Fire Island Lighthouse Trail

The Fire Island Lighthouse Trail leads to one of the most iconic maritime landmarks on the Atlantic seaboard, the 168-foot Fire Island Lighthouse that has guided mariners safely past the treacherous shoals of the New York Bight since 1858. The short flat trail from the western end of the park crosses a small bridge over a bay channel before arriving at the base of the striking black-and-white striped tower that stands as the primary visual landmark of Fire Island. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1973 but restored through the efforts of the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society and relit in 1986 as an active aid to navigation. The lighthouse museum at the base chronicles the history of barrier island maritime commerce, the era of transatlantic ocean liners, and the countless shipwrecks that pepper the offshore sandbanks. Climbing the 182 steps to the lantern room rewards visitors with a panoramic view encompassing the barrier beach, Great South Bay, and the distant Long Island shoreline. The adjacent Keeper cottage has been restored to its late-19th-century appearance. The trail offers a compelling blend of ecological and historical interest, passing through maritime shrubland that transitions from the park parking area to the lighthouse complex at the western tip of Fire Island barrier island.