CuteCamper
Fire Island National Seashore
Immerse yourself in an enchanting collage of coastal life and history. Rhythmic waves, high dunes, ancient maritime forests, historic landmarks and glimpses of wildlife, Fire Island has been a special place for diverse plants, animals and people for centuries. Far from the pressure of nearby big-city life, dynamic barrier island beaches offer solitude, camaraderie, and spiritual renewal.
RecAreaDirections
Fire Island National Seashore Headquarters are located in Patchogue, New York, on Long Island.
Fire Island National Seashore Headquarters: Via Long Island Expressway/I-495: Take Exit 61 (Patchogue-Holbrook Road) to Waverly Ave. Head south on Waverly Ave to West Ave. Turn right onto Laurel Street.
Via NY-27: Take Exit 52 onto Waverly Ave. Head south on Waverly Ave to West Ave. Turn right onto Laurel Street.
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Permits info
Facilities
Watch Hill Family Campground Campground
List of CampsitesThe family campground at Watch Hill provides a camping experience like no other.
The Bayberry Dunes Beachview House Campground
List of CampsitesOverview
Looking for a place to stay on your next trip to Fire Island? We've got you covered! Experience the best of Fire Island National Seashore at your own secluded barrier island getaway at Watch Hill. Wake up beneath a world-famous morning sunrise, go swimming at some of Long Island's most secluded beaches, or enjoy food and drink at nearby LoveFINS concessions. Not only do we have the best locations, but flexible booking options at competitive market rates.
Recreation
From May to mid-October, the Watch Hill area offers a visitor center, family campground, ranger-led interpretive programs (including guided canoe trips), a 175-slip transient marina with water, electric, and pump-out station, a small convenience store, snack bar, self-guiding nature trail, picnic area, lifeguarded beach (summer only), restrooms, and bathhouse.
Facilities
Beds include: two queen beds and four twin beds.
Pillows, blankets, and fans are provided. Bed sheets and towels are not provided.
Kitchen is fully equipped and includes microwave, oven, range, coffeemaker, toaster, pots/pans, eating utensils, and plates.
There is a large deck, with a BBQ grill and picnic table, with views of the Great South Bay and Atlantic Ocean.
Pets are not allowed.
Natural Features
Discover Fire Island's most extensive salt marsh, the beauty of the barrier island's beaches and dunes, and the solitude of a seaside wilderness at this National Park Service site.
Nearby Attractions
The Watch Hill Visitor Center is open seasonally. Phone: 631-597-6455. Stop in at this National Park Service visitor center to learn more about Fire Island, upcoming ranger-led programs like the free, guided canoe tour of the Watch Hill salt marsh, and to check in for wilderness/backcountry camping. Backcountry camping is available by reservation only.
Concession managed services at Watch Hill are open seasonally and include Watch Hill Marina, a food truck, a general store and a family campground. Watch Hill Family Campground reservations are not available on Recreation.gov.
Wilderness/Backcountry camping is available in the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness on the eastern end of Fire Island and is accessible via Davis Park and Watch Hill. Access from Davis Park requires an additional one-mile hike. Reservations are required and available through Recreation.gov.
Sailors Haven Cottage Campground
List of CampsitesOverview
The secluded Sailors Haven Cottage provides visitors with a unique Fire Island experience. Just a short walk from the beach, the nearby town of Cherry Grove, and the globally rare Sunken Forest, the Sailors Haven House provides for a sensational and rustic getaway. The Sailors Haven House is a small single bedroom, single bathroom cottage that can house 2-4 guests comfortably and requires at least a 6 night stay. Tucked away in a quiet corner of Fire Island National Seashore visitors are bound to enjoy this relaxing stay.
Recreation
The Sailors Haven Cottage offers numerous opportunities for exciting and enjoyable recreation. Guests can utilize the nearby lifeguarded beach (lifeguard hours are seasonally dependent), hike through the swale or Sunken Forest, go clamming in the Great South Bay, join a Ranger guided program, and/or enjoy the nightlife of the historic nearby town of Cherry Grove.
