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FINS - Fire Island
National Seashore
 Location:
Fire Island National Seashore is located on the southern
shore of Long Island approximately a one hour drive east of New
York City
FINS Map:
http://www.nps.gov/carto/PDF/FIISmap1.pdf
FINS News:
http://www.nps.gov/fiis/parknews.htm
FINS Website:
http://www.nps.gov/fiis/
 Link:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Island,_New_York
Description:
Fire Island National Seashore is a 32-mile-long stretch of
barrier island on the southern shore of Long Island. A diverse
group of land forms and historic properties give this site an
interesting blend of recreation, natural and cultural resources.
The seashore contains natural features such as the Otis Pike
Wilderness Area, the only federal wilderness in New York, and
the Sunken Forest, a 300-year-old holly forest, as well as
ocean-washed beaches, dunes, the Fire Island Lighthouse and the
nearby estate of William Floyd, a signer of the Declaration of
Independence.
Davis Park /
Ocean Ridge communities are
the eastern-most Fire Island beach communities within the Fire
Island National Seashore. FINS Watch Hill facilities are
a short walk east of Davis Park
/ Ocean Ridge (see map link
above)
Recreation:
Activities available for visitors to Fire Island vary with
interests and ability levels. Some of the most popular
activities include sightseeing, hiking, wildlife viewing,
walking, camping, canoeing, boating, swimming and fishing.
Structures within the seashore include the Fire Island Light
Station, which has exhibits, a nature trail and ranger-led
interpretive programs. Sailors Haven Visitor Center includes
interpretive programs and temporary exhibits, a boardwalk nature
trail through Sunken Forest, bathhouses, a marina and a
seasonally lifeguard protected ocean beach.
The Watch Hill facilities and services include a nature trail,
visitor center and a guarded beach (summer only). A campground
is located in this area of the park. The Fire Island Wilderness
Visitor Center (at Smith Point) provides a facility for sport
fishing, a visitor contact station (seasonal interpretive
programs), nature trail and ocean beach. The William Floyd
Estate provides guided house tours and other interpretive
programs.
Climate:
Long Island has a temperate climate. The seashore may have
slightly cooler (in summer) or warmer (in winter) temperatures
than the mainland of Long Island. Layered clothing is
recommended.
Source:
http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/profile/NYFIIS#desc
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In 1964, in the midst of widespread controversy over
proposals for a highway extending the length of Fire
Island, Congress designated approximately 26 miles of this
barrier island as Fire Island National Seashore -
FINS.
Established to preserve the unspoiled and undeveloped
beaches, dunes and other natural features of Fire Island,
legislation also provided that seventeen of the
island's pre-existing communities (including Davis Park /
Ocean Ridge) may remain.
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Dynamic, Diverse, Enchanting
Source:
http://www.nps.gov/fiis/home.htm
Fire Island has been
a special place for a diversity of plants and animals and
people for centuries. Today, its unspoiled beaches provide
habitat for sensitive flora and fauna, and offer solitude
and spiritual renewal to civilization-weary people.
Fire Island National
Seashore is an extraordinary place. It includes 26 miles
of a dynamic barrier island with high dunes, centuries-old
maritime forests, glimpses of wildlife, and desolate
beaches, far from the sounds and pressures of the city.
Here you may tour the home of one of Long Island's signers
of the Declaration of Independence, explore New
York State's only federally designated wilderness, and
climb to the top of one of the tallest lighthouses in the
United States to enjoy a spectacular view of Fire Island.
Fire Island provides an
opportunity to leave the car behind and enjoy miles of
boardwalk and trails, public marinas, a rustic campground,
life guarded beaches, and visitor centers and programs
that help you learn more about the park's resources.
State, county and town-owned public beaches provide
additional recreational opportunities on Fire Island.
Interspersed are 17 vibrant,
diverse private communities, which had been established
before the creation of the national seashore. There is no
hard-surfaced road connecting the communities, so they are
accessible mainly by ferry or private boat. Without paved
roads and with limited traffic, the communities have
retained much of their original charm and character. Some
of these communities have provisions for guests and
tourists, while others are strictly residential. A small
number of year-round residents endure the hardships of
life on an island to help protect and maintain these small
communities, until the annual revival of activity with the
arrival of summer.
The lives of
millions of people are enriched each year by visiting Fire
Island National Seashore and the communities within its
boundaries. The mission of the National Park Service is to
preserve Fire Island's natural and cultural resources
unimpaired for the benefit of future generations, while
providing for the park's use and enjoyment by our
generation. Enjoy Fire Island respectfully!
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 Why
is this place called Fire Island?...
The answer made simple is, "We don't know."
"Fire Island” the genesis of its name sparks our
imagination. The island may have been named after Fire
Island Inlet, which appeared on a deed in 1789, and the
inlet's name may have started as a simple spelling error.
The number of inlet islands has varied over time, and it
is likely that the Dutch word meaning four, was misspelled
on early maps as "fire".
Fire
Island Beach appeared on charts in the 1850s, and folklore
suggests the name arose from land-based pirates, or
wreckers, who built beach fires at night to lure cargo
ships onto shore.
Some
say poison ivy gave Fire Island its name, either for its
red leaves in autumn or its fiery itch.
The true origin of Fire Island's name is obscure. |
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