Fire Island National Seashore and Lighthouse

On a visit to see my brother and sister-in-law and family on Long Island, NY, we took a trip to visit the nearby beautiful Fire Island National Seashore.  (All photos in this post will enlarge for easier viewing if clicked on)

Fire Island is one of the barrier islands that lies parallel to the south shore of Long Island, and is separated from Long Island by the Great South Bay.

Most visitors take a ferry or private boat to reach Fire Island but there are also two bridges. The Robert Moses Causeway--see photo above--on the western end of Fire Island, that leads to parking lots at Robert Moses State Park. The William Floyd Parkway leads to Smith Point County Park on the eastern end of Fire Island, where there is also a parking lot.  The rest of the island has no paved roads.

Fire Island National Seashore encompasses 26 miles of Atlantic Ocean and bay shoreline, lush dunes, maritime forests and 17 residential communities.

It also contains the historic Fire Island Lighthouse.

We walked on the boardwalks that lead to the lighthouse. The boardwalks help preserve the terrain and also protect walkers form coming in contact with poison ivy.

The Fire Island Lighthouse is operated by the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society, under a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service. The light is still owned by the United States Coast Guard, and is maintained and operated by the Society as a private aid to navigation.

I love to visit lighthouses--they are such stalwart vestiges of the past. 

The ruins of the original 1826 lighthouse that stood 74 feet tall. 

Please click on the photo above to read more about the first lighthouse.

In 1857 the US Congress approved the construction of a new 167 foot lighthouse, which is what stands today.  Its height and First Order Fresnel Lens would allow for better viability for the ships at sea.  You can read more about the history of the lighthouse of the Society's web page.

View from the bottom

There was an interesting visitors center next to the lighthouse, as well as exhibits in the former lighthouse keeper's home, about the maritime history of this area and the lighthouse.

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The visitors center housed the First Order Fresnel Lens and information about it. This lens was used in the lighthouse from 1858 to 1933.

One could spend hours reading all the interesting exhibits in the two story keeper's quarters

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A display about former lighthouse keepers.

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A placard with information about the different communities that exist on Fire Island.  About 400 people live on the island year round.

After visiting the lighthouse we returned to the beach to continue our walk, and enjoy the beautiful shore.  Having lived most of my life in the south shore of Brooklyn, near the Atlantic Ocean, I enjoyed seeing the ocean again, and more importantly spending time with my brother and sister-in-law. One of the joys of visiting New York is seeing our families, as well as seeing the famous city sights again.  More about our trip on my next post!

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