Contact
Visit Us
1 Playland Pkwy. Rye, NY 10580
(914)-967-8720
Visitor Center Hours: Open 10AM – 4PM, Closed Sundays
Trails: Open daily, dawn to dusk. No dogs or bicycles please.
Plan Your Visit
Directions
From I-95, Northbound or Southbound take Exit 19 (Playland Parkway) to Playland. If you are a member of the sanctuary, your membership card will allow you to open the automatic gate in the far LEFT lane at the parking booths at Playland’s main entrance. Continue driving to the back right side of the main parking lot by the Dragon Coaster ride. You’ll see another automatic gate. Tap your card again, and continue straight down the road into the sanctuary. Manursing Lake is on the left and Long Island Sound and Kayak Launch area are on the right. There is a parking area in front of the visitor center. Please do not park on the grassy areas. See our google map insert for more detailed directions.
When Playland is in operation, non-members will have to pay Playland’s parking fee, park in Playland’s lot, and walk down the road to the sanctuary.
How To Use Your Card
Sanctuary Rules
Sanctuary Rules are for your safety and the protection of our wildlife. Thank you for joining the Friends of Read Wildlife Sanctuary! The 179-acre sanctuary offers 3-miles of walking trails, access to 1/4-mile of the Long Island Sound shoreline, and a nature center that offers educational programming and interactive nature education exhibits. Membership dues support ongoing improvements and enhancements for visitors and wildlife.
Enjoy and Explore!
Relax in Nature
Take a break from your busy life and enjoy simply relaxing while being surrounded by the beauty of nature!
Year Round Birding
Year-round birding. The sanctuary has been officially recognized as “An Important Bird Area” by the National Audubon Society. During the spring and summer months, Osprey can be observed nesting on the platform near the lake. Bird feeders at the nature center area are stocked from October through April.
Nature Trails
Nature trails for easy walking through Meadows, Fields, and Forested habitats
Pollinator Garden
Our walk-in Pollinator Garden is a showcase of native plant species that are deer-browse resistant and will attract an abundance of bees, butterflies, and even humming birds. You can plant these species in your own backyard or even in pots on your deck and help pollinators by providing nectar and pollen food sources. Informational panels in the garden educate and encourage visitors to learn about the needs of our local pollinator species, and a list of flowers that you can plant.
Long Island Sound
A view of Long Island Sound is just a short walk from the nature center parking area
Observation Beehive
What do honeybees do all day? Come look at our Observation Beehive case inside the nature center and see for yourself! Watch the worker bees build the honeycomb, fill it with honey, and tend to the brood cells, and take care of collecting nectar and pollen. If you are lucky, you may spot the queen bee as she comes out to lay her eggs.
Educational Exhibits
Interactive educational exhibits, paid for by membership dues, are in the process of being created during the next year. Stop in and see the exhibits we have so far, which include a microscope station, interactive map of the sanctuary, and a match-up quiz exhibit.
Nature Education Programs
Nature education programs are offered on most Saturday’s during the year. Check the Friends website for current offerings.
Nature Photographers and Artists
Nature Photographers and artists will find a great many subjects throughout the year, from the macro to micro. There are always wildlife subjects, landscapes, and the many textures of the natural world that will attract your eye and speak to your heart.
Talk With Our Friendly Staff
Have a nature observation or question? Stop by and talk with the friendly nature center staff.
