Beach near the Fire Island Lighthouse, Fire Island National Seashore
Fire Island Lighthouse Unit Home Page
Since there is no parking within Fire Island National Seashore, those visiting the Fire Island Lighthouse unit of the park must use the Field 5 parking lot at Robert Moses State Park (a fee is required to enter the park). The Fire Island Lighthouse Beach officially starts at the border with the state park and continues past the lighthouse to the town of Kismet. The Fire Island Lighthouse itself is .6-mile from the parking lot and reached along a boardwalk.
As expected, most people put the least amount of effort into getting to the beach and just set up shop near the parking lot, which is still in the state park. However, some people continue on down towards the lighthouse and even farther, which is way more effort than required. Why?
The Lighthouse Beach was formerly the most popular nude beach in New York City. From what I understand, going topless is not illegal, but full nudity is illegal in New York State. However, the nudity laws are state laws, not federal laws, and the National Park Service historically did not enforce them. The nude beach at the lighthouse goes back long before Fire Island National Seashore was created, so the National Park Service’s stance was to let things continue as they have always been. That is until Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012.
When Hurricane Sandy leveled many of the sand dunes that provided seclusion for the nude bathers, people started to complain. Starting in 2013, the National Park Service began enforcing a ban on nudity at the beaches directly under its control at Fire Island: the beaches at the Fire Island Lighthouse; the Sailors Haven Beach between the communities of Point O’ Woods and Cherry Grove; a half mile on either side of Barrett Beach; one mile on either side of the Watch Hill beach; and the beaches within the Otis Pike Wilderness. Beaches in front of private communities are of no concern to the National Park Service.
Of course not everyone follows the rules, and while the nude crowds are not like they used to be, some people vow to keep old traditions going. The general idea is that the farther you venture from Robert Moses State Park, and even better, the farther you venture past the lighthouse towards Kismet, the less likely Park Police are going to harass you. I visited on a cool and overcast day in early July and there was nobody on the beach near the lighthouse other than a clothed couple.
Couple on the beach near the Fire Island Lighthouse, Fire Island National Seashore
I did, however, walk along the beaches within the Otis Pike Wilderness, and sure enough, the farther I walked, the more nude people I encountered. Some nude sunbathers had the courtesy to put up privacy fences so they could not be seen, and those not behind fences quickly covered up with a towel when they saw me approaching. The nude sunbathers do walk a good ways from the populated areas before settling down. From what I hear, it’s the same at the Lighthouse Beach.
Privacy fence used by a nude bather on the beach at Fire Island National Seashore
If you are at the Fire Island Lighthouse, you can also walk down to Great South Bay and take a stroll along the shore by following the boardwalk from the backside of the lighthouse towards an old boathouse, which today hosts a small exhibit on the United States Lifesaving Service, the precursor to the Coast Guard. The bay is just beyond the boathouse.
Bay beaches behind the Fire Island Lighthouse at Fire Island National Seashore
The ruins of the old lighthouse dock are located along the shore, and you can still see some of the wooden piles in the water, a few concrete blocks, and an old hand crank of some sort.
Ruins of the Fire Island Lighthouse dock from the 1890s, Fire Island National Seashore
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Last updated on October 2, 2024
