Conference moira::naturism

419.0. "Robert Moses State Park, Fire Island, NY" by SSGV01::MALKIEL () Thu Jul 15 1993 12:10

    This past weekend, I spent a great afternoon on the CO portion of 
    Robert Moses State Park at the western end of Fire Island, NY.  
    The beach is huge, beautiful, safe and legal, with wonderful swimming, 
    backed with nothing but dunes and a large lighthouse. The CO portion 
    is approximately 2 miles long, and about 100' wide.  
    
    I hunted down a good map after my visit and saw that the part of the
    beach that my friend and I visited is actually a U.S. Coast Guard
    reservation sandwiched between two portions of the State Park, which
    could explain its legal status.  In fact, at the east end of the CO
    section, a posted sign prohibits motorized vehicles, which are what the
    local police use to patrol the rest of the island.  Several times
    during the day, we saw the cops enter the beach and turn up island to
    the east, ignoring the CO beach.  
    
    This part of the beach appears to be gaining sand, not losing it like 
    the other portions of Fire Island (which is not all gay, for those 
    who don't know.)   See the July 11 NY Times Magazine for more
    information on Fire Island and the erosion problems. 
    
    Getting to this beach is relatively easy for those on the east coast. 
    You can drive to the main entrance of Robert Moses State Park (which is
    about an hour outside of NY City on the South side of Long Island,) park
    in the lot furthest to the east, and then walk a few hundred yards
    towards the lighthouse until you enter the the CO section.  
    
    However, an interesting way to do this beach (which is what my friend
    and I did) is to make it a day trip as a part of a New York City weekend.
    Shuttle vans (reservations required) leave frequently from various spots
    in Manhattan and drop you off at the ferry docks in Bay Shore, LI.  
    From there, you hop a small passenger ferry to the Fire Island town 
    of Kismet.  In less than five minutes after landing, you'll be on the 
    beach.  Kismet has a couple of small stores, bars and resturants, 
    so you can make a day of it, and leave as late as you want; the ferries 
    and shuttle vans leave at all hours.  
    
    The cost of the shuttle van is $26 RT, and the ferry is $10 RT.  
    It's somewhat expensive, but at least you don't have to drive.  
    If anyone is interested, I'll post the phone numbers and more detail 
    for the shuttle van and ferry.                 
                                

    re: .0
    
    >>The cost of the shuttle van is $26 RT, and the ferry is $10 RT.  
    >>It's somewhat expensive, but at least you don't have to drive.  
    
    Anyone who has driven out to Long Island in the summertime will know
    that this is a small price to pay to avoid that experience (but then
    again, you do still have to get to Manhattan (if you don't live there)
    to catch the shuttle but with public transport it's probably still
    worth it. %^)  )
    
    /sl
    

    by the way, has anyone been to the CO beach near Smith Point Park on
    Fire Island?
    
    /sl
    

    The CO beach furthest east on Fire Island that I know of is Davis Park,
    reachable by the Patchogue ferries.  The best bet is once off the
    ferry, hang a left and go to the end of the boardwalk to that part of
    the beach.  Its a nice crowd, lots of families, the usual amount of
    teenage male gawkers.
    
    Regarding the first note, I also went to Robert Moses this summer, but
    drove.  If you take the causeway over, and then park in Field 5, and
    then walk east to where the Fire Island National Seashore (FINS) starts
    (by the fire island lighthouse) that's the demarcation for the CO beach
    that I know of.  It generally runs from the start of FINS east to where
    the houses of Kismet start. It has been that way since nudity was ok'd
    on federal beaches.  I don't know of any other spots at Robert Moses
    where it has taken hold since NY's ban on toplessness was struck down.