Natural Areas of the South Shore of Long Island

Jones Beach State Park
(Jones Island)

Jones Beach State Park is best known as a world-famous summer recreation beach. But it is also a superb park for its natural areas, which have been largely undisturbed since 1929, when the park was established. Outside the popular developed areas and beaches, most of the park’s 2400 acres are natural maritime thickets, pine groves, heath, dunes and tidal marsh. If you go to the park to see its wildlife, you will get to see parts of the park that are seen by only a tiny percentage of its 35 million visitors a year.

Going to the park with the aim of observing wildlife also allows you to avoid the huge crowds because the best bird spots are not near the crowded parking lots and beaches. Also, birding is superb during the off-season, especially during the winter. The wildlife destinations are at the marina on the bay side, Jones Inlet, Zachs Bay, and at JFK Wildlife Sanctuary (described separately).

How to Get There: Of course, bring binoculars. Take either Meadowbrook or Wantagh Parkways south to their terminus in the park. During the summer, an entrance fee is collected. Follow signs for “West End.” Park at the West End Marina (Short Beach) reached by passing the police station and turning to the right off the park drive.

During summer, the small island just to the north of the marina has many shorebirds such as plover, willet, ruddy turnstone and oystercatcher, as well as common and least terns and laughing gull. In the channel north of the Coast Guard Station, brown pelicans can rarely be seen (best with a spotting scope). During winter, this area offers views of red-breasted mergansers, crossbills, long-eared owls, brants, old squaws, and the rare Harlequin Duck. Cormorants may be seen on pilings. Also look for a different set of birds in the pine stands and lawns.

From the marina area, you can take a 3-mile walk that is very rewarding. Walk west on the trail along the shore, keeping the bay channel on your right. Walk towards the Coast Guard station entrance booth, and bear left to enter the trail just before the Coast Guard station. In summer, wildflowers line the trail.

In a quarter-mile, you arrive at Jones Inlet. Here, you can see terns, laughing gulls and sanderlings. During the cold months, you might also see a snowy owl, various hawks, snow buntings, horned larks, loons, old squaws, mergansers, buffleheads, and a small gull called Bonaparte’s Gull.

After another mile of walking, you arrive at the Jones Inlet jetty. At the jetty, flocks of shorebirds dart in and out with the surf. From the jetty, return by taking the mile-long dune trail, not the beach. This is your best opportunity to see the endangered piping plover. This bird is threatened by extinction and has received much publicity on Long Island. Trampling of its nest by beach-goers is one of the reasons for its decline. That is why this area, which is on your right in the dunes, is marked with signs and fencing. Follow these trails to loop back to your car. You can also take a short cut by exiting along one of the parking lot paths and following the street back to your car.

During the winter, drive to your next stop for a possible look at the threatened peregrine falcon. Drive to Parking Field 4 (which would be crowded in summer). Then walk toward the Jones Beach Tower. Using binoculars, look for the peregrine falcon where it roosts on the downwind side of the tower.

A third bird hot spot is at Zachs Bay. Drive east on Ocean Parkway and turn right into Parking Field 6. Park in the southwest corner of the lot. Then walk along the boardwalk toward to the bathhouse. (Biking is permitted October through March.) Pause for a moment to read an educational kiosk on the history of the 1st Jones Beach bathhouse. Just past the bathhouse, turn right onto the walkway leading across Ocean Parkway to Zachs Bay. If you have trouble finding the walkway, look for the golf course. Keep the golf course to your left, and the ocean to your back. Walk under Ocean Parkway, and on to Zachs Bay. Once at Zachs Bay, you have a number of options. You can walk east along the paved pathway and make a right at the next pathway you see. This will bring you back in a loop to the east side of the bathhouse. Another option is to continue east on the paved pathway. This eventually becomes a dirt pathway. Take this opportunity to explore some of the saltmarsh plants and animals inhabiting the South Shore Estuary. Your third option is to head directly for the bay. If you are visiting during low tide, take this opportunity to investigate the intertidal zone. In winter, you can see large flocks of shorebirds such as black-bellied plover, sanderling and dunlin. On the bay, look for scaups, buffleheads, brant geese and red-breasted mergansers. The peregrine falcon could also be hunting over the fields in this area.

