Located at the eastern end of Long Island and the farthest you can go in New York State sits Camp Hero. Most people when they hear about Long Island think of the Hamptons or Montauk lighthouse. And though they are great places to visit, most people drive right by some of the best trails and history Long Island has to offer.

Camp Hero is home to not only scenic trails and surfing destinations, but a former military installation as well. We started our walk at the bluffs, with the first trail being Battery 113.

As you wind along the trail through the woods, you’re constantly going up and down little valleys and crossing over wooden bridges that span a continuous tiny stream. It’s a very relaxing walk and if you’re lucky may even see some wildlife like the deer we saw and scared the heck out of me.

After coming to the end of that trail, you come to an open lot where you can see the remnants of an old military battery and Air Force radar installation that was in use until 1980 and the last remaining of it’s kind.

To see the size of the concrete structures where the large guns used to be is staggering. It’s hard to imagine how large they were even seeing the example and pictures in the information sign standing in front of the battery where the gun would have stood. The artillery shells were enormous.

Now, despite being fenced off, the building and radar tower are hard to imagine as well. It looks like your radar dish at the airport if it were on steroids. Even though you can’t get close, it’s worth just witnessing and trying to imagine it in use.

If you continue walking the road, you can come to the White trail and a second battery on trail Battery 112. It’s just so amazing that all of this was in place to protect the U.S. on Long Island and so few know about it.

Next, if you turn to the white trail directly across from the second battery installation, you get to enjoy some more relaxing paths and bridges and even a little birdhouse before coming to a road leading you either back to old Montauk highway or the option to walk back the bluffs.

Of course we chose the bluffs.

It was a wonderful walk through a bit less relaxing bit of trail. The paths were narrower and full of low bushes that scratched and tugged at all your clothing. Also, we had gone right after a heavy rain and the trails were soggy at the best and underwater at others. In the middle of this path, you will come to a small tower that is supposed to help migratory birds. Passing that, one continues along the bluff with beautiful views of the erosion of the land, the lighthouse, and the expansive Atlantic Ocean.

Continuing, one walks on the path with water and higher and higher grass lending to put belief it is not as frequently used or even known about since most are interested in the lighthouse and beaches as mentioned.

Coming to the end of the path we walked up a dirt road intended for anglers where we stopped at a break in the vegetation to see the beach covered in foam and a few surfers waiting to catch a ride on a wave.

Now a few notes. Heed the warnings to stay back from the edge of the bluffs as you cannot tell if they are undercut. The view is just as spectacular from a few feet back and safer. Also, as mentioned, due to the flooded trails, we had to walk on the edge on the higher grasses and vegetation. It is later in the year and didn’t think much about it but when getting back to the car, we found a tick on us. Regardless of when you go, take caution and put on insect repellent designed for ticks as well as giving yourself and others in your group a thorough look over at the end of the hike.

Montauk is beautiful. Enjoy it. Both the popular and the little known.

-Chris & Ola