New York Has a Sunken Forest Behind the Beach and a Boardwalk Through It
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Yes, Sunken Forest Fire Island gives you a place to pair a boardwalk walk with time on an Atlantic beach. At Sailors Haven, you can shift from a shaded forest path to open shore during one island outing.
Fire Island sits off Long Island, New York, with beaches and small communities along its coast. In summer, the sea and sand draw visitors, while the boardwalk offers a quieter change of pace. One visit can hold both a nature walk and an easy stretch of beach time.
You can spend the morning among trees, then head toward the water without leaving the destination. If you enjoy other quiet coastal walks, explore these secluded beaches for morning walks too.
Key Takeaways
- Sailors Haven joins a forest walk with Atlantic beach time.
- The Sunken Forest grows behind two rows of dunes.
- A boardwalk and paved path form the full trail loop.
- Beach access is through marked ramps, not over the dunes.
- Ferries from Sayville run from May through October.
Sailors Haven offers a change of scenery within a single island visit.
What Makes Sunken Forest Fire Island a Rare Maritime Forest?
The Sunken Forest is a globally rare maritime holly forest sheltered behind a double dune system. Maritime holly forest means a coastal woodland community that grows behind established dunes. It is one kind of maritime forest, shaped by the coast’s sand, wind, and salt air.
The trees do not grow taller than the dunes that shelter them. This low position gives the forest its name; “sunken” does not mean it lies below sea level.
How the dunes shelter the forest
Established sand dunes block some wind and salt spray from the woods behind them. At Sailors Haven, the main and secondary dunes form a double barrier around the forest.
The trees stay below the dune tops, tucked into a sheltered hollow behind the beach.
The forest covers about 40 acres and includes American holly, sassafras, and shadblow, also called juneberry. Some American hollies may be up to 300 years old. A holly core indicated that growth began around 1804.
How the forest took root and gained protection
The woodland likely took about 300 years to develop from bare, windblown sand. Beach grass and other pioneer plants first helped hold the sand; later, more species took root and formed a holly, sassafras, and juneberry community.
A roughly 50-acre tract of beach, dunes, and holly forest came together through fundraising led in 1952. The preserve was dedicated in 1960, then donated to Fire Island National Seashore in May 1966.
The donation required the property to remain natural and serve as a sanctuary. Its protected status keeps the preserve free of a public road or highway.
For another unusual American landmark, read about the Sunken Forest’s place among forgotten landmarks. New York also has inland woods known for fall color, including the forests in this guide to state forests.
What Can You See Along the Sunken Forest Nature Trail?
The full nature-trail loop combines a boardwalk through the forest with a paved stretch through the swale. A swale is a low area between the main and secondary sand dunes. The loop takes about an hour, and its open swale has less shade than the boardwalk.
The 1.6-mile loop is half paved and half boardwalk. The separate boardwalk nature walk is 1.5 miles long, so the two route descriptions do not mean the same thing.
The boardwalk, forest, and swale
Sailors Haven on Fire Island is the Fire Island National Seashore unit that contains the forest. You can make a forest walk and beach visit part of one outing, with changing views of plants, trees, and sand dunes along the way.
A printed trail guide describes vegetation at 35 stops. Stop numbers are etched into the bottom boardwalk planks, where they can be easy to miss if you are watching the path ahead.
The U.S. islands you can reach without a passport include Fire Island, a car-free summer retreat with beaches and small communities.
Reaching the beach without crossing dunes
You must use designated ramps to reach the beach; walking over the sand dunes at Sailors Haven is illegal. Bicycles are not permitted in the Sunken Forest, so leave them outside the trail area.
Use this simple route to connect the ferry dock, forest, and shore:
- Start near the ferry dock.
- Follow the loop onto the boardwalk.
- Cross the swale between the dunes.
- Use a designated ramp for beach access.
The boardwalk route is a good fit if you want a forest walk without loose, uneven sand underfoot. The open swale brings a different view of the dune ridges, but it offers less shade.
Keep to the marked route and use a designated ramp rather than walking over the dunes.
How Do You Reach Sailors Haven and Plan a Visit?
From May through October, take the Sayville ferry to Sailors Haven; outside ferry season, the boardwalk remains accessible but services do not. Plan around the ferry if you need restrooms, food, or other visitor services.
The boardwalk is open year-round, but services are not. Sailors Haven has a visitor center, snack bar, gift shop, restrooms, picnic areas, and lifeguarded beaches during the operating season.
For a map of the Sunken Forest on Fire Island, ask for the printed trail guide at the visitor center. It describes plants at 35 trail stops, and NPS app users can download a Sunken Forest audio tour.
Sayville Station is accessible, and a taxi connects it to the Sayville Ferry terminal at 41 River Road. From there, take the ferry to Sailors Haven. The 42-slip marina also serves visitors arriving by boat.
| Visit period | Ferry and services | Boardwalk access |
|---|---|---|
| May to October | Sayville ferry runs; visitor services are available | Available |
| Outside ferry season | Ferry is not operating; restrooms and other services are unavailable | Available year-round |
National Park Service tours and school field trips run from May through October, usually lasting one to two hours.
Both leave from the Sailors Haven Visitor Center. Check the ferry schedule and the status of visitor services before setting out.
For a longer New York trip, you can pair the coast with a walk among the state’s fall-color forests.
Conclusion
A walk through the Sunken Forest gives you a quiet contrast to time on Fire Island’s beach. The change of pace comes naturally, from a shaded path to open shore, without turning the outing into a full-day hike.
The boardwalk and beach make a distinctive nature-and-coast visit, whether you come for the trail or the sea air. Choose a date that matches the ferry schedule, especially if you want visitor services during your visit.
Before leaving home, confirm the ferry’s operating schedule for your chosen day.
