Friends of Connetquot River State Park Preserve
FriendsOfConnetquot.org | PO Box 472 | Oakdale, NY | 11769 | Contact Us

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FOC Receives Grants!

The Friends are proud of the support from the foundations whose links appear below. The capacity building grants they have awarded us will greatly help in strengthening our organization for the benefit of Connetquot River State Park Preserve:

The Robert D. L. Gardiner Foundation

New York State Council on the Arts

Parks & Trails New York

Upstate History Alliance

Click here to read the details of these grants

The Friends of Connetquot is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, conservation and history of the 3,473-acre Connetquot River State Park Preserve. We work to help management protect a pristine environment and historic buildings and artifacts. We also support educational programs, fishing facilities and hiking and equestrian trails.

Upcoming Events/Announcements

  • Stained GlassDesigning, Fabricating and Preserving Stained Glass in the 21st Century

    Sunday, September 12, 2021 - 1:00 pm

    Have you ever wondered how stained glass is created? Nancy Nicholson was part of the team of artists who restored the transom of the Club House of the South Side Sportsmen’s Club, here at the Connetquot River State Park Preserve. Nancy will present the step-by-step process of what it takes to restore a stained glass window, along with showing some images of her own work from the design stage to completion.

    Where: Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Main Room

    Lectures are free for members of Friends of Connetquot. Non-members pay $5/person at the door. Seasonal parking rates apply.

    Please visit the event page for more details and to reserve a seat

  • Long Island’s Vanished Heiress: The Unsolved Alice Parsons KidnappingBook Cover

    Sunday, October 10, 2021 - 1:00 pm

    Alice McDonell Parsons was the heir to a vast fortune among Long Island's wealthy elite when she was kidnapped from Long Meadow Farm in Stony Brook in 1937. The crime shocked the nation and was front-page news for several months. Former Suffolk County detective Steven C. Drielak reveals previously classified FBI documents and pieces together the mystery of the Alice Parsons kidnapping.

    Where: Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Main Room

    Lectures are free for members of Friends of Connetquot. Non-members pay $5/person at the door. Seasonal parking rates apply.

    Please visit the event page for more details and to reserve a seat

  • Exploring the Connetquot River State Park PreserveNews12 LI

    News12 Video

    There’s so much to see on the 3,500-acre nature preserve. You can learn a lot of history when you make a reservation to take a tour of the original Southside Sportsman Club. Join News12 Long Island's Elisa Distefano for a tour of the Connetquot River State Park Preserve.

    Click to view on the News12 Website

  • Connetquot: The Way it Was (Video)

    Connetquot: The Way it WasPresented by Craig Kessler

    Take a tour of Connetquot River State Park Preserve and the Sportsman's Club with Craig Kessler and learn about its rich history and the stories behind the preserve and those who have been a part of its legacy.

    Watch the Video

  • Video Tour of the Grist Mill Restoration

    Grist Mill Video Screen CapPresented by John Remmer

    Thanks to a lot of hard work and generous donations, the Friends of Connetquot are proud to announce the restoration of the Nicoll Grist Mill. Watch as John Remmer takes you on a detailed tour of the Grist Mill and explains the restoration project.

    Watch the Video

A stained-glass window that dates back to the late 19th century has been restored and reinstalled at the Sportsman's Club at Connetquot River State Park Preserve.  See the full story behind the history of the transom and its restoration at Newsday.

Restored Transom

Gil Bergen

President's Letter, FOC Newsletter, Spring 2020-21

The President's Letter for Spring 2020-21 has been released:

Here are the highlights:

  • NYS Parks has scheduled the 10th Annual I Love My Park Day with some restrictions.
  • Although many things have been shut down in all of our communities, Connetquot River State Park Preserve is and has been open, and the terrific staff is working hard to improve many of the rooms in the Main Building and the grounds.
  • Our fundraising via donations from wonderful members and friends has been healthy, and we are working toward replacing the tin ceiling in the Fish Room.
  • We have initiated a new newsletter section of information and photos specifically for equestrians.
  • Sadly, we lost former Board Member and Membership Chair Bob Wilson recently.
  • The friends' president was able to participate virtually in “Lobby Day” in Albany this year via Zoom during “Park Advocacy Day.
  • We are also working on redesigning our website.

Please visit the President's Letter page to read the full letter.

OnCell Audio Walking Tour!

Did you know you can take a walking audio tour of Connetquot River State Park Preserve using your own cell phone?  Thanks to OnCell and the Friends of Connetquot, you can learn about the history behind the landmarks of the park such as Mile Marker "50", the various bridges along the trails, the Ice House, Hatchery and more!  Plus, you can find out what to look for as you walk the trails of the park.  It's a whole new way to see Connetquot even if you've been here hundreds of times.

Simply download the map here or get one at the entrance booth as you come in to the park.  Call 631-703-3313 to begin the tour and look for the markers along the trail.  Enter the number on the marker and you'll be treated to a short summary of what you're looking at and what to look for.
Friends of Connetquot | PO Box 472 | Oakdale, NY 11769 | Contact Us