Start of the Sunken Forest Nature Trail in the Sailors Haven unit of Fire Island National Seashore
Length: 1.6-mile loop
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy with small, minor hills
The Sunken Forest Nature Trail is a 1.6-mile loop that is half paved and half boardwalk. The boardwalk passes through the actual Sunken Forest, while the paved path runs through the swale: the depression between the main and secondary sand dunes at Sailors Haven. You do have an option to return through the forest by circling back along a small loop at the far end of the trail, bypassing the paved path, but who wants to see the same thing twice?
A printed trail guide that provides a short description of the vegetation growing at the thirty-five stops along the trail is available in the Sailors Haven Visitor Center. A few of the stops also have a wayside exhibit that discusses the surrounding environment in more detail. The stop numbers are etched into the bottom planks of the boardwalk and are easy to miss if you aren’t specifically looking for them.
Marker for a stop along the Sunken Forest Nature Trail in the Sailors Haven unit of Fire Island National Seashore
Ninety-five percent of the people arriving at Sailors Haven head straight for the beach on a beach-access boardwalk. The other five percent immediately hit the Sunken Forest Nature Trail without even stopping. Believe me, there’s nobody coming to Sailors Haven that is so gung-ho to hike this trail that they make a beeline for it. What they are doing is getting away from the crowd that is going to gather on the beach at the end of the access ramp by taking the trail west to a second entry point onto the beach where hardly anyone will be. You can only get to the beach via access ramps because you cannot legally walk over the dunes, plus they are covered with tick- and poison ivy-infested brush.
Typical sand dune on Fire Island
The boardwalk section of the trail that runs through the forest is mostly shaded, while the paved section through the swale is out in the open. Wear a hat and apply sunscreen if avoiding the sun is a priority for you. Also, I ran into mosquitoes during the hike, but I didn’t bother with repellent and didn’t have too much trouble. Admittedly, it may just have been a day when the bugs weren’t out in force because they can be extremely thick in the wilderness areas of the island.
Boardwalk through the Sunken Forest at Sailors Haven, Fire Island National Seashore
The start of the Sunken Forest Nature Trail is located near the ferry dock, on your right just after you get off the boat. This takes you around the loop in a counterclockwise direction starting through the maritime forest, which is how the trail is meant to be hiked. If you want to hike through the swale first, take the boardwalk towards the beach—just follow the crowd—and turn right at the bathhouse, following the sign that reads Boardwalk Trail West / Oakleyville Community.
On most barrier islands, a main sand dune forms on the ocean side, protecting all the vegetation that grows behind it from wind and salt spray. Here at the Sunken Forest, a second, smaller dune has formed behind the main ocean-side dune. Protected from salt spray and elevated high enough to keep vegetation out of the low-lying saltwater marsh that borders the bayside shore, trees took root on the slopes and top of the secondary dune creating a unique maritime forest. Because some of the trees grow on the slopes of the dune, the forest appears to be sinking, which is where the name Sunken Forest comes from.
It is also interesting that the trees on the secondary dune will only grow as high as the main dune because branches that attempt to grow higher end up dying after getting hit with salt spray that passes over the top of the main dune. The result is what looks like a forest of short Bonsai trees.
Typical trees in the Sunken Forest at the Sailors Haven unit of Fire Island National Seashore
While the Sunken Forest Nature Trail is easy to hike, it is not completely flat. There are plenty of small ups and downs as it makes its way over the dunes. This is no problem for those who can walk, but those in wheelchairs may find it a little challenging unless they have somebody who can push them every now and then.
Hilly terrain on the Sunken Forest Nature Trail in the Sailors Haven unit of Fire Island National Seashore
A large deck is located at the half-mile point on the hike. This marks the beginning of the boardwalk loop that I mentioned earlier, and also doubles as a cut-through over to the paved portion of the trail and the second beach access ramp. Those hiking the Sunken Forest Nature Trail in order to get to the remote area of the Sailors Haven beach need to detour here by following the sign that reads Trail to Burma Road. Burma Road is a wide, sandy trail that runs the length of Fire Island in some shape or form. Residents of the island can travel by vehicle on this road during the off-season. Those who want to continue the hike on the Sunken Forest Nature Trail need to head towards the Bay Overlook, which is also marked with a sign.