Facilities
Beds included: one queen-size bed; one full-size sofabed.
Pillows, blankets, and fans are included. Bed sheets and towels are not provided.
Kitchen is fully equipped including: microwave, oven, range, coffeemaker, toaster, pots/ pans, eating utensils and plates.
Deck with an outdoor shower and grill.
Natural Features
The Sailors Haven Cottage is situated near some of the most astounding natural landscapes Fire Island has to offer. Notable features include the gorgeous and secluded Atlantic Ocean beach, the calm and bounteous Great South Bay, and the exceptionally rare "Sunken Forest," one of just two maritime holly forests on Earth. Enjoy the cooling breeze of ocean salt-spray as you observe deer, foxes, birds, turtles, and other wild animals.
Nearby Attractions
The Sailors Haven Cottage is situated near several popular attractions such as the Sassyfras Cafe at Sailors Haven Marina, the Sailors Haven General Store, Sailors Haven Visitor Center, the globally rare Sunken Forest, and the historic town of Cherry Grove.
Fire Island National Seashore Permits Permit
Overview:
- Under the stars, near the sound of the surf, waking to a chorus of song birds, camping on Fire Island within the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness can be a memorable experience. This wilderness camping experience is available by permit only.
Two backcountry camping zones are available within the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness, the eastern and western zones.
From March 15 to Labor Day (when seasonal driving restrictions are implemented), backcountry campsites may be selected on the beach in front of the eastern zone or western zone, in areas where there are no restrictions or closures (e.g., for the protection of nesting shorebirds or other protected species, or where beach conditions are not suitable). When seasonal driving restrictions are not in place, from early September through mid-March, campers must select campsites behind the dunes in wilderness within either the eastern or western zone.
At least one member of each camping party must be 21 years of age or older in order to obtain a backcountry camping permit. There is a 3-night limit of stay for wilderness camping.
Access to wilderness/backcountry camping is through the western gateway to wilderness, Watch Hill.
Eastern Zone: Maximum number of permitted campers is 12 per night with a maximum number of four campers allowed in each site. Access to the Eastern Zone is on foot from Watch Hill, a 4 to 5.5 miles walk.
Western Zone: Maximum number of permitted campers is 24 per night with a maximum number of eight campers allowed in each site.
Fire Island Lighthouse Facility
The Fire Island Lighthouse is on the western part of Fire Island National Seashore, adjacent to Robert Moses State Park. The Fire Island Lighthouse area offers exhibits, a nature trail, interpretive programs and curriculum-based fourth grade education programs (school groups by reservation only). There is walking access to the Lighthouse Beach (no lifeguards).
Sailors Haven Visitor Center Facility
In addition to a one and a half mile long boardwalk trail through the Sunken Forest, a globally rare maritime holly forest, Sailors Haven also offers a visitor center; snack bar/convenience store/gift shop; picnic tables and grills; lifeguarded beach (summer only); a 45-slip public marina with electricity, water and a free boat pump-out station; restrooms and showers.
Watch Hill Visitor Center Facility
The Watch Hill area offers a visitor center, family campground, ranger-led interpretive programs (including free guided canoe trips), a 175-slip transient marina with water, electric, and pump-out station; a small convenience store, snack bar, self-guiding nature trail, restrooms, and lifeguarded beach (summer only).
William Floyd Estate Facility
The Estate, which was authorized as an addition to Fire Island National Seashore in 1965, is located on the mainland of Long Island in Mastic Beach, New York. The Estate contains the Old Mastic House, grounds, and cemetery of the William Floyd family. William Floyd, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was born in the house in 1734.
Wilderness Visitor Center Facility
The Fire Island Wilderness Visitor Center includes a ranger contact station, 360-degree view of barrier island, Eastern National sales outlet, and exhibit space. Permits for recreational driving and waterfowl hunting are issued in season and park ranger-led programs are offered year-round. Hiking trails into the Otis Pike High Dune Wilderness are also accessible from here.
