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28-551: Construction of the Fire Island Bridge was completed in 1964 and although a relatively young structure, (about 60 years old), its concrete deck has suffered from severe chloride ingress resulting in cracks, spalling, and the formation of potholes. The Fire Island Inlet span of the Robert Moses Causeway connects to Robert Moses State Park on the western tip of Fire Island. The Fire Island Inlet Bridge

56-491: A $ 7.7 million dredging and beach restoration project was conducted to replenish beaches damaged during Hurricane Sandy . The project used about 520,000 cubic yards (400,000 m ) of sand removed during dredging of the Captree State Park boat canal to restore beaches at Robert Moses State Park. A $ 1.7 million project to increase energy efficiency and install a 500-kilowatt solar photovoltaic power system at

84-454: A fee for parking at the park. As of 2024, vehicle fees are $ 8 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends from early-April until Memorial Day, after which a $ 10 fee is charged from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays, and a $ 10 fee is charged on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. After Labor Day weekend, vehicle fees are once again $ 8 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends only, until early-November when fees are no longer charged. The west end of Fire Island

112-598: A maximum penalty of a $ 5,000 fine and six months in prison. Note that in New York State, women are legally permitted to be topless and continue to do so at this beach. The beach is widely regarded as family friendly. Since there is no vehicular traffic permitted in the Seashore, visitors must come in from the Robert Moses State Park in the west or the community of Kismet in the east. There

140-675: A new name. In February 2021 the bill progressed on to the New York State Assembly calendar, where as of December 2021 it still sits. As of 2014, the facility attracts approximately 3.5 million visitors per year. east of the Fire Island Lighthouse. Lighthouse Beach Lighthouse Beach is a small section of the Fire Island National Seashore that is adjacent to Robert Moses State Park on New York 's Long Island . It

168-586: Is a 875-acre (3.54 km ) state park in southern Suffolk County , New York . The park lies on the western end of Fire Island , one of the central barrier islands off the southern coast of Long Island , and is known for its five-mile (8.0 km) stretch of beaches on the Atlantic Ocean . The park is accessible from Long Island by the Robert Moses Causeway across Great South Bay . Established as Fire Island State Park in 1908,

196-414: Is currently no handicapped access to the beach. In the past, there were accessible ramps from the westernmost boardwalk, but these have been destroyed by winter storms and have not yet been replaced. There are very limited services at this beach. There are no lifeguards or concessions. There are no trash receptacles making it a Carry in, Carry out facility. As with the rest of the Seashore, law enforcement

224-541: Is located south of the State Boat Channel Bridge , a 665-foot (203 m) long bascule bridge modeled after Brooklyn's Mill Basin Drawbridge . The Fire Island Inlet span cost $ 10 million to complete and opened to traffic on June 13, 1964. By 1985, a dual span was supposed to be built to alleviate traffic; the second bridge proposal was never implemented. As first proposed in 1938, the span

252-486: Is set among native trees and beach vegetation. It is typically open April through November and equipment rental is available. Robert Moses State Park also facilitates access to the Fire Island National Seashore , immediately east of the park. Since there is no parking at the Seashore itself, many visitors park at Field 5 in order to walk to Lighthouse Beach , the Fire Island Lighthouse and Museum , or

280-409: The ban. Violators face a maximum penalty of a $ 5,000 fine and six months in prison. The park is accessible by automobile from the Robert Moses Causeway , which connects Fire Island with mainland Long Island. Parking is available in four separate fields. Parking fields 2, 4 and 5 have a capacity of roughly 1,000 vehicles while the capacity at Field 3 is 500. Suffolk Transit's S47 route also serves

308-459: The beach as far back as World War II, getting to the island by rowboat. After the Robert Moses Causeway was extended to Fire Island in 1964, word slowly spread, resulting in the clothing optional usage expanding greatly in the 1970s. Originally, the entire stretch of beach was clothing optional, however there have been some complaints from users objecting to the nudity going back to the 1980s. These complaints were largely from parents who visited

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336-401: The beach or the piers. A day use boat basin that can accommodate up to 40 boats is also available. Guests can also use the four bathhouses on the property. The park also contains four concession stands (one at each field), volleyball courts, first aid stations, picnic areas, and a playground at Field 5. On the west end of the park is an 18-hole pitch and putt golf course. The secluded course

364-666: The beach seasonally connecting it with the Babylon Long Island Rail Road station on the Babylon Branch . The park is open year-round from sunrise to sunset, although hours for activities such as swimming and golfing vary by season. Portions of the park are open 24 hours a day to fishermen with the appropriate permit. There are many other permits you can buy, such as nighttime photography , stargazing , 4x4 beach permits , scuba diving , and many more. Starting in early April, visitors are charged

392-499: The completion of several improvements at the park, including a $ 700,000 rehabilitation of the bathhouse at Field 3. The renovation improved and expanded bathroom facilities, repaired the park's cupola and clock, and replaced a glass and metal storefront added to the building in the 1980s with a new exterior consistent with the building's original architecture. The renovations were part of $ 132 million in improvements for New York's state parks and historic sites enacted in 2008. In 2013,

