Fire Island National Seashore, Long Island, New York

If you’re looking for an escape that offers extensive backcountry hiking, miles of seashore and secluded campsites, Fire Island National Seashore (Fire Island NS) is the place.

The one-half mile wide barrier island has been a destination for NYC residents for decades due to its proximity to the city, its services and its miles of relatively secluded shoreline. While the island supports a number of very nice seasonal communities that are well worth a visit, the area also supports a range of outdoor activities that will interest both the recreational camper and the more adventurous traveler.

As a barrier Island, Fire Island provides the southern shore of Long Island with a natural defense against the wind and waves of the Atlantic Ocean. A remnant of the glacier that once covered the region, the Island’s north shore is undulating and relatively rocky while the south shore is an expanse of fine, yellow sand extending 30 miles from Robert Moses State Park on the western end of the park to Smith Point County Park on the east. In the 20+ miles between these two high-traffic parks, hikers, naturalists and seclusion minded beach-goers will find lots to enjoy.

Hike Highlights

While a visitor could spend an entire weekend traversing the park and its various dunes, swales, beaches and grassland areas, we recommend taking a look at a couple unique Fire Island sites.

One of the most unique parts of the Fire Island NS is the Sunken Forest–a rare maritime holly forest listed as globally imperiled by The Nature Conservancy. Situated beyond a second set of dunes just a few hundred feet from the Atlantic Ocean, this forest supports a range of plant and animal life endemic to the area. Gnarled from wind and salt spray, the 200 year old trees  which dominate the forest twist amongst one another in a leaf-littered forested of vines and freshwater bogs. Within this cover, The Sunken Forest supports an abundant community of whitetailed deer, song birds and a variety of reptiles and amphibians. Transportation details below.

Another area worth a visit is the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness (Otis Pike Wilderness). Situated roughly halfway between the island’s ends, the 1,380 acre Otis Pike Wilderness is the only designated wilderness area in New York State. Relatively untouched by development, this expanse of dunes, grassland and wildlife habitat is much as it was during New York’s colonial period.

Camping

If planning to camp at the Fire Island NS, there are two options. The first is Watch Hill Campground, a tenting area with access to water, restrooms and electricity. Price: $25/night, with a two-night minimum during the weekend. Option two is Otis Pike Wilderness area, which is reserved for backcountry camping (situated 2-4 miles from services-including potable water. Visitors can fill their bottles at Watch Hill). If tenting at Otis Pike, the rate is $20/night. While there are no identified campsites at Otis Pike, the park does have restrictions on the total number of people who can stay on any given night. Divided into two regions, the western region can support 24 campers and the eastern region can support 12. Check availability and make reservations at recreation.gov. And, as with any wilderness camping situation, observe rules regarding where to pitch your tent, how to cook and clean, as well as how to manage human waste. Details can be found here. Consider visiting the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics to learn more about protecting vulnerable areas while enjoying them.

Getting There

While getting to Fire Island NS takes a bit of planning, it’s well worth the small investment of time and energy.

Trains to Access Fire Island: If living in the greater NYC area, the easiest way to access Fire Island is by mass transit, which will likely include a trip on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and short ferry ride to your destination. But, because Fire Island is quite long, and the distances between towns and sites can be significant, the traveler will need to decide, first, where to go on the LIRR and, second, which ferry service to take (there are two). Let’s start by taking at look at the map below.

As you can see from the map, there are two Long Island towns which run ferry service to Fire Island: Sayville and Patchogue. Round trip fare to Sayville from Penn Station off peak is $25.50. Round trip fare to Patchogue from Penn Station off peak is $25.50.

From the Sayville Marina, the Sayville Ferry Service station offers transport to Sailor’s Haven (providing access to the Sunken Forest and the NPS Visitor Center – $13 round trip), Cherry Grove ($16 round trip) and Fire Island Pines ($16 round trip). The transport time from the marina to port is typically 20-25 minutes.

From the Patchogue Marina, the Davis Park Ferry Company offers transport to Davis Park ($16 round trip) and Watch Hill ($16 round trip). If you’re looking to get as close as possible to the Watch Hill Campground or the Otis Pike Wilderness, you’ll want to take the ferry to Watch Hill. For early spring and fall campers you may need to take the ferry to Davis Park (the Watch Hill ferry does not begin running until the middle of May). The transport time from marina to port is typically 15-20 minutes.

Getting to the Marinas: If arriving at Sayville or Patchogue by LIRR both marinas are within walking distance of the station. From the Sayville station, it’s a 20 minute walk along small side roads to the marina. If headed to Patchogue the distance is a bit less, probably no more than a 15 minute walk. But, if you’re in no mood to walk, taxis are typically at hand at both Sayville and Patchogue train stations. Review the map above for details on the best walking route from the station.

Driving: If driving to the park, you have a number of options depending on what part of the island you’d like to visit. If looking to stay as close to the city as possible, driving to Robert Moses State Park from NYC is relatively straightforward via the Southern State Parkway, though don’t expect much in the way of solitude. Parking rates range from $8-$10/Day. Smith Point County Park is located on the far eastern end of the island, roughly 1.5 hour drive from the city via the Sunrise Highway. Parking rates range from $5-$12/Day.

Important: Other than the parking lots at Robert Moses State Park and Smith Point County Park there are no public roadways on Fire Island. However, if you’re aiming to visit towns west of Cherry Grove, Fire Island Water Taxi does provide limited inter-island water taxi service between Ocean Beach and Cherry Grove.

Those wishing to drive to Sayville or Patchogue will find parking at both marinas in public and private lots. For parking rates at Sayville marina, call 631-589-7548. For parking rates at Patchogue marina, call 631-451-6100.

The Fire Island National Seashore is a magical place to visit. Whether you’re looking for a slow day close to the water, a raucous afternoon at a beach-side bar or an afternoon of solitary walking among the dunes, you’ll find a lot to do–even if visiting for just a single day.