Today we went to one of our favorite quick walks. It’s a former landfill turned nature preserve. We must have passed it a hundred times over the years and made comments on it without ever realizing what is was currently.

It doesn’t look like much when passing on the Meadowbrook Parkway, just another hill. However, it’s one of the best trends one could ask for nowadays. Taking just more wasted space and turning it into a beautiful place to experience nature and a nice beautiful walk.

One starts off by driving into what at first we thought was a mistake. The park sits behind the Hempstead waste management facility. When once first turns town the street (I thought it was a mistake at first with just a tiny unassuming sign on a light post) the first greeting is that of sanitation trucks. However, once past the speed bumps and stop signs, one comes to the quaint parking lot with “administration” trailers and a little parking lot.

Being so close to the parkway, one couldn’t imagine any type of solitude but exiting the car and beginning the trail, one would think they are somewhere completely different. you start the trail by passing the local “working goats” brought in to keep the grass and invasive plant life in check. Yes, that’s right, these “Nigerian” goats are there to help keep the plant life in check and you know they have been hard at work as you attempt to avoid the sections of goat feces on the trail (evidence of their dedicated work ethic).

This is more of a leisurely trail and just a place to get away and walk outside of your neighborhood sidewalk or school track. The trail is made of broken sea shells on top of a manmade cloth. It lends itself to the “going green” mantra of the park, but sure becomes a bit of enough when crunching away over the hours.

This is not a big park, but the time spent walking the trails in circles and being able to walk out on the pier to enjoy the clear bay water really add up. If you decide to take the path to the top, one will come to an area with two ponds (one full of lily’s) and a “figurehead” windmill. The original windmill that actually provided power was destroyed over time from the wind, rain, snow, ice, and time.

Despite being adjacent to the parkway, it really does give one a place to safely walk and get away. It, also, allows one to see how we can really turn manmade structures into a way to allow locals to get back to a time before concrete structures.

The park is free and open year round. If you’re in the neighborhood you should really check it out. Heck if you get bored, you can go next door and hit a few balls at the golf course. Or, when you’re at the top and don’t feel like taking an hour and half drive or a $30 train ride, you can get a beautiful glimpse of the New York City skyline. Nothing more beautiful on a crisp winter day. Sky as clear as they come that you can see 50 miles or more.

Ladies and gentlemen, it might not seem like much but it’s sure worth checking out.

Say hi to the goats for us as you pass by.

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Chris & Ola