420-457: The decision does not change the official status granted for the practice of female toplessness , which is still allowed. The beach is approximately one mile (1.6 km) long and can be defined as the ocean facing beach between Robert Moses State Park and the community of Kismet . Technically, it is in the Town of Islip . Download coordinates as: There are some reports of nudists using

448-411: The federal government four miles (6.4 km) of beach west of the lighthouse that had been formed by shifting sand. In 1926 the first bathhouse was erected. After the hurricane of 1938 devastated the park, the commission decided to rebuild farther east near the lighthouse, and sand was pumped onto the beach to raise a portion of the island to a height of 18 feet (5.5 m) above sea level. In 1940,

476-436: The first modern bathhouse opened to the public, replacing facilities destroyed by the hurricane. Ferry service was maintained from Babylon to the park until 1964 when the Robert Moses Causeway opened. The park was renamed for Moses that same year. Attendance boomed, and three parking fields with bathhouses were added. Robert Moses State Park celebrated its 100th anniversary on June 27, 2008. The anniversary coincided with

504-533: The island's length by five miles (8.0 km) since 1825. At the time of the park's establishment, the island's western tip was near where the park's water tower stands today. A 1918 fire destroyed the boardwalk and the few buildings on the site. In 1924, the state established the Long Island State Park Commission headed by Robert Moses as part of a statewide park and parkway program, also run by Moses. The commission obtained from

532-547: The lighthouse and were surprised by the nudity on the beach. In 1994, due to negotiations between Friends of Lighthouse Beach and the National Park Service, the center section was made non-clothing optional or textile so that visitors from the lighthouse who did not want to see nudity could enjoy the beach. Since 5 February 2013, the entirety of Lighthouse Beach has no longer been clothing optional. Bathing suits are required at all times, and violators face

560-534: The nearby community of Kismet . In 2010, New York State officials estimated about 30% of the users of Field 5 park there to access Lighthouse Beach and the Lighthouse itself. Lighthouse Beach was historically a clothing optional beach ; however, the National Park Service has enforced a ban on public nudity at Lighthouse Beach since 2013, citing concerns over increases in lewd behavior prior to

588-398: The new span will be four lanes, two southbound and two northbound. The new Fire Island Bridge will keep the look of the old one for aesthetic conformity with the other bridges over the bay. 40°37′56″N 73°15′46″W  /  40.63222°N 73.26278°W  / 40.63222; -73.26278 Robert Moses State Park (Long Island) Robert Moses State Park - Long Island

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616-504: The park is the oldest state park on Long Island. Its current name was given to honor Robert Moses , the influential mid-20th century urban planner and former president of the Long Island State Park Commission . Recently, lawmakers have suggested the park should revert to its previous name or to something that better reflects its location. Robert Moses State Park includes five miles (8.0 km) of beach, which visitors can use for swimming, surfing, or fishing. Anglers may fish from either

644-470: The park was announced in 2015. The planned improvements aim to make Robert Moses State Park the first energy-neutral state park in the United States. In 2019 a proposal was made by Manhattanville representative Daniel J. O'Donnell to rename Robert Moses State Park in the light of a re-evaluation of the history of Long Island and the legacy of Robert Moses. The bill did not include a proposal for

672-431: The quarantine station and occupied the site despite the arrival of troops. In 1908, Governor Charles Evans Hughes signed legislation designating the former Surf Hotel property as Long Island's first state park, known then as Fire Island State Park. The island and the park have grown since that time; for decades, sand has accumulated along Fire Island's western tip at a rate of 160 feet (50 m) per year, increasing

700-604: Was notable for having sections that were officially designated as clothing optional prior to 2013. The beach is named for the nearby Fire Island Lighthouse and was formerly the largest recognized clothing optional beach in New York. On 5 February 2013, the Fire Island National Seashore announced its plan to begin enforcing New York State anti-nudity laws on all Fire Island beaches, including Lighthouse Beach, ending clothing optional usage. However,

728-534: Was part of a colonial grant to William "Tangier" Smith . In 1825 the federal government acquired the westerly tip to build a lighthouse and David Sammis bought about 120 acres (0.49 km ) to the east in 1855 and built the Surf Hotel. In 1892, fears of a cholera epidemic spread by passengers on ships arriving in New York prompted the state to acquire the hotel property to establish a quarantine station. Irate local citizens obtained an injunction blocking

756-418: Was rapidly decomposing due to flaws in the cement during its construction. A 5-short-ton (4,500 kg) weight restriction was enforced by local police until permanent repairs could be made. Currently repairs are being undertaken to extend the life and safety of the bridge; groundbreaking for a new bridge was expected in 2010. It is assumed that the new bridge will be built to the west of the current structure;

784-706: Was to be a vertical-lift span with a design similar to that of the Marine Parkway–Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge . The design was changed to conform with that of the Great South Bay Bridge , a 600-foot (180 m) steel-arch span with a 60-foot (18 m) clearance. In 2004, the New York State Department of Transportation began studies on the Fire Island Inlet span after the realization that it

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