Bald Hill

Bald Hill, in the Town of Brookhaven on Long Island, is one of the island's highest elevations, rising to 101 meters (331 feet). Geologically, the hill is part of the Ronkonkoma Moraine, an Ice Age formation that marks the line where the glacier that shaped Long Island halted its advance. Although locals often call it the island's highest point, that distinction actually belongs to Jayne's Hill in Huntington. The area was settled in the late 18th century as "Bald Hills." When George Washington traveled through the region in 1790, however, he found the hills rather unremarkable. In 1897, the first bicycle path across the island ran through the area, and in the early 1970s County Route 83 was built, which today provides access to two scenic overlooks.

A special chapter of the area's history is the Bald Hill Ski Bowl, which operated as a ski area from 1965 to 1980. The project grew out of an agreement in which a developer gave the town 26 hectares (about 64 acres) of land in exchange for approval to build a residential development nearby. The ski area offered slopes for beginners and intermediate skiers, a T-bar lift, and a chalet lodge. Despite strong attendance in some years and a profitable winter in 1976/77, the weather-dependent business ultimately proved unprofitable and closed. Today the former ski area is home to the Brookhaven Amphitheater, while the old ski lodge building serves as an art gallery.

Today, Bald Hill is best known for its cultural and historic sites. The south overlook is home to a Vietnam Veterans Memorial, dedicated in 1991, featuring a 30-meter (98-foot) obelisk painted in the colors of the American flag. From the roadside overlooks, on clear days you can see as far as Fire Island to the south and Long Island Sound to the north. North of the hill lies the Glacier Ridge Preserve, with a network of 18 kilometers (11 miles) of bike trails. The site is also part of the Bald Hill Cultural Center, which houses the Pennysaver Amphitheater, an open-air venue with a capacity of more than 18,000 spectators.