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Fire Island National Seashore View of open wilderness on Fire Island.
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Fire Island National Seashore
Camping
 
Views of a trip to Watch Hill Campground.
Camping at Watch Hill on Fire Island begins with a half-hour ferry or boat ride across the Great South Bay. You can feel miles away from civilization at this remote destination off Long Island.
 
Tent in campsite.

Each of the 26 sites at the Watch Hill Campground includes a grill, picnic table and nearby water.

Under the stars, near the sound of the surf, waking to a chorus of songbirds. Camping on Fire Island can be a memorable experience.

Camping on Fire Island is restricted to the designated family and group campground site at Watch Hill (open mid-May to mid-October only), by permit only within the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness (available year-round, but number of permits and number of people per site are limited), and at Smith Point County Park.

Reservations are recommended for the Watch Hill Campground, now available on-line through Fire Island Concessions, LLC, and for Smith Point County Park, through the Suffolk County Park System. Wilderness camping permits are available on a first-come, first-served basis from either the Watch Hill Visitor Center (when staffed) or the Wilderness Visitor Center.

The Watch Hill and Wilderness camping experiences require that you walk your gear at least ½ mile from the ferry dock or hike at least 1½ miles into the designated wilderness. At Watch Hill, you're not able to camp directly on the beach, but the campsites are a short walk over the boardwalk to the beach.

Smith Point County Park is the only place on Fire Island where you may drive your camper or trailer to the site. Limited outer beach camping at Smith Point County Park may also be available for self-contained units, but tents are not allowed on the beach. You may contact the county park directly for more information or reservations.

At Fire Island National Seashore campsites, at least one person in each camping party must be 21 years of age or older.

 
Tent with mosquito netting.

Smart campers come prepared with good mosquito netting in their tent and over the picnic table.

For More Information:

See Campgrounds

For your safety, watch for poison ivy and always be prepared for ticks or mosquitoes, which at times can be abundant! 

Group of backpackers walk down boardwalk through tall grasses.
Be Prepared to Carry In Your Gear
Watch Hill Campground is a short hike from the ferry dock.
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Man dressed in light-colored clothing, wearing large backpack, loads gear onto ferry.
Campers take the Ferry to Watch Hill
You may get your wilderness camping permit at the Watch Hill Visitor Center, when staffed.
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Park ranger shows map and permit forms to man in front of information desk.
Backcountry Permit Desk Hours
Wilderness Visitor Center rangers issue permits for wilderness camping.
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Lone hiker walks faint trail through dunes.
Fire Island Wilderness
You can experience and appreciate the values of wilderness in this thin ribbon of a barrier island.
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Group walks down the island behind the dunes.

Did You Know?
The 4-day Fire Island Trek began as a special event in September, 2004, in celebration of Fire Island National Seashore's 40th anniversary. The program has been continued as a means to showcase the variety of resources and recreational and educational opportunities that exist on Fire Island.
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Last Updated: August 19, 2011 at 08:46 MST