Fire Island National Seashore is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Fire Island National Seashore camping trip.
Take the Virtual Tour! - WILDWOOD STATE PARK
Wildwood State Park comprises 600 acres of undeveloped hardwood forest, terminating on the high bluff overlooking Long Island Sound. Swimmers can take advantage of the cool waters of the Sound, and picnickers can relax at shaded picnic tables as their children enjoy the nearby playground. Visitors can fish and use the hiking and cross-country ski trails, making this an enjoyable place to camp and be outdoors in any season. Geography: Wildwood State Park is located near Long Island Sound, on the north shore of Long Island, in Suffolk County. Recreation: Considered a flagship facility, visitors can enjoy the beach, biking, camper recreation programs, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and cross-country skiing. During July and August, movies are shown weekly, and once a week, campers can enjoy an evening of line or square dancing. Facilities: The park has 2 miles of beach on the Long Island sound for fishing and swimming. Each campsite has a picnic table, and dumping stations are nearby. There are 10 cottages, each with a fire ring, screened-in patio, and are available for rent through mid-November. The campground recycles newspaper and cardboard. Other amenities include food concessions, a nature trail, twelve miles of marked hiking trails, a picnic area, basketball courts, ball fields, a playground, and showers. Firewood is for sale at the park; bring your own barbecue or metal fire container.
Smith Point, on the Fire Island barrier beach, is a haven for sportsmen, surfers and beach lovers. An extremely popular facility, the park's white sands, rolling Atlantic surf and adjoining camping facility attract Suffolk County residents and tourists each summer season. Reservations are required for all the sites in the campground. All sites have water, and many have electric hookups and sewers. Outer beach camping is available on first come, first served basis, beach conditions permitting.
A nationally recognized team of lifeguards makes Smith Point its home base, providing ocean visitors with an extra-special safety feature.
Off-road vehicles, with permit only, may drive on the eastern portion of the outer beach. All beach-goers are advised to respect the marked, protective fencing around the nest sites of endangered shorebirds inhabiting the ocean and bay beaches.
The family campground at Watch Hill provides a camping experience like no other.
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.
$18 - $22 / night
The Carmans River flows through this scenic, pine-oak forested park. Southaven is a popular picnicking site, containing group areas capable of accommodating up to 1,000 people. Southaven's 1,356 acres also offer a bicycle hostel. Boating and freshwater fishing are permitted. Camping is also available, with sites for tents and trailers.
$33 / night
Hammonasset Beach State Park is the largest of Connecticut’s shoreline parks. Two-mile beach, facilities for swimming, camping (third weekend in May to Columbus Day), picnicking, saltwater fishing, scuba diving, hiking and boating; concessions. Nature center and interpretive programs. Bicycle rentals available through Labor Day, rates begin at $10 per hour and range up to $75 per week, with discounts for children. Helmets provided free to use and are mandatory for riders 15 and younger. Note: Lifeguards on duty on Wednesday through Sunday. Pricing: Weekdays: free for CT vehicles; $15/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm. Weekends and holidays: free for CT vehicles; $22/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm William F. Miller Campground. 558 open sites. Concession, dumping station, bathrooms, showers. Saltwater swimming and fishing. Individual fireplaces not provided. No pets.
$20 - $45 / night
Smith Point, on the Fire Island barrier beach, is a haven for sportsmen, surfers and beach lovers. An extremely popular facility, the park's white sands, rolling Atlantic surf and adjoining camping facility attract Suffolk County residents and tourists each summer season. Reservations are required for all the sites in the campground. All sites have water, and many have electric hookups and sewers. Outer beach camping is available on first come, first served basis, beach conditions permitting.
A nationally recognized team of lifeguards makes Smith Point its home base, providing ocean visitors with an extra-special safety feature.
Off-road vehicles, with permit only, may drive on the eastern portion of the outer beach. All beach-goers are advised to respect the marked, protective fencing around the nest sites of endangered shorebirds inhabiting the ocean and bay beaches.
