Within Fire Island National Seashore's park boundaries there are almost 15,000 acres of open water, 26 bay islands, 75 miles of coastline, and 1,363 acres of wilderness.

Acreage
Fire Island National Seashore encompasses 19,579 acres of marine and terrestrial property.

Federal (6,241.13 acres):

• 3,089.62 acres owned by the National Park Service (NPS Fee Acres)
• • including 1,363 acres of Federally-designated Wilderness
• 3,151.51 acres (NPS or Other Federal Less Than Fee Acres)

 Non-Federal (13,338.34 acres):

• 12,422.73 acres of Other Public Lands
• 915.61 acres of privately owned lands within the designated boundary of Fire Island National Seashore 

Designations
Fire Island National Seashore - September 11, 1964 (Public Law 88-587)

See Legislative History

During most years, Fire Island's visitation has gradually climbed. The decrease from 1994-1996 is most likely due to major storm damage to both beaches and property. In 2003, excessive rain, especially on weekends, appears to have affected visitation.

Visitation

In 2004, Fire Island National Seashore recorded its peak visitation figure of 975,236:

• 819,161 recreational visits
• 156,075 non-recreational visits

In 2005, the park counted only 821,149 people:

• 670,456 recreational visits
  (down by 18.2%)
• 150,693 non-recreational visits
  (down by 3.4%)

Total visitation numbers at Fire Island National Seashore facilities appear to be down again by about 10% for 2006, with 734,493 visitors (recreational and non-recreational).

None of these figures reflect the actual number of people spending time within the boundaries of Fire Island National Seashore.

It is estimated that 2.2 million people annually come to Fire Island, either into one of the 17 private communities, to the county park, on waters surrounding the island, or to one of the national seashore facilities.   

The busiest months at Fire Island National Seashore are July and August, and the busiest days are on the weekends.

The National Park Service Public Use Statistics website includes detailed visitation data for Fire Island from 1967 to the present, as well as statistics for other National Park Service areas.

For More Information

For a more comprehensive analysis of park visitation, staffing and budget, you may wish to peruse:

 Fire Island National Seashore Business Plan, Fiscal Year 2004.

For a more detailed break-down of visitation numbers:

 NPS   Public Use Statistics