Campsite at Fire Island National Seashore’s Watch Hill Campground

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Watch Hill Home Page

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GENERAL INFORMATION

I have traveled around the world—Africa, Southeast Asia—and without a doubt, the mosquitoes we encountered in July 2010 at Watch Hill were the worst. Be prepared. Be very prepared. My recommendations. Go to a camping store and get a Mosquito head cover, Mosquito net poncho, Ben’s 30% DEET spray and DEET spray for long sleeve shirts and jeans. Also bring a mosquito tent for eating meals.

It was like Hitchcock’s The Birds, but with mosquitoes.

Usually I can live with mosquitoes, but this was like wave after wave of them and even worse were the big biting flies which were incredibly painful. It was impossible to ever really relax or enjoy the beautiful surroundings. My kids were traumatized.

The Watch Hill Campground is located in the wilderness area of Fire Island, a terrain of thick brush and small trees. How anyone can camp here in the summer is beyond me because the mosquito population is on par with that of the Everglades. People have so many mosquitoes circling their heads that they look like Pig Pen in the Peanuts cartoon. A park Ranger told me that you’d have to be crazy to camp in the wilderness in the summer, not only because of the mosquitoes, but also because of the ticks. I arrived at Watch Hill in early July unaware of the problem and did not bring mosquito repellent. I went to hike the Watch Hill Nature Trail starting at the trailhead near the campground and had to turn around and literally run back to the marina to buy some mosquito repellent at the general store. Furthermore, all campsites are exposed to the sun, so I can’t think of a more miserable place to camp in the summer than Watch Hill, but the sites still fill up on the weekends nonetheless. In fact, camping rates are jacked up from mid-June through Labor Day. You’d think it would be the other way around—or perhaps you’d get paid to camp—but obviously there is an endless supply of people who just have to learn the hard way. And if you don’t believe me, just search the Internet for “Watch Hill Campground reviews.”

Fire Island National Seashore’s Watch Hill Campground is located smack dab in the middle of the barrier island wilderness

If you don’t mind backpack camping, during the summer you can camp on the beach in the Otis Pike Wilderness. The mosquitoes are not as bad as long as there is a breeze, and you must walk between one and seven miles from Watch Hill to reach the designated camping areas. See the Backcountry Camping web page here on National Park Planner for more information.

GETTING THERE

Camping at Watch Hill requires carrying your gear from the ferry dock along a boardwalk to the campsites. The closest site is .3 mile away and the farthest is .4 mile. No carts are available for use, but you can bring your own on the ferry for a small charge.

Boardwalk through the Watch Hill Campground, Fire Island National Seashore

OPERATING SEASON

Opening and closing dates change each year, but the Watch Hill Campground is generally open from mid-May through mid-October.

NUMBER OF SITES

The Watch Hill Campground has 22 standard campsites, one group site, and seven “glamping” sites. There is also one campsite site is for disabled visitors. It is located on a platform and has a boardwalk leading to it. If you’ve never sleep directly on a platform, I can tell you that you might as well be sleeping on cement. It’s miserably hard, so be sure to bring an air mattress or camp cot.

Campsite for disabled visitors at the Watch Hill Campground, Fire Island National Seashore

Sites are limited to five adults or one family unit and either one large or two small tents.

A Group Campsite that can accommodate up to 40 people is available for organized, nonprofit groups only—Boy Scouts, church groups, etc.—not a large group of friends. If you have more than five people in your camping party (or multiple families), you must reserve two or more standard sites. There is a two-night minimum stay.

There are also seven platform tents that have a covered roof and sides and come with beds. Such sites are known a “glamping,” and the set-up is similar to the African safari tents you might have seen in the movies.

TYPE OF CAMPING

All campsites at Watch Hill are tent sites.

Tent camping at the Watch Hill Campground at Fire Island National Seashore

TERRAIN

The Watch Hill Campground is located in what is called the wilderness, which is an area covered by brush, grass, and small trees. The campsites are situated in sandy clearings, so you’ll need extra-long tent stakes or stakes especially made for sandy soil. While all sites are surrounded by vegetation, the trees are not tall enough to provide shade, so everything is exposed to direct sun.

Sites are located in alcoves that branch off from the boardwalk. Some alcoves have just a single site, while others may have three or four. Within the alcoves there is often vegetation between the sites, offering some privacy, but this is not the case with every site.

Typical terrain of a campsite at the Watch Hill Campground, Fire Island National Seashore

AMENITIES

There is no electricity or water at the campsites. There are water spigots and a dish washing station located along the boardwalk, and even a few phone charging stations. I don’t know if I’d leave my expensive cell phone to charge without watching it, but that’s a choice you must make.

Phone charging station along the boardwalk at the Watch Hill Campground, Fire Island National Seashore

Modern restrooms with cold-water showers are located at the entrance to the campground, as is a beach access ramp. Due to the thick vegetation in the wilderness and the fact that you cannot legally cross over the sand dunes, access to the beach is from designated ramps only. There are two at Watch Hill, this one and another by the marina. The beach at the campground has lifeguards on duty from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Restroom complex and beach access ramp at Watch Hill Campground, Fire Island National Seashore

RESERVATIONS AND FEES

Reservations can be made online at least 48 hours in advance. There is a two-night minimum stay for Fridays and Saturdays. While you can show up on the island and get a campsite if any are available, this is highly discouraged. If the campground is full, it’s a long way to come for nothing.

When making a reservation online or by phone, you can pay with a credit or debit card. For the current fees and to make a reservation, visit the campground concessionaire’s website at www.lovefins.com.

CAMPGROUND RULES

• Register for camping at the General Store located at the Watch Hill Marina.

• Check-in is as early as 11 AM for campsites at 3 PM for glamping sites. You must be checked in by 4 PM or you may loose your reservation. If you plan to be late, call the campground to make arrangements.

• Check-out is by 11 AM.

• Camping is limited to 14 consecutive days.

• One member of the camping party must be at least 21 years old.

• Campfires are not allowed. Only charcoal can be burned in the designated grills. You can also cook on a camp stove. However, you cannot transport fuel on the ferry and must purchase it on the island at the General Store.

• Up to two pets are allowed at a campsite, and they must be kept on a leash. No pets are allowed on the beach from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and they cannot be left unattended. Furthermore, the vegetation is infested with ticks, so beware.

• No generators are allowed.

• Quiet hours are from 10 PM to 6 AM.

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