Fire Island National Seashore
Encyclopedia
Fire Island National Seashore (FINS) is a United States
National Seashore that protects a 26 miles (41.8 km) section of Fire Island
, an approximately 30 miles (48.3 km) long barrier island
separated from Long Island
by the Great South Bay
.
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
, 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
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Seashore that protects a 26 miles (41.8 km) section of Fire Island
Fire Island, New York
Fire Island is one of the outer barrier islands adjacent to the south shore of Long Island, New York. It is approximately long and varies between broad. Fire Island is part of Suffolk County. It comprises a number of hamlets, census-designated places , and villages, all of which lie within the...
, an approximately 30 miles (48.3 km) long barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
separated from Long Island
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...
by the Great South Bay
Great South Bay
Great South Bay is a lagoon situated between Long Island and Fire Island, in the State of New York. It is approximately long. It's protected from the Atlantic Ocean by Fire Island, a barrier island, as well as the eastern end of Jones Beach Island and Captree Island.Robert Moses Causeway adjoins...
.
There are 17 private communities within the boundaries of Fire Island National Seashore including Saltaire
Saltaire, New York
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 43 at the 2000 census, which, as a summer beach community, increases many times over in the summer.- History :Incorporated in 1910.In early 2009...
, Fire Island Pines, and Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach, New York
Ocean Beach is a village in the southern part of the Town of Islip, on Fire Island, within Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is a popular tourist location, due to its popular nightlife and variety of stores and restaurants.-History:...
. 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
Robert Moses Causeway
The Robert Moses Causeway is an long parkway in Suffolk County, New York. The parkway, originally known as the Captree Causeway, connects West Islip on Long Island to the barrier beach islands, such as Captree Island, Jones Beach Island, and the western tip of Fire Island, to the south. It is...
leads to Robert Moses State Park
Robert Moses State Park (Long Island)
Robert Moses State Park - Long Island is a state park that is located in the state of New York.The park lies in southern Suffolk County on the western end of Fire Island, one of the central barrier Islands off the southern coast of Long Island...
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
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
from the communities of Patchogue
Patchogue, New York
-Notable citizens:* Franc D'Ambrosio, Broadway Actor, best known for being the longest running Phantom in Phantom of the Opera. Graduated Pat-Med HS 1981* Michael Fagan, professional bowler...
, Sayville
Sayville, New York
Sayville is a hamlet and CDP in Suffolk County, New York, . Located on the south shore of Long Island in the Town of Islip, the population of the CDP was 16,735 at the time of the 2000 census.-History:...
, on Long Island.
Fire Island National Seashore was established as a unit of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
on September 11, 1964.
Attractions
- The Fire Island Light is located near the western end of the seashore near Robert Moses State Park.
- Sailor's Haven is home to a popular 1.5 miles (2.4 km) boardwalkBoardwalkA 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....
trail through an area known as the Sunken Forest as well as a visitor centerVisitor centerA visitor center or centre , visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to the visitors who tour the place or area locally...
, general store, and a public marinaMarinaA marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
.
- Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune WildernessOtis Pike Fire Island High Dune WildernessThe Otis Pike High Dune Wilderness Area, also known as the Otis G. Pike Wilderness Area, is a federally protected wilderness area composed of barrier islands off the south shore of Long Island, New York....
, located on the eastern end of Fire Island, is the only federally designated U.S. Wilderness Area in New York State.
A separate unit of Fire Island National Seashore located on Long Island protects the home and estate of William Floyd
William Floyd
William Floyd was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a U.S. Representative from New York.-Biography:...
, an American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and a signer of the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
. The William Floyd House
William Floyd House
William Floyd House, also known as Nicholl Floyd House and Old Mastic House, was a home of William Floyd, a signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, in Mastic, New York. It was his home from 1734 until 1803. This home is distinct from Gen...
is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and is located in Mastic Beach, New York
Mastic Beach, New York
Mastic Beach is a village in the southeast part of the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 11,543 at the 2000 census. The CDP is located in the general vicinity of the hamlet of Mastic Beach....
.
See also
- Great South BayGreat South BayGreat South Bay is a lagoon situated between Long Island and Fire Island, in the State of New York. It is approximately long. It's protected from the Atlantic Ocean by Fire Island, a barrier island, as well as the eastern end of Jones Beach Island and Captree Island.Robert Moses Causeway adjoins...
- Outer BarrierOuter barrierThe outer barrier, also known as the Long Island and New York City barrier islands, refers to the string of barrier islands that divide the lagoons south of Long Island from the Atlantic Ocean....
- Smith Point County ParkSmith Point County ParkSmith 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....
- Watch Hill, New YorkWatch Hill, New YorkWatch Hill is located on the western edge of the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness, across the Great South Bay from Patchogue, Long Island. It is accessible by Watch Hill Ferry, private boat, and foot only. The Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness contains a variety of barrier...