The Carmans River flows through this scenic, pine-oak forested park. Southaven is a popular picnicking site, containing group areas capable of accommodating up to 1,000 people. Southaven's 1,356 acres also offer a bicycle hostel. Boating and freshwater fishing are permitted. Camping is also available, with sites for tents and trailers.
$33 / night
Hammonasset Beach State Park is the largest of Connecticut’s shoreline parks. Two-mile beach, facilities for swimming, camping (third weekend in May to Columbus Day), picnicking, saltwater fishing, scuba diving, hiking and boating; concessions. Nature center and interpretive programs. Bicycle rentals available through Labor Day, rates begin at $10 per hour and range up to $75 per week, with discounts for children. Helmets provided free to use and are mandatory for riders 15 and younger. Note: Lifeguards on duty on Wednesday through Sunday. Pricing: Weekdays: free for CT vehicles; $15/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm. Weekends and holidays: free for CT vehicles; $22/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm William F. Miller Campground. 558 open sites. Concession, dumping station, bathrooms, showers. Saltwater swimming and fishing. Individual fireplaces not provided. No pets.
$20 - $45 / night
Scout
Stayed at this campground this past weekend and yes it was a long weekend so the campground was packed. All the camping spots are pretty much right next to each one with hardly any space, packed like Sardines. Neighbors are loud and some of them are ignorant of the park rules. Staying on the phones in the middle of the night while talking so loud that all camping neighbors can hear their whole story
Its a pity that they take a nice park and remove the fun out of camping.
However the walk to the beach area was very serene, especially early morning before sunrise and didn't feel like we live in dense suburbia and sunrise from the beach was worth the trip
Camp site itself was pretty flat, had a water station, bathrooms were well kept , no fire ring (BYOFP)
Traveler
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.
Legend
I had a hankering for East Coast seafood, so I picked Hammonesett Beach State Park for Connecticut. Our 2nd state of 5.
Hammonesett Beach has a huge campground. They divide the loops with names. I unfortunately chose Pequot. This loop has THE WORST bathrooms/showers on the South side of the campground. Looks like they were built in 1950s with rotten wood siding. Dirty. The showers were outside the bathroom- there was a bench & hooks OUTSIDE! We found out all the other loops had modern bathhouses.
My first impression of this campground is it's loud, crazy busy & there's traffic noise from the beach road. I actually liked it! This is a fun campground for families. There were kids on bikes, scooters, skateboards,roller blades. Watch your speed! They don't always watch out for your car.
I found out most people stay through Sunday & leave on Monday. There were still lots of campers left. Lots of tent campers.
I chose site 14 on the Pequot Loop because I thought I would have a view of one of the ponds. There was tall vegetation, so that was out.
The sites on the other side of the loop were right by the main beach road. Noisy during the day, but quiet at night.
There are some sites with shade, but most are sunny.
There's no electricity at most of the sites. Our site was full sun(yay for the solar panel!). On Beach Road in the campground there's 2 rows of full hookup sites, but they go FAST! I tried.
NO PETS! Including dogs.
No WiFi, but there's cell service. At least 5 dump stations.
The beach was popular.
There was a stream running from a pond that kids were playing in.
They have a beautiful Nature Center. A couple of easy hikes through one of the preserves.
This was a good base camp for the area. Gillette Castle & other state parks are within driving distance. Connecticut is a beautiful state!!
Traveler
Truly great spot. Amazing sites with plenty of room, though they are close together. But was worth it for the amenities and fantastic views. Stayed on the bayside (site 30), which had a fantastic direct bay view. Although most sites have views of the bay, some are blocked by seagrass (for example site 28 - huge corner spot but the flat spot to park has an obstructed view). Literally steps to the beach.
Scout
This is a nice campground - not crowded and centrally located. However, I cannot walk ANYWHERE without picking up ticks. Even on the large sand paths, going to and from the bathroom I find ticks. It’s amazing!
