Comb the Fire Island Wilderness
You'll feel like a castaway as you explore the remote Otis G. Pike Wilderness. This coastal swath of 1,300 acres stretches for almost eight miles from Smith Point to Watch Hill and is the only designated federal wilderness in the state of New York. The wilderness is vast coastal plain distinguished by windswept sand dunes, saltwater marsh, and grasslands. Expect to see an abundance of white-tailed deer, red fox, and scores of waterfowl and shorebirds -- the island serves as sanctuary to some 330 species of bird, including rare winter guests such as the snowy owl.

Explore the Sunken Forest
Unlike the science fiction world of Dune, Fire Island is not all sand. A 1.5-mile boardwalk snakes its way through Fire Island's 300-year-old Sunken Forest. The nature trail penetrates deep into a forest of holly, sassafras, and shadblow. Along the way, you will also traverse other Fire Island ecosystems including saltwater marsh, dune, and the tidal flats of the Great South Bay. The pervasive suburban myth is that the forest is sunken below sea level: not true, it is so named because it is sunken amidst the sand dunes.

Spy Raptors at the Lighthouse
Birders will no doubt want to migrate to the Hawk Watch near the Fire Island Lighthouse. Osprey, sharp-shinned hawks, northern harriers, peregrine falcons, and American kestrels show up in record numbers in the month of October. The bald eagle also makes the occasional guest appearance. The 168-foot brick lighthouse near the Hawk Watch was first lit in November of 1858. It was the first glimmer of light seen by many immigrants arriving to the New World.