Sunken Forest

In the heart of the Sunken Forest, it's hard to image you're so close to the  Atlantic Ocean on a narrow barrier island, where growing condtions are harsh, at best. This special forest is comprised of a rare assemblage of plants.

 

The Sunken Forest at Fire Island is a rare Maritime Holly Forest. While not really "sunken," the forest has the appearance of being below sea level, as the trail drops down the back side of the secondary dune into a lush canopy of trees.

 

As you "emerge" from Fire Island's Sunken Forest, you can see the ocean beyond the swale and primary dune line. When you're standing on top of the well-developed secondary dune, the forest has the appearance of being below the level of the sea. 

Fire Island's Sunken Forest is a very rare ecological community. The Maritime Holly Forest is only found behind well-established sand dunes along the Atlantic coast from New Jersey to Massachusetts. It is one of six forest types recognized in the National Vegetation Classification System. According to the New York Natural Heritage Program, this state's maritime holly forest was ranked in 2001 as "globally rare" or "G1G2 S1" meaning there are few remaining occurrences of this assemblage of plants throughout the world.

Today you can easily visit this rare habitat from May to October, when ferries run from Sayville to Sailors Haven. Throughout the year you may stroll along the boardwalk, although facilities (restrooms) and other services are not available when ferry service is not operating.

 

"A Primeval Holly Forest: A sanctuary for wildlife; A field for study by scientist and lover of nature, a retreat for the refreshment of the human spirit. Enter here to enjoy but not to injure or destroy." 

First protected from development in the early 1950s by a concerned group of private citizens, a 50-acre tract of beach, dunes and ancient holly forest just east of Point O'Woods was gradually cobbled together through a fundraising campaign spearheaded in 1952 by the Wildlife Preserves, Inc, and The Nature Conservancy. Sunken Forest Sanctuary was officially dedicated as the Sunken Forest Preserve in 1960. The entrance plaque can still be seen along the western trail entrance.

In May 1966, the Sunken Forest Preserve, Inc. donated the property to the recently established (1964) Fire Island National Seashore, under the condition that the property shall always be maintained in its natural state and operated as a sanctuary, and that no public road or highway shall be built through it.

 

• Virtual Tour of the Sunken Forest

 

West side of Sailors Haven Marina, as seen from the Sunken Forest boardwalk trail before the Bayside Sediment Transport Project.

The northern shoreline of the Sunken Forest has been threatened by erosion for many years, as the bayside lateral transport of sand is impacted by the hardened structures of the Sailors Haven Marina. In November 2011, as part of a bayside sediment process restoration project, material dredged from the Sailors Haven Marina channel was deposited on the bay shoreline to the west of the marina and north of the Sunken Forest Nature Trail boardwalk.

As Fire Island National Seashore continues to work on its new General Management Plan (GMP), more alternatives for protecting resources and providing for public enjoyment will be considered.

 

Learn More

Ecological Studies of the Sunken Forest, Fire Island National Seashore, New York
Henry Warren Art, 1976

Origin and History of Maple Bog in the Sunken Forest, Fire Island, New York
Leslie A. Sirkin, 1972

National Vegetation Classification System

New York Natural Heritage Program Rarity Rank Definitions

• Ecological Communities Information: (New York State DEC)
• • New York Terrestrial Communities (1990)
  • DRAFT New York Terrestrial Communities (2002)
    

Sunken Forest Trail Guide (1977, revised 1988)
Although the trail numbers have been rearranged and some of the scientific names have changed, this out-of-print booklet includes a lot of good information for study. Visit the Sunken Forest and compare the plants and animals you can see today with those identified in this booklet, and you may be able to see how some conditions have changed over the past twenty years.

 

 

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  Talisman - Barrett Beach

  4 Photos

  Summer use at Barrett Beach and Talisman.