Natural Areas of the South Shore of Long Island

Otis Pike National Wilderness Area

Fire Island offers Long Island’s (and New York State’s) only official wilderness area designated by the U.S. Congress. This 1,363-acre area is a 7-mile stretch of almost completely undeveloped, natural barrier island. A “wilderness area” designation means it will be kept forever wild and natural.

Hiking into the wilderness is an adventure waiting to be taken. It is an otherworldly experience, where images of civilization fade into memory. The never-ending, repeated roar of the background surf constantly reminds you of the perpetual motion and force of the sea. The ocean created this place, and it shapes and shifts it constantly.

The bay side of the wilderness provides a different impression. Great South Bay is the largest water body of the South Shore Estuary Reserve. Its relatively quieter waters are the spawning ground for most of the area’s aquatic life. At the same time, it is the “sporting ground” for much of the area’s aquatic recreation and economy.

The Wilderness Area has a consistent profile from the bay side to the ocean beach. The peninsulas and coves of its bay side are rimmed with saltmarshes of cord grass, salt hay and glasswort. Just inland are freshwater marshes of reed grass (Phragmites). Then the slope of the land rises into the back secondary dunes. These shelter little groves of maritime woods are made of American holly, sassafras, and shadbush. They alternate with thickets of bayberry, poison ivy, wild grape, beach plum, winged sumac (edible, not poisonous), and beach rose. In pockets between the woods and thickets are freshwater bogs of cattails.

Heading toward the ocean, you descend into a low area between the secondary dunes and the primary line of dunes. These dune swales are desert-like in climate, with sunlight reflecting off the dune slopes, causing temperature extremes. Beautiful carpets of beach heather, golden blossoms in spring, grow here with bayberry, beach rose and poison ivy.

The primary dunes, up to 40 feet tall, separate the dune swales from the ocean beach. The stable dunes are vegetated by beach grasses, beach rose and poison ivy. The unstable dunes are barren, classic “sand dunes” whose sand grains are blown and shifted by the unending winds. A close look at the dune and beach sand reveals that most of the grains are glassy, blonde granules of quartz, rounded by wave and wind erosion. However, here and there you may notice black particles and dark reddish particles. If you bring a magnet, you can pick up the black particles since they are made of magnetite, an oxidized form of iron. The reddish particles are garnet, a semi-precious gem mineral.

Last is the sandy sweep of Great South Beach, battered by unending surf. Here the only plants are green algae (especially sea lettuce), brown algae (such as rockweed), and red algae.

A hike into Fire Island’s Wilderness Area obviously requires the cautions needed for deer ticks and poison ivy. Bring adequate water and sun protection. Visitors should always avoid climbing dunes or trampling delicate sand vegetation, since this destabilizes the dunes, kills rare flowers, and enhances erosion.

For information about exploring the Wilderness Area, call (631) 281-3010. Bellport Beach is the only developed area to interrupt the wilderness corridor. Otherwise, the area has no roads, no marked trails, and no developed campsites or other facilities.

How to Get There: Access to the Wilderness Area is from either its west end, or its east end. Its west end is accessed from Watch Hill, reached only by the Patchogue Ferry (see previous directions). Its east end is reached by car from the National Seashore’s Smith Point entrance (see directions ahead).

Note that this book’s map of the Otis Pike Wilderness Area is the first ever detailed map ever produced in any publication.

The total walk from one end of the Wilderness to the other is almost 7 miles. Some people choose one of the two access points, enter and explore the Wilderness, and return the way they came. For those who wish to traverse the entire 7-mile distance, you need two cars, one parked at Patchogue’s Watch Hill Ferry Terminal, and the other at the Fire Island Visitor’s Center at Smith Point.

There is no marked or official trail through the length of the Wilderness Area. There are remains of a former sand jeep road that traverses between the primary and secondary dune lines. Locals refer to it as “Burma Road” while hikers refer to the general route as Fire Island Wilderness Trail or Fire Island Seashore Trail. Smaller paths criss-cross, some to the bay side, others to the ocean side. You cannot get lost since the ocean and bay sides are so close and so obvious.

