Discover 9 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Fire Island (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Fire Island Lighthouse, Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness, and Smith Point County Park. Also, be sure to include Carrington House in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Fire Island (New York).
Table of Contents
Fire Island Lighthouse
Lighthouse in Fire Island, New York. The Fire Island Lighthouse is a visible landmark on the Great South Bay, in southern Suffolk County, New York on the western end of Fire Island, a barrier island off the southern coast of Long Island. The lighthouse is located within Fire Island National Seashore and just to the east of Robert Moses State Park. It is part of the Fire Island Light Station which contains the light, keepers quarters, the lens building containing the original first-order Fresnel lens, and a boat house.[1]
Address: 4640 Captree Is, 11702 Captree Island (Fire Island)
Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness
National seashore in Fire Island, New York. Fire Island National Seashore is a United States National Seashore that protects a 26-mile section of Fire Island, an approximately 30-mile long and 0.5-mile wide barrier island separated from Long Island by the Great South Bay. The island is part of New York State's Suffolk County and the Outer Barrier.
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.[2]
Smith Point County Park
Park in Fire Island, New York. Smith Point County Park is a beachfront park facing the Atlantic Ocean on the east end of Fire Island, along the central south shore of Long Island, near Shirley, New York, United States. It is the largest park owned by Suffolk County.
The park derives its name from Smith Point, a peninsula on the Long Island mainland that extends into Bellport Bay. The peninsula was named for William "Tangier" Smith, who in the 17th century owned 50 miles (80 km) of ocean-front property in the Manor of St. George. The park is not on the Smith Point peninsula.[3]
Carrington House
Building in New York. The Carrington House is a bungalow located in the hamlet of Cherry Grove, New York. Built around 1912, it was one of the first buildings in Cherry Grove and constructed for Frederick Marquet. It is typical of early buildings on Fire Island. It was acquired by theater director Frank Carrington in 1927, who enlarged the house. Under his ownership, the house was a popular refuge for LGBT artists like Truman Capote; Breakfast at Tiffany's was written there.[4]
Lighthouse Beach
Lighthouse Beach is a small section of the Fire Island National Seashore that is adjacent to Robert Moses State Park on New York's Long Island. It was notable for having sections that were officially designated as clothing optional prior to 2013.
The beach is named for the nearby Fire Island Lighthouse and was formerly the largest recognized clothing optional beach in New York. On 5 February 2013, the Fire Island National Seashore announced its plan to begin enforcing New York State anti-nudity laws on all Fire Island beaches, including Lighthouse Beach, ending clothing optional usage.
The beach is approximately one mile (1.6 km) long and can be defined as the ocean facing beach between Robert Moses State Park and the community of Kismet. Technically, it is in the Town of Islip.[5]
Ocean Beach
Village in New York State. Ocean Beach is a village in the southern part of the Town of Islip, on Fire Island, within Suffolk County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 79.
The Incorporated Village of Ocean Beach is a popular tourist destination, due to its beachfront location accompanied by a commercial district featuring nightlife, hotels, waterfront restaurants, and a variety of stores.[6]
Robert Moses State Park
State park in Fire Island, New York. Robert Moses State Park - Long Island is a 875-acre state park in southern Suffolk County, New York. The park lies on the western end of Fire Island, one of the central barrier islands off the southern coast of Long Island, and is known for its five-mile stretch of beaches on the Atlantic Ocean. The park is accessible from Long Island by the Robert Moses Causeway across Great South Bay.
Established as Fire Island State Park in 1908, the park is the oldest state park on Long Island. Its current name was given to honor Robert Moses, the influential mid-20th century urban planner and former president of the Long Island State Park Commission. Recently, lawmakers have suggested the park should revert to its previous name or to something that better reflects its location.[7]
Cherry Grove Community House and Theatre
Performing arts theater in Fire Island, New York. The Cherry Grove Community House and Theatre is a historic building in Cherry Grove, New York. It played an important part in the development of Cherry Grove as a LGBT town.[8]
Saltaire
Village in New York State. Saltaire is a village on Fire Island in the southern part of the Town of Islip in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The year-round population was 37 at the 2010 census, which, as a summer beach community, increases many times over in the summer.[9]