To view brilliant fall colors without going to New England, try Mashomack Preserve on Shelter Island. With over 2,000 acres of natural area, the preserve spans a variety of plant and animal habitats and offers a spectacular view of changing foliage.

Throughout Mashomack Preserve there are surprises at every turn including a charming bridge on the trails. Photo by Sheila Cosgrove Baylis

For the most dazzling colors, plan your day trip for Halloween through November. "The middle to end of October we start to see more changing colors," says Education and Outreach Coordinator Cindy Belt. "It's going to be a couple more weeks."

Perfect for families, couples, or some thoughtful time alone, Mashomack has trails for every kind of hiker. "Our red trail is a very good one to introduce people to what we have here at the preserve," Belt said. "You get to see the fresh water ponds and the salt marsh."

The color-coded paths range from one to 10 miles, and the visitor's guide recommends how much time to allot for each trail. Informative signs indicate flora and fauna for those who want to tell a huckleberry bush from a highbush blueberry.

In the fall, Mashomack serves as a popular migration stopover point, making it a paradise for bird watchers. The preserve is home to over 200 species, including black duck, Canada geese, hooded mergansers, and other waterfowl that spend the season in the salt marshes and surrounding bays. Also, chipmunks and squirrels are easy to spot, and if you're lucky and quiet, you may find an elegant deer, a shy muskrat, or a painted turtle basking on a sunny log.

With its woodlands, fields, salt marshes, and sandy coastline, Mashomack, is sometimes called the "Gem of the Peconic," and well worth the $12 ferry ride from the Hamptons.

 • Mashomack Preserve is located on 79 South Ferry Road on Shelter Island. For more information, call 631-749-1001 or visit www.nature.org/mashomack.