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Facilities

Established Camping

Heckscher State Park Campground

Heckscher State Park Campground, near East Islip, New York, is a family-friendly destination that offers a mix of outdoor fun and essential amenities. Each campsite comes with a picnic table and a barbeque grill, making it easy to enjoy meals outdoors while soaking up the natural surroundings.

The campground features clean restroom facilities and accessible potable water, ensuring you have what you need for a comfortable stay. Campers have noted that the sites are spacious enough to maintain some privacy, although paths to the restrooms can be a bit unclear, leading to some foot traffic through the campsites. As one visitor mentioned, “I had enough space that I didn't feel like I was intruding on my neighbors.”

For those looking to unwind, the nearby beach offers a lovely spot for relaxation and wildlife watching, with deer and rabbits often spotted in the area. While some campers have pointed out that the tent and RV sites could use clearer markings, the newly constructed cottages by the beach are a highlight, providing modern comforts like a full kitchen and a cozy atmosphere.

Whether you're planning a weekend getaway or a longer stay, Heckscher State Park Campground has the essentials for a memorable outdoor experience. Just remember to bring your own fire pit if you want to enjoy a campfire, as they aren't provided at the sites.

Description

State Park

Heckscher State Park was once the 19th century estates of George C. Taylor and J. Neal Plum. William Nicoll, founder of the Town of Islip, originally built his estate on this property. The park was bought by the State of New York using a donation by the affluent August Heckscher with strong opposition from wealthy local residents. It was one of Robert Moses' most difficult fights to obtain land for public recreation on Long Island. Only with assistance and support from then Governor Alfred E. Smith was Moses able to close the deal on this beautiful property fronting the Great South Bay.

Fee Info

Cottage Area cabins are available to reserve starting at $110 per/night

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Location

Heckscher State Park Campground is located in New York

Detail location of campground

Directions

From jct Hwy-27A & Southern State Pkwy (exit 45): Go 1-1/2 mi S on Southern State Pkwy.

Address

Heckscher Parkway Field 1
East Islip, NY 11730

Coordinates

40.71420686954668 N
73.15696166471584 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Available
  • Verizon
    Unknown
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Fair

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Cabins

Features

For Campers

  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Showers
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Pull-Through Sites

Reviews

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5 Stars

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1 Star

38%
25%
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25%
13%

3.5

out of 5

8 Reviews

Reviewed Oct. 11, 2024

Great for families, not for solitude

The campsites are very close together without any defining borders so everybody just walks across each other site’s to get to a different one, a path, the bathroom, etc. No solitude, lots of families with kids, lots of music, I mean it’s basically a party. I didn’t realize this when I made my reservations. The place is great for families who want a safe space to camp and it’s a typical Long Island campground. Rangers came around checking on everyone often so it really did feel incredibly safe. I had a pick up truck w/ tinted windows follow me in the park for quite a while which was rather creepy and I couldn’t shake them. When I biked into the campground itself, the pick up truck couldn’t get past the check in area. Everyone I met was friendly and there’s a little shop in the front of the campgrounds that sells various items. I personally wouldn’t stay here again unless I was meeting up with friends or something and wasn’t trying to have more solitude. This is no fault of the park itself though, I’m just more of a woods girl.

Site064
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Heckscher State Park Campground by Jessica C., October 11, 2024
Reviewed Sep. 5, 2023

Good Campsite For Families And Weekend Trips

I camped here solo on Friday and Saturday over the Labor Day weekend. Overall my experience was positive.

Camping Sites

Each camping site has a picnic table and barbeque grill. The sites are designated by printing on the roads and do not have clear boundaries between them. My site had good shade coverage and was free of rocks and other hazards. 

I had enough space that I didn't feel like I was intruding on my neighbors and vice-versa. That said, there aren't clear paths to the restroom building so it's not uncommon for people to cut through the edges of sites to get there. In my experience I (and others I saw) tried not to go right through the middle people's setups to do so.

If you're looking for privacy, the sites at the rear seemed to be less-densely packed, even though every site was occupied. Quiet hours are generally adhered to but not enforced - there were some campers that had noise running later.

Amenities

The restroom building is in the middle of the campground and was clean and had plenty of stalls.

Potable water is available at regular intervals, about at the corners of each group of four campsites.

Cell phone reception is limited - I had data but it was very slow which led to my phone's battery draining quickly.

Access

A car is an absolute must for this part - the entrance is directly off of Southern State Parkway with no pedestrian access. Train stations are nearby so you could take the train most of the way and rent a car from there.

Site66
Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Jan. 8, 2022

Great Late Fall Weekend Cabin

This was a last-minute booking for us and we were delighted with the beachside cottage, with enough amenities that mom and dad did not worry we had their cutie with us for "camping". She's too little for backpacking into the woods but finally got to stay overnight and help with the campfire!

