An Alternative to the Crowds

Are you looking for an outdoor adventure in the Hamptons where you won’t experience a shortage of parking spaces, parking fees, long lines, crowds or attitudes?

I’ve got the perfect place for you to visit: Scallop Pond Preserve in Southampton.

Scallop Pond Preserve is a hidden gem for all ages to visit in the midst of our frenzied summer season, or any season, for that matter. Bring your kayak, canoe or paddleboard, and you will find yourself surrounded by beauty, nature and peace in this pristine salt marsh. All hassle-free.

Over this past weekend, my husband and I packed up our kayak and headed over to Scallop Pond Preserve for an afternoon on the water. As a bonus, we didn’t have to pay for parking, no permit was needed for our kayak launch, and there was no waiting in line. In fact, my husband and I were the only ones there — of the human kind. If you’re an outdoor or nature enthusiast and want to avoid the crowds, I highly recommend planning a visit.

This seldom-visited salt marsh preserve hosts a wide variety of birds. In fact, over 140 species of birds have been seen and documented in the preserve. If you enjoy bird watching or photography, bring your camera and binoculars, and you may witness many different species of wildlife. Each season brings different species making Scallop Pond their home. It’s an important stopover place for migrating birds, as many rare species have been identified here.

While paddling in a kayak or canoe, I’ve noticed that the wildlife don’t seem to mind me as much as when on foot; they allow me to get much closer. Some of the wildlife we observed over just a few hours were bald eagles, blue herons, great egrets, white egrets, great black-backed gulls, oystercatchers, greater yellowlegs, willets, terns, great cormorants, double crested cormorants, glossy ibis, swans, barn and tree swallows, and even a turtle poking its head above the water.

According to The Nature Conservancy website, the organization that manages Scallop Pond Preserve, this beautiful salt marsh had been used by earlier Native Americans and European colonists as an important food source for fishing and hunting. In the 1970s, several families generously donated six contiguous tracts of land to protect and form Scallop Pond Preserve.

Although many species of birds have been documented to visit, at one time there were even more. This area was heavily hunted in the early 1900s, causing an extinction of several species of ducks and birds.

So, if you are looking for a refreshing fresh breeze, calm waters, no crowds or fees, Scallop Pond Preserve is an option to consider. If you don’t have a kayak, canoe or paddleboard, it’s still a beautiful walk along the dirt road that takes you through the marsh and near the water.

All photos were taken from the kayak during our two-hour paddle. Lots to see — and all for free!