Visit Fire Island National Seashore This Summer

The Fire Island National Seashore is operated by the National Parks Service. Fire Island is a barrier Island off the South Coast of Long Island, and the National Seashore is only a part of it, but there is enough going on in the park to make for a full vacation, as a matter of fact it could fill your whole summer.

The first place to visit is the Wilderness Visitor Center.. This is the place to get any permits you may need and to find out what is going on, if there are any restrictions in place, if any parts of the park are closed to the public, in other words, get the whole picture so you will be ready to enjoy everything the park has to offer.

The beaches on the South Shore of Long Island are superb and the Fire Island Beaches are some of the best of the best. But there is much more than the beaches. During the summer you can visit many historical places such as

The Fire Island Lighthouse
The current lighthouse was built in 1858 and is still in operation today. You can view the exhibits, take a guided tour, explore the nature trail, walk on the beach and go birdwatching.

Pack a picnic lunch and visit the Sunken Forest at Sailor's Haven. You can go swimming here, there are picnic tables and grills available. The park rangers will conduct guided tours, or you can just stroll along the boardwalk.

Watch Hill is one of the best parts of the park. It has campsites and one of the best, and least crowed of the beaches. If you want to camp in the Wilderness area, you need to get a permit from the Wilderness Visitor Center. You can take a ranger guided tour or set out on your own to explore the nature trail.

William Floyd Estate
The house and estate have been keeping watch over the seashore for over 250 years. And it is still as grand a place as when it was first built. You can tour the 25 room mansion, the outbuildings, and visit the family cemetery. There are artifacts in the house that date back to the revolution and before.

Besides the regular activities, there are specials going on all summer long.

Patchogue Sea Fair
Date: 6/8/2007, 6/9/2007, 6/10/2007

Birdwalk
Date: 6/9/2007, 6/23/2007
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Fire Island Lighthouse