The beach walk is a scenic alternative to hiking the wooded nature trails, offering panoramic vistas of the ocean surf, dunes and sandy bluffs. As an added bonus, consider taking a hike that rewards your efforts with a lighthouse tour. There are 19 lighthouses across Long Island. Most of them are closed to the public and several cannot be accessed, but three of these coastal icons offer the chance to climb their towers for breathtaking seaside views.
The Fire Island lighthouse stands as a 180-foot stone sentry overlooking the Great South Bay. It is located on the south shore of Suffolk County, on the east end of Robert Moses State Park. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1974. In 2006, thanks to the ongoing efforts of the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society, the beacon was once again put to work, lending a navigational assist to private nautical craft that cruises along the bay. Visitors may park in field 5 of Robert Moses State Park and begin their trek along the beach toward the lighthouse. The final lag takes you across a lengthy boardwalk path. After the tour, you can hike back and cool off with a beach day of sun and surf.
The Montauk Point lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in New York. Its construction was completed in 1796 under President George Washington’s authorization. The National Historic Landmark is still in operation today. The tour consists of ten points of interest that include the keeper’s quarters, the oil room, the fog signal house and, of course, the 110-foot tower. The lighthouse is located at Montauk Point, on the easternmost tip of the south fork of Long Island, guiding visitors toward Montauk Point State Park.
Horton Point lighthouse conducts tours through the lighthouse interior and tower from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. The grounds and bluffs that overlook the Long Island Sound provide a different venue from the usual hiker’s stomping grounds, and the non-cylindrical form of the lighthouse tower is unusual as well. Located on north shore of Southold, the lighthouse was constructed in 1857. The 58-foot lighthouse tower is still active today as a navigational aid, and the museum is owned by the Southold Historical Society.
Although fallen into disrepair, gutted by a fire in 1974 and closed ever since to prevent entry, the Cedar Island lighthouse deserves a mention. The impressive 1860 structure can be viewed up close and it sits on Cedar Point County Park in East Hampton. This lighthouse was originally constructed to guide whaling vessels to Sag Harbor. As of 2013, a restoration project has been officially underway in an effort to preserve the historical lighthouse and return it to its former seaside glory.
The exteriors of a handful of the remaining lighthouses can be viewed up close on foot, such as the Old Field lighthouse, or from aboard a boat while cruising the surrounding waters, such as the Orient Point lighthouse. Throughout the summer, take advantage when weekend cruises out of Greenport to the Long Beach Bar lighthouse, also known as the Bug Light, present for the rare opportunity to tour this landmark.
August 7 is National Lighthouse Day. As luck would have it, this date falls on a Friday this year, so kick off a stolen three-day weekend with a visit to one of Long Island’s own spectacular lighthouses. Bring a camera, pack a picnic lunch and embark on a beach hike that’s sure to get your blood flowing. Your trek will offer some stunning photographic opportunities of sandy shorelines and magnificent lighthouses that define the seafaring history of Long Island.
The Fire Island lighthouse stands as a 180-foot stone sentry overlooking the Great South Bay. It is located on the south shore of Suffolk County, on the east end of Robert Moses State Park. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1974. In 2006, thanks to the ongoing efforts of the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society, the beacon was once again put to work, lending a navigational assist to private nautical craft that cruises along the bay. Visitors may park in field 5 of Robert Moses State Park and begin their trek along the beach toward the lighthouse. The final lag takes you across a lengthy boardwalk path. After the tour, you can hike back and cool off with a beach day of sun and surf.
The Montauk Point lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in New York. Its construction was completed in 1796 under President George Washington’s authorization. The National Historic Landmark is still in operation today. The tour consists of ten points of interest that include the keeper’s quarters, the oil room, the fog signal house and, of course, the 110-foot tower. The lighthouse is located at Montauk Point, on the easternmost tip of the south fork of Long Island, guiding visitors toward Montauk Point State Park.
Horton Point lighthouse conducts tours through the lighthouse interior and tower from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. The grounds and bluffs that overlook the Long Island Sound provide a different venue from the usual hiker’s stomping grounds, and the non-cylindrical form of the lighthouse tower is unusual as well. Located on north shore of Southold, the lighthouse was constructed in 1857. The 58-foot lighthouse tower is still active today as a navigational aid, and the museum is owned by the Southold Historical Society.
Although fallen into disrepair, gutted by a fire in 1974 and closed ever since to prevent entry, the Cedar Island lighthouse deserves a mention. The impressive 1860 structure can be viewed up close and it sits on Cedar Point County Park in East Hampton. This lighthouse was originally constructed to guide whaling vessels to Sag Harbor. As of 2013, a restoration project has been officially underway in an effort to preserve the historical lighthouse and return it to its former seaside glory.
The exteriors of a handful of the remaining lighthouses can be viewed up close on foot, such as the Old Field lighthouse, or from aboard a boat while cruising the surrounding waters, such as the Orient Point lighthouse. Throughout the summer, take advantage when weekend cruises out of Greenport to the Long Beach Bar lighthouse, also known as the Bug Light, present for the rare opportunity to tour this landmark.
August 7 is National Lighthouse Day. As luck would have it, this date falls on a Friday this year, so kick off a stolen three-day weekend with a visit to one of Long Island’s own spectacular lighthouses. Bring a camera, pack a picnic lunch and embark on a beach hike that’s sure to get your blood flowing. Your trek will offer some stunning photographic opportunities of sandy shorelines and magnificent lighthouses that define the seafaring history of Long Island.