Deck on the Sunken Forest Nature Trail marks the cut-through trail to the Sailors Havel beach access ramp, Fire Island National Seashore
A quarter mile past the cut-through to the beach is the Bay Overlook. This is a spur trail to the right that leads to an observation deck at Great South Bay. It is short and worthwhile side trip.
Boardwalk to the Bay Overlook on the Sunken Forest Nature Trail at Sailors Haven, Fire Island National Seashore
Great South Bay observation deck on the Sunken Forest Nature Trail at Sailors Haven, Fire Island National Seashore
The Bay Overlook detour used to form a small loop, as evidenced by a second section of boardwalk that comes to an end a hundred feet or so from the observation deck. I assume Hurricane Sandy knocked out the connecting section, so now it’s just an out-and-back detour. When you continue down the main trail you’ll come to the second spur to the bay.
Missing section of the Bay Overlook loop on the Sunken Forest Nature Trail at Sailors Haven, Fire Island National Seashore
The bay overlook marks the far end of the loop, and the trail now curves to the left and heads toward the Atlantic Ocean. In a little less than a mile into the hike you’ll emerge from the forest and soon be at the Burma Road. The boardwalk ends here and becomes a concrete path.
Boardwalk section of the Sunken Forest Nature Trail at Sailors Haven comes to an end at Burma Road, a sandy road through Fire Island National Seashore
Burma Road is a sandy road that runs through Fire Island National Seashore
The terrain that you are now walking through is the swale, which is defined as a depression between two ridges, or in this case dunes. Here you will find small shrubs and other low-lying vegetation. I saw a deer grazing on some of the grass.
Deer grazing in the swale at Sailors Haven, part of Fire Island National Seashore
A little farther down is the intersection with the beach access ramp (the one at the far end of the boardwalk) and a fork where you can decide whether to continue through the swale or cut back to the forest and return the same way you came. For those heading to the beach, take the access ramp to the right. I only saw six groups of people on the beach when I visited.
Desolate beach at the far end of the Sunken Forest Loop Trail at the Sailors Haven unit of Fire Island National Seashore
To the left is the cut-through back to the deck located in the maritime forest. The trail reverts to a boardwalk, and since it must climb back to the top of the primary dune, it is quite steep. I had no interest is seeing the the same thing twice, so I stayed straight on the concrete path and continued through the swale.
Boardwalk back to the Sunken Forest at the Sailors Haven unit of Fire Island National Seashore
There’s not much to the walk back. My only advice is to stay on the paved path because the vegetation is full of poison ivy and ticks. Also, there is very little breeze due to the protection afforded by the dunes, and no breeze means mosquitoes. I got bit at least twice on the way back.
Concrete section of the Sunken Forest Nature Trail passes through the swale at Sailors Haven, part of Fire Island National Seashore
The trail ends at the Sailors Haven bathhouse. At this point you can go to the beach or return to the Visitor Center.
The Sunken Forest Nature Trail ends at the Sailors Haven bathhouse, Fire Island National Seashore
The Sunken Forest Nature Trail is definitely worth doing, so regardless of whether you came just for the beach, take an hour off and hike the trail. Even without reading any of the information, it’s worthwhile just to see the variety of terrain on Fire Island. On weekends during the summer, park Rangers lead groups along the boardwalk portion of the trail, bypassing the concrete path through the swale. You have the option of leaving the group at the cut-through if you want to. I planned to take the hike, but it got cancelled. To find a schedule of Ranger activities at Sailors Haven—and all of Fire Island for that matter—see the National Park Service’s Calendar web page for Fire Island National Seashore. You can also pick up a printed brochure that lists all events for the summer at one of the various visitor centers in the park.
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Last updated on October 5, 2024
