Beach at Watch Hill, part of Fire Island National Seashore
Visiting the beaches at Watch Hill requires traveling in your own boat or the Watch Hill Ferry from Patchogue on Long Island. Private boats can dock at the 163-slip Watch Hill Marina or anchor off shore in the bay.
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 (you can drive to the state parks). 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.
The beaches at Watch Hill are a quarter mile from the ferry dock. Due to the thick vegetation that covers the sand dunes and the fact that you cannot legally cross over them, access to the beach is from designated ramps only. There are two at Watch Hill, but only the one located at the Watch Hill Campground takes you to the beach with lifeguards. Follow the signs to the Lifeguarded Beach. The signs do not specifically address the second ramp, which is a little closer to the marina. To reach it, follow the signs to the Boardwalk to Davis Park Community.
Boardwalk to Davis Park near the Watch Hill Marina, Fire Island National Seashore
From Memorial Day weekend through late June, lifeguards are on duty on the weekends and holidays only from 10 AM to 5 PM. From late June through Labor Day they are on duty daily, from 10 AM to 5 PM on Mondays through Fridays and until 6 PM on the weekends. Supposedly swimming is only allowed at the lifeguarded beach, but I saw people swimming at various places at Watch Hill and nobody put a stop to it.
Lifeguards on duty at Watch Hill Beach, Fire Island National Seashore
The beach access ramp near the campground ends at the top of a tall sand dune, and the only way down is by stairs. Those in wheelchairs will have trouble getting down to the water.
Access ramp (left side of photo) leads down to the lifeguarded beach at Watch Hill, part of Fire Island National Seashore
The fact that you must take a boat to get to Watch Hill keeps the crowds down as compared to the vehicle accessible beaches at the state and county parks. I visited on a Sunday in mid-July when the weather was perfect—85º F (30º C) and not a cloud in the sky—and the beach was far from what I would even begin to consider crowded. And don’t worry much about the boaters at the marina because most of them just sit around drinking and don’t even leave the dock, so you aren’t competing with them for beach space unless they have kids.
Boaters hang out at the Watch Hill Marina at Fire Island National Seashore
Furthermore, nearly everyone settles down right next to where the access ramps ends (which is where the lifeguards are), so if you want to get away from the crowd, you don’t have to walk much farther than a tenth of a mile in either direction. You can’t go too far to the west because you’ll run into the Davis Park beach. Heading east will take you to the solitude of the beaches in the Otis Pike Wilderness, though keep in mind that you might run into some nude sunbathers.
Most people visiting the beaches at Fire Island National Seashore’s Watch Hill set up near the beach access ramp
View of the empty beach between Watch Hill and Davis Park (in the distance), Fire Island National Seashore
For those who do not want to lug a cooler and food with them, Watch Hill has a general store, snack bar, and full service restaurant and bar. Visitors can also walk a mile down to the Casino Café and Casino Bar at Davis Park. A boardwalk connects the two locations together.
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Last updated on October 6, 2024