Access Guide Introduction :: Map and Guide :: More Estuary Site Information
	Jones Beach State Park (Jones Island) Jones Beach State Park is best known as a world-famous summer recreation beach. But it is also a superb park for its natural areas, which have been largely undisturbed since 1929, when the park was established. Outside the popular developed areas and beaches, most of the park’s 2400 acres are natural maritime thickets, pine groves, heath, dunes and tidal marsh. If you go to the park to see its wildlife, you will get to see parts of the park that are seen by only a tiny percentage of its 35 million visitors a year. Going to the park with the aim of observing wildlife also allows you to avoid the huge crowds because the best bird spots are not near the crowded parking lots and beaches. Also, birding is superb during the off-season, especially during the winter. The wildlife destinations are at the marina on the bay side, Jones Inlet, Zachs Bay, and at JFK Wildlife Sanctuary (described separately). How to Get There: Of course, bring binoculars. Take either Meadowbrook or Wantagh Parkways south to their terminus in the park. During the summer, an entrance fee is collected. Follow signs for “West End.” Park at the West End Marina (Short Beach) reached by passing the police station and turning to the right off the park drive. During summer, the small island just to the north of the marina has many shorebirds such as plover, willet, ruddy turnstone and oystercatcher, as well as common and least terns and laughing gull. In the channel north of the Coast Guard Station, brown pelicans can rarely be seen (best with a spotting scope). During winter, this area offers views of red-breasted mergansers, crossbills, long-eared owls, brants, old squaws, and the rare Harlequin Duck. Cormorants may be seen on pilings. Also look for a different set of birds in the pine stands and lawns. From the marina area, you can take a 3-mile walk that is very rewarding. Walk west on the trail along the shore, keeping the bay channel on your right. Walk towards the Coast Guard station entrance booth, and bear left to enter the trail just before the Coast Guard station. In summer, wildflowers line the trail. In a quarter-mile, you arrive at Jones Inlet. Here, you can see terns, laughing gulls and sanderlings. During the cold months, you might also see a snowy owl, various hawks, snow buntings, horned larks, loons, old squaws, mergansers, buffleheads, and a small gull called Bonaparte’s Gull. After another mile of walking, you arrive at the Jones Inlet jetty. At the jetty, flocks of shorebirds dart in and out with the surf. From the jetty, return by taking the mile-long dune trail, not the beach. This is your best opportunity to see the endangered piping plover. This bird is threatened by extinction and has received much publicity on Long Island. Trampling of its nest by beach-goers is one of the reasons for its decline. That is why this area, which is on your right in the dunes, is marked with signs and fencing. Follow these trails to loop back to your car. You can also take a short cut by exiting along one of the parking lot paths and following the street back to your car. During the winter, drive to your next stop for a possible look at the threatened peregrine falcon. Drive to Parking Field 4 (which would be crowded in summer). Then walk toward the Jones Beach Tower. Using binoculars, look for the peregrine falcon where it roosts on the downwind side of the tower. A third bird hot spot is at Zachs Bay. Drive east on Ocean Parkway and turn right into Parking Field 6. Park in the southwest corner of the lot. Then walk along the boardwalk toward to the bathhouse. (Biking is permitted October through March.) Pause for a moment to read an educational kiosk on the history of the 1st Jones Beach bathhouse. Just past the bathhouse, turn right onto the walkway leading across Ocean Parkway to Zachs Bay. If you have trouble finding the walkway, look for the golf course. Keep the golf course to your left, and the ocean to your back. Walk under Ocean Parkway, and on to Zachs Bay. Once at Zachs Bay, you have a number of options. You can walk east along the paved pathway and make a right at the next pathway you see. This will bring you back in a loop to the east side of the bathhouse. Another option is to continue east on the paved pathway. This eventually becomes a dirt pathway. Take this opportunity to explore some of the saltmarsh plants and animals inhabiting the South Shore Estuary. Your third option is to head directly for the bay. If you are visiting during low tide, take this opportunity to investigate the intertidal zone. In winter, you can see large flocks of shorebirds such as black-bellied plover, sanderling and dunlin. On the bay, look for scaups, buffleheads, brant geese and red-breasted mergansers. The peregrine falcon could also be hunting over the fields in this area.