Trail Center Preserves Legacy of Pine Barrens Champion

The Raymond P. Corwin Pine Barrens Trailhead in Manorville serves as more than just a starting point for hikers. Tucked within Robert Cushman Murphy County Park, the facility has become an important gateway to Long Island’s Central Pine Barrens, offering trail maps, educational displays and a connection to one of the region’s most environmentally significant landscapes.

The trailhead is named for the late Raymond P. Corwin, the longtime environmental leader who served as the first executive director of the Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission and spent 25 years as vice president of the Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference.

Corwin was instrumental in expanding Long Island’s trail network and protecting thousands of acres of open space. In 2013, Suffolk County renamed the Pine Barrens Trail Center in his honor, and in 2018 a 12.7-mile Ray Corwin Trail linking Rocky Point and Yaphank was dedicated to continue his conservation legacy.

Visitors entering the trail center are greeted by information on the Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference, maps of El’s Wampmissic Trail and connecting routes to the Paumanok Path, hiking guidelines, local history and educational displays highlighting more than 150 miles of Greenbelt trails stretching across Long Island.

The Central Pine Barrens are one of New York State’s most unique ecosystems, encompassing more than 100,000 acres of protected woodlands, wetlands and aquifer recharge areas. The forests of pitch pine and scrub oak provide habitat for rare plants and wildlife while protecting the sole-source aquifer that supplies drinking water to much of Long Island. The sandy soils also help filter rainwater before it reaches the underground aquifer.

The trail center itself received a significant boost earlier this year. In June, the Suffolk County Legislature approved a new license agreement authorizing the Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference to continue repairing, maintaining and managing both the Raymond P. Corwin Pine Barrens Trail Center and the historic Manorville Church, which also sits within Robert Cushman Murphy County Park.

The agreement runs for 10 years, with two optional five-year renewals at the county’s discretion. Under the agreement, the nonprofit will maintain the buildings, provide trail maps and information to visitors, and continue operating the site as a hub for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts.

For hikers exploring Long Island’s Pine Barrens, the trailhead remains both an educational resource and a reminder of Corwin’s vision: protecting open space while ensuring future generations can experience it on foot.