Fire Island National Seashore: Sunken Forest
See centuries-old endangered trees in one of the Eastern seaboard's last remaining maritime forests on this 6.2-mile out-and-back across a diverse barrier island.
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Trail Facts
- Distance: 5.0
Waypoints
FIR001
Location: 40.6480407714844, -73.1362533569336
Begin hiking S toward beach, then turn L to hike E on seashell-littered beach
FIR002
Location: 40.6534996032715, -73.1128005981445
Turn L @ wooden beach stairs; muted dunes give way to deep greens found in the sunken forest, home to deer and small critters
FIR003
Location: 40.6550598144531, -73.1120529174805
Good lookout point; enter swampy forest
FIR004
Location: 40.6557388305664, -73.112663269043
Good picnic spot atop a platform surrounded by gnarled trees; turn R toward Sailors Haven dock
FIR005
Location: 40.6555213928223, -73.1105728149414
Corkscrew-shaped trees give way to a popular bird viewing spot; don’t miss the pipin plover
FIR006
Location: 40.6569786071777, -73.104736328125
Sailors Haven; turn R to return to beach
FIR007
Location: 40.6554794311523, -73.1033782958984
Turn L to linger on the last sandy stretch
FIR008
Location: 40.6578102111816, -73.0921936035156
Veer L toward Cherry Grove; turn R onto Lewis
FIR009
Location: 40.6598205566406, -73.0902786254883
Cherry Grove dock; retrace steps to entrance, or catch a ferry to the mainland; plan return ferry to coincide with a breathtaking sunset over Great South Bay