Pros

  • Modern facility with full kitchen accessories (coffee maker, plates, wine opener, can opener, silverware, pots, pans, cooking utensils, toaster, oven), sponge/dish liquid. Microwave.1
  • Clean interior, clean campground
  • modern cottage with propane fireplace, WiFi access, bathroom with shower, large screened in porch with bar height table and 4 chairs, deck with chaise lounges, two bedrooms (1 with 2 twin beds, 1 with full), coach, chairs, plenty of clean storage places and hooks. You have everything but bedding, food, drinks, and personal items.
  • cottages far enough away from each other
  • fire ring with Adirondack chairs
  • dumpster and recycling within walking distance
  • lots of bone dry firewood around for campfire
  • walkable beach
  • beautiful
  • wildlife: deer, rabbits, turtles

Cons

  • a bit pricey
  • playground is driving distance not walking
SiteCOTTAGE 01
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Heckscher State Park Campground by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Heckscher State Park Campground by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Heckscher State Park Campground by W L., January 8, 2022
  • (14) View All
Reviewed Jun. 14, 2021

Great location, very clean !

Was pleasantly surprised with this campsite ! Facilities (bathroom/showers) were clean, campsites were generously spaced, water spouts at almost every site. Was unaware there were no fire pits at the site so I would just bring your own. We made due with our charcoal grill provided at the site! Beaches were a 5 min drive

Site54
Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Sep. 16, 2019

Not really a campsite

This is more of a drive-in picnicking park than anything else. They have some activities and areas for games, but I wouldn't really consider it somewhere to camp.

Reviewed Aug. 23, 2019

Work in progres

State is really trying with this park, putting in new beach front cottages. Other then that the RV and tent camping is horrible, as the previous review stated sites aren't marked and the tables and BBQs are trashed.

Reviewed Jul. 15, 2019

Like camping in a city park, the beach cottages are the highlight

My husband and and I camped one night at this newly reopened park over the weekend in Long Island just to check it out and were pretty disappointed by the tent camping area. There are 69 tent/trailer sites(no hook ups). There is no distinguishing separation between each site nor a designated driveway for your car- you merely pull up on the grass. It's basically like camping in your local city park. People park wildly all over the place, which also makes it more difficult to determine which site is which by the number painted on the roadway. Each"site" has a picnic table and an barbecue grate on a post. There is one bath/shower house in the center of all of these sites with no path provided for folks to walk to and fro, so naturally people will walk right through your site randomly rather than around the road. While the bathroom building itself is in decent shape and has a large amount of toilet stalls and about five showers, the condition of women's room was absolutely ghastly inside.

At some point during the evening, a maintenance worker on a golf cart showed up with a mop and some cleaning supplies and cleaned the men's side of the building. I was so relieved when I saw him, but he seemed to neglect the women's side completely, so I resorted to using the men's facilities all night.

There are no fire pits on any of the sites, although I learned afterwards that they do allow you to bring your own metal fire pit as long as it is elevated off the ground. There are large dumpsters located throughout the camping area and a large trash bag is provided (if needed) at the camp office when you check in.

The highlight of Heckscher State Park is the newly constructed heated cottages located on the shore of Nichol's& Great South Bays.. There are currently 11 cottages--- with more under construction. There are cottages suited for two, four, and six people and range in price from$225-$285 per night during off peak seasons and$250- 320 per night during the peak seasons.

The cottages are fully furnished, with a full kitchen and large bathroom with a walk in shower. The cottages are a short walk from the beach and also include a fire pit with Adirondack chairs and an outdoor shower on the exterior each property. I do not have photos of the inside, but they do have them on the Reserve America website if you are interested.

While the cottages are lovely and their location is fabulous  they are quite pricey and  no TLC was spent in the$22 tent/rv camping area, other than a new registration office which is not yet completed as of this weekend. I do hope they invest some funding in the primitive area to add fire pits,more water spigots, clearer site markings and for the continued maintenance& upkeep of the bath/shower house.

* I emailed the parks departement about the issues mentioned above about the camping area and received this reply:

I am sorry that you are upset with the conditions in our recently opened campgrounds. We have replaced all of the picnic tables. Although, they may look old because they are weathered since these picnic tables were put together during the Winter, however, they are brand new. All of the barbeques are also new and were installed during the Winter. We have changed and modernized the light fixtures and we will be replacing the rusted doors that you mentioned. There are also plans to install a playground within the campground beginning this Fall and we are looking for other improvements and additions to the campgrounds. As you probably noticed there is a new building under construction, at the entrance to the campgrounds, and it will serve as a check-in area, as well as, additional comfort stations, including family restrooms. Your suggestion of fire pits is a good one and the Park Managers will evaluate the feasibility of installing these. Lastly, I have spoken to the Park Manager who will review the cleaning operation to ensure the restrooms are appropriately maintained. I apologize for our employee not cleaning the women's room. Again, I am sorry for your negative experience but we are continuing to make improvements to the campgrounds.

Sincerely, George Gorman Regional Director New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

I will check back later this year to see if anything was changed and report back.

Site54
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Heckscher State Park Campground by Ellen C., July 15, 2019
  • Review photo of Heckscher State Park Campground by Ellen C., July 15, 2019
  • Review photo of Heckscher State Park Campground by Ellen C., July 15, 2019
  • (19) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much does it cost to camp at Heckscher State Park Campground?

    Camping at Heckscher State Park Campground can cost between $18.00 and $22.00 depending on the site.

  • What is the elevation of Heckscher State Park Campground?

    Heckscher State Park Campground is located at 14 feet.

  • What is the max vehicle length at Heckscher State Park Campground?

    Heckscher State Park Campground allows vehicles up to 50 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Heckscher State Park Campground?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Heckscher State Park Campground, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Heckscher State Park Campground?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is unknown, AT&T is unknown, and T-Mobile is fair.