Cupsogue Beach County Park
Encyclopedia
Cupsogue Beach County Park is a park at the west end of Westhampton Island, known locally as Dune Road, one of Long Island
's easternmost Barrier Islands. The park is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean
, Moriches Inlet
and Moriches Bay
.
Though the park exists on both sides of the Moriches Inlet and is located entirely within the Town of Brookhaven
, it is only accessible from the western terminus of Dune Road, which itself is in the Town of Southampton. The closest bridge to the park is for Jessup Lane in Westhampton Beach between Moriches Bay and Moneybogue Bay.
This 296 acres (1.2 km²) barrier beach park offers lifeguard-supervised swimming, sunbathing on Long Island's white sand beaches, a food concession, restrooms, first aid center (staffed by an experienced on-duty EMT during the summer months), showers and changing rooms are all conveniently situated at Cupsogue's pavilion. Camping and recreational vehicles are permitted along the access road running parallel to the outer beach. Diving is permitted at slack tide on the bay side of the park only. Water depth is approximately 12 feet (3.7 m). Fishing
, scuba diving, camping, outer beach access, and special events in season.
Most facilities at the park can be found on the east side of Moriches Inlet. The segment of the park on the west side is preserved land that is divided by a strip of town parkland separating Cupsogue from Smith Point County Park
.
near Hampton Bays. In the 1950s the park was acquired by the Suffolk County Parks Department. By the 1970s Cupsogue Beach County Park was given a pavilion and boardwalk
. This park is home to many piping plovers, a federally protected shorebird.
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
's easternmost Barrier Islands. The park is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, Moriches Inlet
Moriches Inlet
Moriches Inlet is an inlet connecting Moriches Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The name Moriches comes from Meritces, a Native American who owned land on Moriches Neck....
and Moriches Bay
Moriches Bay
Moriches Bay a lagoon system on the south shore of Long Island. The name Moriches comes from Meritces, a Native American who owned land on Moriches Neck.Two Townships both Brookhaven and the Southampton share Its shoreline in Suffolk New York....
.
Though the park exists on both sides of the Moriches Inlet and is located entirely within the Town of Brookhaven
Brookhaven, New York
The Town of Brookhaven is one of the ten towns into which Suffolk County, New York, United States, has been divided. Part of the New York metropolitan area, it is located in central Suffolk County and is the only town in the county that stretches from the North Shore to the South Shore of Long...
, it is only accessible from the western terminus of Dune Road, which itself is in the Town of Southampton. The closest bridge to the park is for Jessup Lane in Westhampton Beach between Moriches Bay and Moneybogue Bay.
This 296 acres (1.2 km²) barrier beach park offers lifeguard-supervised swimming, sunbathing on Long Island's white sand beaches, a food concession, restrooms, first aid center (staffed by an experienced on-duty EMT during the summer months), showers and changing rooms are all conveniently situated at Cupsogue's pavilion. Camping and recreational vehicles are permitted along the access road running parallel to the outer beach. Diving is permitted at slack tide on the bay side of the park only. Water depth is approximately 12 feet (3.7 m). Fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, scuba diving, camping, outer beach access, and special events in season.
Most facilities at the park can be found on the east side of Moriches Inlet. The segment of the park on the west side is preserved land that is divided by a strip of town parkland separating Cupsogue from Smith Point County Park
Smith Point County Park
Smith Point County Park is a park located fronting on the Atlantic Ocean on the east end of Fire Island, New York, United States, in central Long Island by Shirley. It is the largest park owned by Suffolk County, New York....
.
History
Dated from the 1690s, the Indian word "Cupsogue" means "a closed inlet". A 1931 Nor'easter created the Moriches Inlet, which was enlarged between 1933 and 1938, only to cease when the Great Hurricane of 1938 created the Shinnecock InletShinnecock Inlet
Shinnecock Inlet is the easternmost of five major inlets connecting bays to the Atlantic Ocean through the narrow 100-mile-long Outer barrier that stretches from New York City to Southhampton, New York on the south shore of Long Island. It splits Westhampton Island from the peninsula extending from...
near Hampton Bays. In the 1950s the park was acquired by the Suffolk County Parks Department. By the 1970s Cupsogue Beach County Park was given a pavilion and boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
. This park is home to many piping plovers, a federally protected shorebird.