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Fire Island National Seashore
Times to Visit: Winter
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| Covered in snow Fire Island can seem more isolated, allowing time for reflection and thought. |
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| Most Fire Island National Seashore facilities are closed in the off-season. |
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Considered Fire Island's off-season, winter is a quieter, peaceful time. Ferry service is minimal, but vehicle accesses via the Robert Moses Causeway Bridge and the Smith Point Bridge remain open.
Although at times extremely cold, if you're properly prepared you can experience a different beauty on Fire Island. The landscape can sometimes be covered in a blanket of white snow with barren branches encased in ice and glistening in the sun. Keep in mind, however, that very few public facilities are open on Fire Island during the winter, and those that are open usually keep shorter winter hours.
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| Most seals on the beach are merely resting. For their welfare and for your safety, never get too close or disturb them. |
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White-tailed deer sport their dull winter coats. Snowy owls are occasionally spotted near the beach. Sightings of seals and even the occasional whale have been reported. Seals occasionally bask on the winter beach.
Please do not get too close to seals on the beach or disturb them. However, you should report the stranding of any marine mammal or cold-stunned sea turtle to the nearest ranger or call
Do not approach any sick or injured animal.
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| Newly-finished Barrett Beach dock in November 2003. |
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Occasionally, the bays on the south shore of Long Island freeze over.
Already limited winter ferry service to Fire Island communities may then be suspended.
When winds blow hard from the north, ice can pile high and wreak havoc on bayside structures and facilities like piers and docks.
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| Barrett Beach dock after severe ice-over in February 2004. |
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For your safety, most Fire Island National Seashore island-based facilities are closed during the winter.
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Check Today's Forecast
Link to local weather and tides.
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Fire Island Wilderness
You can experience and appreciate the values of wilderness in this thin ribbon of a barrier island.
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Did You Know?
In the mid-1970s, Fire Island's deer herd consisted of only about 50 white-tailed deer. By 2005, the number was estimated to be 500-700 deer.
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Last Updated: March 16, 2009 at 16:39 EST |
