Watchill, Fire Island

The LIRR Patchogue railroad station is a short walk to the ferry terminal to Watch Hill, Fire Island, the underused state park and national seashore beach. There's free parking for all ferrygoers in a lot that's locked overnight.

The Watch Hill ferry allows a canoe or kayak onboard unless the ferry is too full. Kayakers might enjoy a paddle over but it could be rough for a canoe. To guarantee a spot for the canoe on the ferry, we brought the 42lb Pak Boat folding canoe in its large duffel bag, It can be carried on the ferry (or the LIRR) strapped to a sturdy luggage cart.

The Watch Hill campground is open May 15 to October 15 with 26 tent sites and one group campsite made available by lottery reservations which are accepted until April 1. The camp is within walking distance of the marina, ocean beach, cold-water bathhouses, nature trails, salt marsh and wilderness area.

At Watch Hill, you can join a free, ranger-guided tour of the salt marsh. Canoes, life jackets, and paddles are provided for this short, informative trip. Its fun for kids and for people who have never paddled a canoe before. The rangers share their experiences and discuss the rich diversity of life from the plankton in the salt marsh to the occasional visiting whale. With diverse habitats and located on a major migration route, Fire Island is home and resting spot to over 330 species of birds, particularly during Spring and Fall migrations.

Over 60 species of mammals, reptiles and amphibians live in or visit Fire Island National Seashore. Look for the red fox, deer, gray squirrels, rabbits, long-tailed weasels, tiny masked shrews, black racer snakes, giant leatherback sea turtles and, at night, the shy Fowler's toad. Fire Island National Seashore' extends 1,000 ft into the Ocean and 4,000 ft into Great South Bay and is home to an amazing variety of fish, seastars, clams and oysters.

Constantly assaulted by the wind and salt spray of the ocean, barrier islands are harsh environments for plants and trees. Dunes provide some protection allowing forests to develop. Trees near the top of the dune are stunted and the forest is pruned to a uniform height. Underneath Fire Island is a body of water, called a lens, that floats on top of saltwater. This freshwater may extend as deep as 120 feet below sea level or the groundwater comes to the surface, forming wetlands with ferns, mosses, cattails, rushes and other wetland plants.

A history of Fire Island

Watch Hill information

Watch Hill web site:
http://www.watchhillfi.com/

Ferries may not run in really bad weather:
Weather for Fire island

Learn more about salt marshes in this wonderful virtual tour of Fire Island's Sunken Forest