Access Guide Introduction :: Map and Guide :: More Estuary Site Information
	Otis Pike National Wilderness Area Fire Island offers Long Island’s (and New York State’s) only official wilderness area designated by the U.S. Congress. This 1,363-acre area is a 7-mile stretch of almost completely undeveloped, natural barrier island. A “wilderness area” designation means it will be kept forever wild and natural. Hiking into the wilderness is an adventure waiting to be taken. It is an otherworldly experience, where images of civilization fade into memory. The never-ending, repeated roar of the background surf constantly reminds you of the perpetual motion and force of the sea. The ocean created this place, and it shapes and shifts it constantly. The bay side of the wilderness provides a different impression. Great South Bay is the largest water body of the South Shore Estuary Reserve. Its relatively quieter waters are the spawning ground for most of the area’s aquatic life. At the same time, it is the “sporting ground” for much of the area’s aquatic recreation and economy. The Wilderness Area has a consistent profile from the bay side to the ocean beach. The peninsulas and coves of its bay side are rimmed with saltmarshes of cord grass, salt hay and glasswort. Just inland are freshwater marshes of reed grass (Phragmites). Then the slope of the land rises into the back secondary dunes. These shelter little groves of maritime woods are made of American holly, sassafras, and shadbush. They alternate with thickets of bayberry, poison ivy, wild grape, beach plum, winged sumac (edible, not poisonous), and beach rose. In pockets between the woods and thickets are freshwater bogs of cattails. Heading toward the ocean, you descend into a low area between the secondary dunes and the primary line of dunes. These dune swales are desert-like in climate, with sunlight reflecting off the dune slopes, causing temperature extremes. Beautiful carpets of beach heather, golden blossoms in spring, grow here with bayberry, beach rose and poison ivy. The primary dunes, up to 40 feet tall, separate the dune swales from the ocean beach. The stable dunes are vegetated by beach grasses, beach rose and poison ivy. The unstable dunes are barren, classic “sand dunes” whose sand grains are blown and shifted by the unending winds. A close look at the dune and beach sand reveals that most of the grains are glassy, blonde granules of quartz, rounded by wave and wind erosion. However, here and there you may notice black particles and dark reddish particles. If you bring a magnet, you can pick up the black particles since they are made of magnetite, an oxidized form of iron. The reddish particles are garnet, a semi-precious gem mineral. Last is the sandy sweep of Great South Beach, battered by unending surf. Here the only plants are green algae (especially sea lettuce), brown algae (such as rockweed), and red algae. A hike into Fire Island’s Wilderness Area obviously requires the cautions needed for deer ticks and poison ivy. Bring adequate water and sun protection. Visitors should always avoid climbing dunes or trampling delicate sand vegetation, since this destabilizes the dunes, kills rare flowers, and enhances erosion. For information about exploring the Wilderness Area, call (631) 281-3010. Bellport Beach is the only developed area to interrupt the wilderness corridor. Otherwise, the area has no roads, no marked trails, and no developed campsites or other facilities. How to Get There: Access to the Wilderness Area is from either its west end, or its east end. Its west end is accessed from Watch Hill, reached only by the Patchogue Ferry (see previous directions). Its east end is reached by car from the National Seashore’s Smith Point entrance (see directions ahead). Note that this book’s map of the Otis Pike Wilderness Area is the first ever detailed map ever produced in any publication. The total walk from one end of the Wilderness to the other is almost 7 miles. Some people choose one of the two access points, enter and explore the Wilderness, and return the way they came. For those who wish to traverse the entire 7-mile distance, you need two cars, one parked at Patchogue’s Watch Hill Ferry Terminal, and the other at the Fire Island Visitor’s Center at Smith Point. There is no marked or official trail through the length of the Wilderness Area. There are remains of a former sand jeep road that traverses between the primary and secondary dune lines. Locals refer to it as “Burma Road” while hikers refer to the general route as Fire Island Wilderness Trail or Fire Island Seashore Trail. Smaller paths criss-cross, some to the bay side, others to the ocean side. You cannot get lost since the ocean and bay sides are so close and so obvious.