Fire Island National Seashore
| Fire Island National Seashore | |
|---|---|
|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
|
Fire Island Lighthouse | |
| Location | Fire Island, New York, USA |
| Nearest city | Patchogue, New York |
| Coordinates | 40°41′47″N 72°58′58″W / 40.69639°N 72.98278°WCoordinates: 40°41′47″N 72°58′58″W / 40.69639°N 72.98278°W |
| Area | 19,579 acres (79.23 km2) |
| Established | September 11, 1964 |
| Visitors | 670,456 (in 2005) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
Fire Island National Seashore (FINS) is a United States 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.[1]
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.
Attractions
- The Fire Island Light is located near the western end of the seashore near Robert Moses State Park.
- Lighthouse Beach is a recognized clothing optional beach at the extreme west end of the seashore, just east of Robert Moses State Park.
- 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.
See also
- Great South Bay
- Outer Barrier
- Smith Point County Park
- Watch Hill, New York
References
- ↑ "AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE FIRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES" (PDF). Legislative History of the Fire Island National Seashore. National Park Service. p. 2. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
PUBLIC LAW 88-587; 88th Congress; September 11, 1964