NPS · Fire Island National Seashore · New York

Watch Hill Campground

Close to the beach, bay, and the Otis Pike Wilderness, the Watch Hill Campground provides a traditional camping experience on Fire Island's eastern end. The campground includes 20 sand tent sites and 8 safari tent ("glamping") sites. Transportation to the campground is by private boat or the Watch Hill Ferry, which leaves from Patchogue, NY. Sites are available typically from mid-May weekend to mid-October. The campground is operated by concessioner LoveFINS.

First-come, first-served

More like this: first-come in New York

Watch Hill CampgroundWatch Hill CampsiteTent site at Watch Hill CampgroundWatch Hill Beach
Photos courtesy of NPS / Leon Gursky, NPS, NPS Photo · Recreation.gov

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Watch Hill Campground30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 3.49 inches of precipitationFebruary: 4.58 inches of precipitationMarch: 4.44 inches of precipitationApril: 3.82 inches of precipitationMay: 3.50 inches of precipitationJune: 3.70 inches of precipitationJuly: 4.65 inches of precipitationAugust: 5.81 inches of precipitationSeptember: 4.35 inches of precipitationOctober: 3.56 inches of precipitationNovember: 3.03 inches of precipitationDecember: 4.94 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 32.4°F averageFebruary: 33.4°F averageMarch: 39.7°F averageApril: 49.4°F averageMay: 57.9°F averageJune: 68.3°F averageJuly: 74.6°F averageAugust: 74.7°F averageSeptember: 67.0°F averageOctober: 56.1°F averageNovember: 46.3°F averageDecember: 37.7°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Molloy Cercom, 6 miles from the campground at 5 feet, station USC00302151 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 50 inches a year.

Getting there

Campers should plan to take a passenger ferry from Patchogue, New York, or a private boat to Watch Hill. The Watch Hill Campground is accessible by foot from the marina and main pavilion at Watch Hill.

Coordinates40.6911° N, 72.9862° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗12.3 mi
RV sales & serviceW.E.S. Trailer Sales ↗17.3 mi
Outdoor gearOutdoor gear ↗17.6 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness begins about 2.7 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Guidebooks for New York

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Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Watch Hill Campground?

No. Watch Hill Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Watch Hill Campground Official Website

What if Watch Hill Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Camp Gateway- Brooklyn Ny (47.5 mi), Camp Gateway - Sandy Hook (55.5 mi), and Camp Gateway - Staten Island (56.4 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby

Which national park is Watch Hill Campground in?

Watch Hill Campground is a Fire Island National Seashore campground. Entrance fees, alerts, and hours are on Park Atlas.

Source: Fire Island National Seashore