Traveler
Perhaps it was the weekend we went but this was an extremely unpleasant trip. The bathroom facilities are wonderful as is the beach but the crowd stayed awake playing music all night very loudly. I think the cabins here are the way to go.
ScoutDer Camping Platz ist in der wunderschönen Natur gelegen. Das Personal ist sehr freundlich und die Camping Plätze sind grosszügig und gut gepflegt. Das Preis Leistungsverhältniss ist ebenfalls sehr gut. Einziger Nachteil: in den Waschräumen brennt die ganze Nacht das Licht und es gibt keine Türen. Damit wird aus den Waschräumen ein zu Hause für Moskitos und Ungeziefer…
ScoutOur 36ft motorhome backed up to a raised balcony overlooking the bay. Less than 100 feet from the front of our site was the beach and the Atlantic Ocean view. A stones throw away was one of several shower and rest room buildings. Clean and well lit. Our site had a trex picnic table on a cement patio. An on site firepit was cozy at night. A general store, complete with an ice cream shop window, on the grounds was a treat. And sweet deer. I watcheda momma deer nursing two of her babies. This is paradise.
ScoutI 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.
Traveler
Favorite place ever. You can get there by ferry. Very quiet and comfortable. Birdsong in the morning and the sound of the waves. There are showers, toilets and a café. For those who want to be at one with nature. Lots of mosquitoes, be prepared.
TravelerBeen to this campsite 2 times. Nice beach with no waves. A lot of fishermen. 5-7 minutes by car to the store, gas station and farms.
ScoutBathrooms are a health hazard, have not been cleaned in who knows how long. Poop is smeared on the walls, floor and toilet. Showers are horrendous. There are young children that have to use those showers and bathrooms. I wouldn’t want to bring my kids here!!!
Traveler
Average compared to other state/county parks. The crowd was a little questionable. State police were called in the settled a dispute between campers. Neighbor ran a generator all night (luckily it was somewhat quite)I, but had no issues with anyone. There seemed to be a disproportionate amount of dilapidated trailers on the side of the campground with no electricity. I'm not sure how some of them even moved. The side with electricity was ok. Places to eat are very close, and a 15 minute drive to Smith's Point beach was a plus. You need a Green Key card membership for reservation which at least got me a 50% ($9) discount on beach parking.
Scout
We have a 42 ft 5th wheel toy hauler. A few Big Rig spots are available, but this is a Suffock Co Campground that is not well maintained. 2 miles of the Road have many areas of missing blacktop making a very rough ride with low branches. The dump station is basically not accessible to a big rig. Most of the longer sites were very difficult to level.
TravelerThe campground is very nice. Everything you need is right here, and if you need something else, it's literally 5 mins away. The manager, Harry is incredible! He takes care of everything, ground maintenance, if there's a problem with your rig, he'll do what he can to fix it(99 out of 100, he will) Greenport Long Island, need I say more? I hope you love seafood.
TravelerCamping on the beach with all the amenities. At nite an ice cream truck comes by, you get visits from the nearby deer. It is paradise. ONLY DRAWBACKS, 1- YOU HAVE TO BE A RESIDENT OF SUFFOLK CO, NY 2- ONE WEEK STAY AT A TIME. PERIOD. After staying there, you'll wish all campgrounds were like this.
Guide
I have lived 6 miles from this campground for the last 20 years and never knew they had tent sites. The park is clean the bathrooms are well maintained and there is a playground for the kids. Each site is set back off a common area so there is plenty of privacy. It's great if your local easy in and out
Traveler
Wir waren nur eine Nacht da. 50€ hat die für einen kleineren Camper gekostet. Im Oktober. Die Sanitäranlagen waren sehr sauber und das Personal freundlich. Wir waren fast alleine da.
ScoutNice campground. Facilities are in good shape, friendly staff. Sites are very close to one another. Level pull through site. Quit in the evening!
