Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
How to Get There

Theodore Roosevelt selected Sagamore Hill as his home for its remote location, yet today it is accessible from the nation's largest city. Modern day directions to the site are listed below.

Tours of the Roosevelt home are offered only on a first-come, first-serve basis; tours are limited in size, offered every half-hour and are often sold out by midday in the summer and weekends. The shortest waiting time for tours and best tour ticket availability is before Noon. Make travel plans accordingly.  For further information, call (516) 922-4788.

Traveling Trivia:

• Travel on Long Island is best measured in time, not miles.
• The average speed for freeways is about 30 miles/hour. Yes, you might go 70 miles/hour for three minutes, then its 5 miles/hour for the rest of the trip.
• Getting to Long Island involves paying a toll for a bridge or tunnel.
• Leaving Long Island involves paying a toll for a bridge or tunnel.
• Parkways in New York were designed in the 1930's for use by passenger automobiles. Their low overpass clearances are purposely designed to prohibit use by recreational vehicles, commercial bus and truck traffic. Their on-ramps and off-ramps can be frightfully short.
• Expressways are open for all traffic which includes recreational vehicles, commercial buses and trucks.
• Many traffic ways in the metro-New York area are prime habitat for concrete construction barriers, orange construction cones and barrels.
• If you are using internet mapping websites to find Sagamore Hill, be mindful that Sagamore Hill Road is not always shown. Nearest cross street is Cove Neck Road. Nor is the site properly shown on those internet mapping services. The site, more specifically, the visitor center at 12 Sagamore Hill Road is at the very end of the road, not the beginning.

By Auto, Bus or Recreational Vehicle from Interstate I-495 - Long Island Expressway (LIE) :

• Take the Oyster Bay Exit 41N onto Route 106 North (Oyster Bay) and travel for 4 miles to Route 25A.
• Turn right on Route 25A East and travel for 2.5 miles to the third traffic light.
• At the third traffic light, at the base of a long hill, turn left onto Cove Road and travel for 1.7 miles.
• A sign on a blind curve will read: "TR Sanctuary/Sagamore Hill, 300 feet." Turn right at the next road beyond that sign onto Cove Neck Road and travel for 1.5 miles, following the signs to Sagamore Hill.

New England and Upstate to Interstate I-495 - Long Island Expressway (LIE) :

• From I-95 / New England Expressway or the southbound Hutchinson Parkway, take exits leading to the Throgs Neck or Whitestone Bridges. Both bridges have a $4.00 toll to and from Long Island.

• From the Throgs Neck Bridge: Take I-295 / Clearview Expressway to I-495 East / Long Island Expressway.
• Travel 14 miles east to Oyster Bay Exit at Exit 41N (Oyster Bay/Hicksville Exit).

• From the Whitestone Bridge: As you leave the Whitestone Bridge toll booths, move to far left lane and take Cross Island Parkway exit to the left immediately after leaving the bridge.
• Take the Cross Island for about 5 miles to I-495 East / Long Island Expressway.
• Travel 11 miles east to Oyster Bay Exit at Exit 41N (Oyster Bay/Hicksville Exit).

• At Exit 41N (Oyster Bay/Hicksville Exit): Take Route 106 North  and travel for 4 miles to Route 25A.
• Turn right on Route 25A East and travel for 2.5 miles to the third traffic light.
• The third traffic light is at the base of a long hill. Turn left onto Cove Road and travel for 1.7 miles.
• A sign on a blind curve will read: "TR Sanctuary/Sagamore Hill, 300 feet." Turn right at the next road beyond the sign onto Cove Neck Road
• Travel for 1.5 miles, following the signs to Sagamore Hill.

By Auto from the Northern State (N) or Grand Central Parkways (GCP): The Grand Central Parkway turns into the Northern State Parkway as it leaves the New York City (Queens) about Milepost 30. As a matter of information, New York parkways are designed for use by passenger automobiles. Their low overpass clearances are purposely designed to prohibit recreational vehicles, commercial bus and truck traffic. Expressways are open for all traffic.

• Take the Oyster Bay Exit 35N onto Route 106 North (Oyster Bay) and travel for 4 miles to Route 25A.
• Turn right on Route 25A East and travel for 2.5 miles to the third traffic light.
• The third traffic light is at the base of a long hill. Turn left onto Cove Road and travel for 1.7 miles.
• A sign on a blind curve will read: "TR Sanctuary/Sagamore Hill, 300 feet."
• Turn right at the next road beyond the sign onto Cove Neck Road.
• Travel for 1.5 miles, following the signs to Sagamore Hill.

By Auto from the Meadowbrook (M) and Wantaugh Parkways (W):

• Take either parkway north to the Northern State Parkway and travel east.
• Take the Oyster Bay Exit 35N onto Route 106 North (Oyster Bay) and travel for 4 miles to Route 25A.
• Turn right on Route 25A East and travel for 2.5 miles to the third traffic light.
• The third traffic light is at the base of a long hill. Turn left onto Cove Road and travel for 1.7 miles.
• A sign on a blind curve will read: "TR Sanctuary/Sagamore Hill, 300 feet."
• Turn right at the next road beyond the sign onto Cove Neck Road.
• Travel for 1.5 miles, following the signs to Sagamore Hill.

