Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Fire Island National Seashore
Watch Hill Fire Island Campground requires a short ferry ride from Patchogue, with tent and cabin sites available for campers with pets. This National Seashore camping area provides direct beach access where visitors can enjoy both bay and ocean environments. The campground features water and electric hookups suitable for tent camping and cabins, though spaces can fill quickly during summer months. Mosquitoes can be problematic, particularly during warmer months, with multiple reviewers emphasizing the need to bring potent insect repellent. Smith Point County Park, another pet-friendly option, offers full hookups for RVs including water, electric, and sewer connections, with sites positioned between the bay and Atlantic Ocean.
Campers at Fire Island's pet-friendly sites should prepare for the maritime environment. The boardwalk access at Watch Hill means all camping equipment must be carried from the ferry landing to the camping area, approximately a half-mile walk. The campground enforces a two-night minimum stay on weekends and prohibits ground fires, though charcoal cooking is permitted on provided grills. Smith Point features hot showers with excellent water pressure, clean restroom facilities, and occasional wildlife encounters with local deer that frequent the campground. Backcountry camping permits are available for those seeking more solitude, allowing camping along designated beach areas east of Watch Hill where campers report feeling like they have the entire beach to themselves during off-peak periods such as post-Labor Day weekends.