ScoutUpdate number 2: I told you I come here a lot, we did bingo and it was a blast. It was a beautiful day on the beach pond. They had great prizes for cheap cost. I spent 2 dollars for 10 long rounds of bingo with 4 cards. Who can beat that!!?? My son won a game prize worth 5 times that. I had to give the rest of the money I had as a tip because I was so happy with how everything worked out. They are always updating, someone broke the basketball 🏀 hoop on one side and it’s fixed 2 weeks later.
Update: They have changed days for me many times when I had issues with the camper. Never once asked questions or even treated me differently. No extra cost. You might have have to change spots but I don’t care. They are so easy to work with. Thanks guys
Great Value and Nice Family owned business. The lake is perfect, the river needs work. But this an awesome small campground. The kids who work here are so friendly and the playground is nice. They did a show on the beach one night that was fun too. We did bingo too. Have been going for 2 years and started with tenting up to a trailer. I love coming here and wish I could spend more time. Really close to Hammonassett beach and one of my favorite restaurants the “log cabin”. Make sure you bring Tupperware with you to this place.
Also don’t let other family’s ruin your trip. We had 3 family’s meet up on 2 sites near us and the father and mother just kept yelling at the kids. Made me feel bad for the children but doesn’t make me right a bad review about the campground.
TravelerBathrooms and showers were a good size. Rangers were driving around often but hand no issues with drink in red cups. Site 130 was a camper we rented then I got 131 to have more room and had tents
GuideWe visited in late July. Park was excellent. Grounds were as advertised. Family friendly. Lots of long haulers it seemed around the sites. Ranger drove around a few times to say hi. Trails were awesome. Row boat for fishing was great. Not a party or for party site as alcohol is not allowed but I believe if your an adult your good to have an adult beverage. If your playing beer pong I think it would be strictly enforced.
ScoutPerfect place to take the little ones has a beautiful lake and a really nice playground highly recommended
ScoutFriendly staff, clean, relaxing, enjoyable- our favorite campground yet. Nothing like bad reviews and rumors
Scout
But it absolutely looks amazing to use super user friendly
GuideEasy car camping! Super accessible with well maintained bathrooms. Was pretty loud over when we went. The walk to the beach is slightly down hill but paved and accessible as well.
ScoutWe booked for one week with intentions to book for another extra week
When we arrived we had a bit of trouble finding our site and asked someone on a golf cart passing to help they did and were very kind
Later that night we were told there were complaints of us trying to park our truck on a trailer spot though we were there for a tent sight
Then the next 3 days consistently staff would drive/ walk past our sight starting rudely they must have thought we were camping in the truck.
Though the complaints we enjoyed our stay so we decided to walk to the office and ask to extend our stay for just one more week and they very rudely stopped our sentence and said they only allow a 7 day booking
We did not see a single camper leave the entire time And most people lived there permanently
And the one time we asked for the laundry they told us we have a 2 hour window we booked for 10 am and they booked another lady for 11 am in conclusion she was also extremely rude and when we arrived to switch our clothes over she stood there watching us I felt very rushed and when we went to take clothes out of the dryer we found them tossed on the floor still half wet
Bathrooms were semi clean
Nice camp spot horribly rude people and staff
Camping near Fire Island National Seashore, New York, offers a unique blend of natural beauty and outdoor fun. With several campgrounds in the area, you can find the perfect spot to enjoy the beach, hiking, and family activities.
Camping near Fire Island National Seashore, New York, provides a great mix of outdoor activities and family fun. Whether you're looking for a beach getaway or a peaceful retreat in nature, there's something for everyone in this beautiful area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Fire Island National Seashore?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Fire Island National Seashore is Wildwood State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 22 reviews.
What parks are near Fire Island National Seashore?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 10 parks near Fire Island National Seashore that allow camping, notably Gateway National Recreation Area and Hop Brook Lake.
