Paddling Long Island and New York City. Kevin Stiegelmaier

       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

      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.