Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness

Just miles from New York City's skyscrapers, herons stalk through grassy wetlands and startled white-tailed deer leap over thickets of catbrier and the ubiquitous poison ivy in the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness. Fire Island, now protected as Fire Island National Seashore, shields Long Islanders from the raging Atlantic Ocean. The island attracts springtime rafts of migratory waterfowl bobbing on mainland-side waters and summer swimmers basking on the white beaches bordering the Atlantic. Oriented east to west, this barrier island stretches 32 miles long and ranges from 200 yards to one-half mile wide. A seven-mile stretch on the eastern half has been designated wilderness, extending from the Wilderness visitor center west to Watch Hill. It includes everything from the toe of the primary dune with its patches of seaside plants, across areas of pine forest with hidden groves, to the sheltered marshes along the Great South Bay. The Wilderness does not include the ocean front beaches but provides for a remote and pristine experience. The area provides excellent backcountry camping opportunities and hiking along the trace of the old Burma Road, which ran the full length of what is now the Wilderness. Anglers cast for bluefish, striped bass, and winter flounder among other saltwater species, and scenic views and abundant wildlife attract bird watchers and wildlife viewers. A permit is required for wilderness and backcountry camping, and check-in is required at the Watch Hill Visitor Center. Open fires are prohibited, walking on the dunes is prohibited, and no dogs or pets are allowed from March 15 to Labor Day during piping plover nesting season.