NPS · New York

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. This island attracts springtime rafts of migratory waterfowl bobbing on mainland-side waters and summer swimmers basking on the white beaches bordering the Atlantic. Fire Island traces a thin line along the coast. Orientated east-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.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Wilderness1,381 acresNPSNYDesignated 19801 campground within 10 mi
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byNational Park Service
StateNew York
Size1,381 acres
Designated1980, by Congress
Center point40.71° N, 72.93° W
Night skySome glow on the horizon (Black Marble reading 49)

Boundary map

3 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 2.97 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.10 inches of precipitationMarch: 4.62 inches of precipitationApril: 4.06 inches of precipitationMay: 3.47 inches of precipitationJune: 3.70 inches of precipitationJuly: 3.24 inches of precipitationAugust: 3.04 inches of precipitationSeptember: 3.90 inches of precipitationOctober: 3.99 inches of precipitationNovember: 3.65 inches of precipitationDecember: 4.50 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 31.6°F averageFebruary: 32.8°F averageMarch: 39.3°F averageApril: 48.7°F averageMay: 58.5°F averageJune: 68.0°F averageJuly: 74.1°F averageAugust: 72.8°F averageSeptember: 65.8°F averageOctober: 54.9°F averageNovember: 45.3°F averageDecember: 36.9°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 in5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Shirley Brookhaven AP, 8 miles from the center point at 82 feet, station USW00054790 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 44 inches a year.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

None of the 1 federal campground within ten miles sits inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

NPS · 0.1 mi
Watch Hill Campground
First-comeNY

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Seashore · 1 mi
Fire Island National Seashore
National Historic Site · 30 mi
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
National Register listings within 15 miles · 51 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Guidebooks for New York

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness?

1,381 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness?

The National Park Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness in?

New York.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1980.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness?

Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 40.715° N, 72.925° W. Fire Island National Seashore is 1 mile away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Which national parks are near Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness?

Fire Island National Seashore (1 mi) and Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (30 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness?

The National Register has 51 listings within 15 miles, including Modesty (south-sider Sloop) and Priscilla (Long Island Sound Oyster Sloop).

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.