Consisting of more than five hundred acres of coastal and pine barrens habitat, this unspoiled, wooded peninsula in the Peconic Bay is rimmed with sandy beach and encompasses Little Northwest Creek, a high-quality tidal wetland. The blue-blazed foot trail provides an easy 4 to 5 mile loop hike. Look for rare plants including bushy rockrose, marsh fimbry and beach knotweed. Diamond-back terrapin and Southern leopard frogs live here, along with white-tailed deer, red fox and a host of other native fauna. Be sure to climb one of several hills that provide scenic vistas.
The property is located on Route 114, five miles north of Main Street (Route 27/Montauk Highway) in East Hampton and two miles south of Main Street in Sag Harbor. The Preserve shares an entrance with Sag Harbor State Golf Course.
As a tribute to Ms. Gronlund, a native of Sag Harbor, Barcelona Neck was rededicated as the Linda Gronlund Memorial nature Preserve. Linda Gronlund was aboard the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania during the 9-11 attacks. The preserve was dedicated on September 11, 2004.