RT Fire Island National Seashore

National seashore that protects a 26-mile section of Fire Island, an approximately 30-mile long barrier island separated from Long Island by the Great South Bay

General Information

Hours:

Open year-round, 24 hours/day
Visitor centers open Memorial Day through Labor Day (hours vary by location)
Watch Hill and Sailors Haven visitor centers: 9am–5pm (seasonal)

Fees:

Free to access the national seashore
Ferry fares: approximately $10–$15 per person round trip from mainland
Robert Moses State Park parking: varies seasonally

Pet Policy:

Leashed pets permitted in most areas; prohibited on some beaches April–August during piping plover nesting season; not allowed inside visitor centers

Closest cities with hotels:

Bay Shore, NY; Patchogue, NY

Seasons:

Year-round; summer for beaches and swimming; spring and fall for birding and hiking; Otis Pike Wilderness accessible all year

Location:

Fire Island, Suffolk County, NY (accessible by ferry from Bay Shore, Sayville, or Patchogue; or by car via Robert Moses Causeway)

Website:

nps.gov/fiis

How to Get There

From Bay Shore, NY (ferry — approximately 30 min to Ocean Beach): Take the Long Island Rail Road to Bay Shore station, then walk to the Fire Island Ferry terminal on Maple Ave. By car, take the Southern State Parkway to Exit 40 (Robert Moses Causeway / NY-908F) south to reach Robert Moses State Park at the western end of the seashore.

Overview

Fire Island National Seashore (FINS) is a national seashore that protects a 26-mile (42 km) section of Fire Island, an approximately 30-mile (48 km) long barrier island separated from Long Island by the Great South Bay. The island is part of New York State's Suffolk County.

There are 17 private communities within the boundaries of Fire Island National Seashore including Saltaire, Fire Island Pines, and Ocean Beach. Only two bridges lead to Fire Island and the national seashore and there are no public roads within the seashore itself. The Robert Moses Causeway leads to Robert Moses State Park on the western end of Fire Island while the William Floyd Parkway leads to the eastern end of the island. The seashore can also be accessed by private boat or by ferry from the communities of Patchogue, Sayville, and Bay Shore on Long Island.

Fire Island National Seashore was established as a unit of the National Park Service on September 11, 1964.

A separate unit of Fire Island National Seashore located on Long Island protects the home and estate of William Floyd, an American Revolutionary War general and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The William Floyd House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is located in Mastic Beach, New York.

Sailor's Haven is home to a popular 1.5 miles (2.4 km) boardwalk trail through an area known as the Sunken Forest as well as a visitor center, general store, and a public marina.

Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness, located on the eastern end of Fire Island, is the only federally designated U.S. Wilderness Area in New York State.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fire Island National Seashore", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0