Presidents, Parks, & Coastlines: A Four-Day RV Journey Through Long Island

Theodore Roosevelt’s Home at Sagamore Hill and the American Air Power Museum in Farmington

Theodore Roosevelt’s Home at Sagamore Hill

Visitors can take guided tours of the 23-room mansion, which is filled with original furnishings, including furniture from Roosevelt’s parents’ home and trophies from Roosevelt’s hunting trips in Africa and across the country. Exhibits at the home not only highlight Roosevelt’s political career, but his role as a conservationist.

Roosevelt's greatest legacy relates to federal parklands. Many RVers have seen photos of Roosevelt's famous 1903 trip to Yosemite with John Muir, during which time Muir lobbied the president not only to expand federal protection for Yosemite, adding Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias to Yosemite National Park, but to establish other areas across the country as federal parklands. 

Roosevelt’s estate itself is a testament to his interest in wilderness preservation. Visitors can explore the estate's grounds, which reflect his love for nature and offer a firsthand experience of the biodiversity he championed.

The American Air Power Museum in Farmington

After touring Roosevelt’s home, visit the American Air Power Museum in Farmington. The museum is located on the site of the historic Fairfield Flying Field, which was home to the Grumman and Seversky aircraft companies whose aircraft became famous during World War II. Today, in addition to showcasing historic aircraft, the museum offers a D-Day living history experience that includes a short flight in a C-47 aircraft with historical reenactors. Additional flight experiences are also available on historic aircraft. The museum also features exhibits that honor the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, World War II Prisoners of War, Women Air Service pilots, Tuskegee Airmen, Republic Aviation, the Vietnam War and war correspondents.

Planting Fields Arboretum and Oheka Castle

Planting Fields Arboretum

Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park is on the National Register of Historic Places. It features over 400 acres of rolling lawns, gardens, woodlands, and nature walks. The Camellia Greenhouse displays the largest collection of camellias in the Northeast, while the Main Greenhouse has extensive collections of hibiscus, orchids, succulents, and seasonal displays. A variety of guided tours, special events and courses are offered year round. However, guided tours of Coe Hall, the Tudor Revival-style residence of the Coe family with its century-old furnishings, are only available from April to September.

Oheka Castle

Planting Fields Arboretum is about a 20-minute drive from Oheka Castle, which is another beautiful mansion worth seeing. With tours available on select dates, and an on-site restaurant open daily to the public for lunch and dinner, reservation suggested, Oheka is a must-see on Long Island’s Gold Coast. At the time of its construction, the 109,000-square-foot, 127-room French-style chateau was—and still is today—the second-largest private residence ever built in the United States, landing it on the National Register of Historic Places list. 

Sands Point Preserve and North Fork

Sands Point Preserve

Sands Point Preserve is a 216-acre park on the original Guggenheim Estate. The preserve, operated by the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy, offers guided tours through early 20th century mansions as well as educational and cultural programs. Tours of one of the mansions, Falaise, are available through October 26. Fall activities, which are listed on the preserve’s online calendar of activities, include a fall fun fest, a guided fall color walk, and a wilderness survival class.

North Fork

After visiting the preserve, head east to check out the North Fork area of Long Island, which has over 60 wineries and vineyards, as well as numerous breweries and distilleries and great restaurants. You’ll see local farm stands along the way where you can stop for fresh produce, homemade pies and jams, flowers, and grocery items.

Montauk Point Lighthouse and Coopers Beach

Montauk Point Lighthouse

Start the day with a visit to Montauk Point Lighthouse, which was commissioned by President George Washington in 1792. It was the first lighthouse built in New York and the fourth-oldest working lighthouse in the nation. It is located on the easternmost point of Long Island.

It’s important to note that there’s access to Montauk from North Fork by ferry and road. If taking the ferry, you must reserve your seat in advance and check if your RV’s size is acceptable. Discover Long Island has a detailed map of the layout of Long Island.

Coopers Beach

Then, head over to Coopers Beach to enjoy a relaxing afternoon.  This white sand beach near Southampton is frequently listed as one of the top 10 beaches in the country due to its scenic setting that combines nature with nearby historic mansions.