out at Squassux Landing. You may also decide to head 1 mile farther downstream to Long Point, the last bit of land before the river drains into the Great South Bay. You will still have to head back to Squassux Landing from there, however, as there is no take-out nearby.

SHUTTLE DIRECTIONS To get to the put-in, take NY 27 (Sunrise Highway) to Exit 58S (William Floyd Parkway). Travel south on William Floyd Parkway, turning right at the second intersection onto NY 27A (Montauk Highway). Stay on Montauk Highway 1 mile, and you will see the vacant kayak outfitter and its dock on your right.

To get to the take-out at Squassux Landing, take Sunrise Highway to Exit 57S (Old Horseblock Road). Old Horseblock Road will end at Montauk Highway, where you should turn right. Take Montauk Highway until you reach your second left turn, Yaphank Avenue. Yaphank Avenue eventually merges into Old Stump Road and leads you to Beaver Dam Road. Turn left on Beaver Dam Road, and the dock at Squassux Landing will be straight ahead.

GPS COORDINATES

Put-in

N40° 48.111′ W72° 53.107′

Take-out

N40° 46.440′ W72° 53.776′

Tide station

Smith Point Bridge, NY

N40° 44.318′ W72° 52.034′