By Auto from the Southern State Parkway (S):

• Take Southern State Exit 28AN to Route 135 North (Seaford/Oyster Bay Expressway) for 10 miles.
• Take Seaford-Oyster Bay Exit 14E (Woodbury) to Route 25 East (Jericho Turnpike).
• Travel Route 25 East to the third traffic light and turn left on to South Woods Road, following South Woods to its end, about 1.6 miles.
• Turn right on to Cold Springs Road and travel 1 mile to its intersection with Route 25A.
• Turn left on to Route 25A West and travel 0.7 miles downhill to the stoplight.
• At the stoplight, turn right on Cove Road and travel 1.7 miles.
• A sign on a blind curve will read: "TR Sanctuary/Sagamore Hill, 300 feet."
• Turn right at the next road beyond the sign onto Cove Neck Road.
• Travel for 1.5 miles, following the signs to Sagamore Hill.

By Rail:

AMTRAK serves New York City through Penn Station. The Long Island Railroad www.lirr.org/lirr   or  www. mta.info  provides service from Penn Station and Queens Jamacia Station through the Oyster Bay Branch to Oyster Bay (3 miles from Sagamore Hill) - OR -. more frequent service on the Port Jefferson Branch to Syosset (6 miles from Sagamore Hill). Both stations are in Fare Zone 7 and tickets from one train can be used on the other. Travel time from Penn Station is about 1.5 hours. Taxis generally meet all trains at Syosset, less so at Oyster Bay. Cab fares from the stations average $9 from Oyster Bay, $11 from Syosset, with $2 for additional passengers. We urge rail travelers to start early in the day.


As a historic note, the 1902 Oyster Bay railroad station was used by Theodore Roosevelt used during his years as president.

Hiking: Hiking the three miles from the Oyster Bay railroad station or the Oyster Bay Marina is not recommended. Cove Road is narrow with shoulders of varied width. The fast paced traffic presents significant hazards to pedestrians. Upon leaving the village, Cove Road runs through exclusive rural residential neighborhoods where a premium is placed on privacy. The are no restrooms, water, or food service along the route. There is no food service at the park. On days of high visitation, tour tickets of the Roosevelt home will generally be sold out by early afternoon.

• For those willing to hike it, here is how it goes: Walk south from the old railroad station one block to the bandstand and Audrey Avenue. Turn left at the bandstand and head east on Audrey Street.
• One long block away at South Street, Audrey Avenue becomes East Main Street. About mile further, East Main becomes Cove Road. Don't worry, its all the same stretch of asphalt...
• Follow Audrey Street / East Main Street / Cove Road route for about 2 miles to the junction of Cove Neck Road on the left. (Theodore Roosevelt is buried at Youngs Cemetery, uphill on the right.)
• Turn left on Cove Neck Road and travel 1.1 miles to the junction of Sagamore Hill Road on the right.
• Turn right on Sagamore Hill Road and travel 0.4 miles until it ends... at the very top of the hill (164 feet, more or less...).
• Sidewalks are only present for a third of the route. En route, stay on the left side of the road on the village sidewalks and for the wider shoulder on Cove Road. On Cove Neck Road, a sidewalk follows along the breakwater about ½ mile on the left and picks up again 200 yards later the right side of the road. It will lead to the park.

By Air:

• Long Island is served by three airports: Kennedy International (JFK) and LaGuardia (LGA) in New York City or MacArthur (ISP) at Islip, New York. Each airport is within about 30 miles (45-60 minutes since average travel time on Long Island is about 30 mph) of Sagamore Hill.
  
• Rental cars and taxis are available at all airports, but rates maybe high, inquire with your travel agent ahead of time. New York Bus Service provides shuttle connections from each airline terminal at JFK and LGA to the Long Island Railroad Jamaica Station. For specifics, inquire with your travel agent or at the ground transportation desks at the airports. For rental car drivers, here are directions:
  
• ISP - About 29 miles to Sagamore Hill. Take State Route 454 / Veterans Highway west from the airport to the westbound Long Island Expressway / I-495, then to Exit 41N - OR - beyond that interchange, a few miles further west on State Route 454, take the Northern State Parkway west to Exit 35N.
  
• JFK - About 28 miles to Sagamore Hill. Take the Belt Parkway east to the northbound Cross Island Parkway. Continue to Grand Central/Northern State Parkways east to Exit 35N - OR - beyond that interchange a mile further north take the Long Island Expressway / I-495 east to Exit 41N.
  
• LGA -About 27 miles to Sagamore Hill. Take the Grand Central Parkway east from the airport to the Long Island Expressway / I-495 east and on to Exit 41N - OR - continue east on the Grand Central / Northern State Parkway to Exit 35N.

By Bus:

• The Long Island Bus connects with New York City buses, but does not serve the immediate Sagamore Hill / Oyster Bay area. Syosset and Jericho (6 miles) or Long Island Railroad station at Hicksville (10 miles) is the closest service and a taxi would be required from those points. Rail/Taxi is the more practical public transportation option.

By Private Boat:

• Sagamore Hill is within a mile of Oyster Bay Harbor and the Long Island Sound, but there is no public access or docking facility nearby. The Oyster Bay Marina is about three miles away and about a block from the Oyster Bay Long Island Railroad station. Cab service is available. In making your weekend sailing plans, contact the Oyster Bay Harbor Master at (516) 624-6201.

Sagamore Hill Home Page | Extended Homepage

Last Updated:Wednesday, 22-Dec-2004 10:05:06 Eastern Standard Time
http://www.nps.gov/archive/sahi/travel/index.htm
Editor: Michael Shaver