Boats docked offshore at Barrett Beach (photo by Carol Vinzant)
The best way to get to Barrett Beach at Fire Island National Seashore is in your own boat or by hiring a private charter. You can also walk approximately 3 miles one-way from either Sailors Haven or Watch Hill. I did’t have a boat, the money for a charter, or the time for the walk, thus Barrett Beach is the only beach within the park that I did not visit.
Barrett Beach began as a six-building resort called Tailsman, the most exclusive on Fire Island. It was founded in 1960 by millionaire Michael Butler and record company executive Ahmet Ertegun. Each of the two men had a house, and a few cabanas and a small motel were built to accommodate an additional 50 guests. Movie stars and jet-setters frequented the resort, but it only stayed open for a few years. The Town of Islip actually owned the land and managed the beach from after Tailsman closed until 1997. Islip had been losing money for years, so the town decided to donate the land to the National Park Service, which already owned the property on either side.
There is a boat dock on the bay side of the island that is for unloading and loading only, so boaters must ultimately anchor offshore. A boardwalk leads to the ocean on the other side. Lifeguards are typically on duty from late July 4th weekend through Labor Day on the weekends and holidays only between the hours of 11 AM and 5 PM. Other than that, seasonal restrooms and some picnic tables are the only amenities available to visitors.
The beaches on Fire Island are far superior to the trash- and pebble-ridden beaches near New York City, even the ones run by the National Park Service at Gateway National Recreation Area. If I lived in New York City and wanted to go to the beach, I’d make the drive out to Long Island and take the ferry over to Fire Island, hitting either the National Seashore beaches or those at Robert Moses State Park or Smith Point County Park at the far east and west ends of the island. I’m from Georgia and spent most of my “beach life” in Florida, and I’d go so far as to say that the Fire Island beaches are just as nice as those in Florida.
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Last updated on October 2, 2024
