Watch Hill Fire Island Campground & Safari Tent Glamping

WARNING ! Mosquito infested camp sites. The evenings were torture and made unbearable by the shear quantity of mosquitos - we're not talking hundreds, we're talking thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands. We retreated and were confined to our small tent just to escape the swarms of biting parasites. Day time around the tent site was only marginally better. You might bathe yourself in Deet, the known carcinogen substance that is the main ingredient in bug sprays, but what fun is that? For any relief make a dash for the beach front only to return to your camp site through a gamut of pestilence. The authorities either need to spray insecticide, which is probably detrimental to the larger ecosystem, or simply warn people ahead of time. But of course making this fact public would have an effect on what? Cash-flow. Nuisance deer, acclimated to tourists and their picnic baskets and covered in another parasitic bug, ticks, cruise the campsites while tourists sleep, so stow food-stuffs tightly in open proof containers and check your body cavities for tick implantation - sexy eh? Perhaps culling the herd would help? But of course there are a lot of visitors who want to see the wildlife, Bambi & Rocky Raccoon, up close. Trouble is, if the wildlife have become acclimated to our breakfast cereal, potato chips, and hotdogs are they still "wildlife" or just nuisance animals? It begs the question - no? The toilet and shower facilities are ill-kept, if kept at all. We even got mosquito bites while showering on body parts I'd rather not talk about. Cold water only in dirty buildings. Who is the money for this place going to? They should be fined and hauled into court for embezzlement. Better to come after the first hard frost in the off-season but, alas, you can't without a personal boat because the ferry does not run at the close of the official Bug Season. It's too bad, because after a good hard freeze this place would be ideal and offer solitude in an awe inspiring marine environment, barrier island setting. But during Bug Season? IT IS A NIGHTMARE of pestilence, and my experienced advise is to, STAY AWAY. Even tons of bug spray does not help to keep the vicious mosquitos from following and biting you. But even that will not save you so be sure to schedule an appointment with your doctor to check for Lime Disease, Malaria, West Nile Virus, and Dengue Fever. Happy trails!

My family and I went backcountry camping in the wilderness section of the campground. The beach was beautiful with lots of interesting finds from the ocean! It can get very cold and windy, so keep that in mind when planning your attire and camp set up. We also stumbled across an interesting arrangement of props that could either be a ritualistic site of a religion I don't know about or an art exhibit. Still pretty cool though!

The campground has excellent infrastructure and is remarkably close to the beach--moreso than other sites I've been to. The bathrooms are comfortable and better than what is offered at most beaches/campsites. The general store is well-stocked, and the restaurant by the docks was very good. When the weather is good, falling asleep on a sandy campground without the rain fly on your tent so you can see the stars and hear the ocean is a beautiful experience.||I would say that the two biggest drawbacks were the price and, as others have mentioned, the insects.||It is difficult to reserve 1 night camping as when we booked we were forced to buy 3 nights minimum, which netted out to $118. Glamping options are more available, but also much more expensive.||The insects were ravenous. There is an electronic bug killing machine at each campsite, but I would definitely bring 100% DEET and wear long sleeved clothing and pants when at camp. If your machine is not on, notify the general store immediately--you will need ALL the relief you can get.||Outside of the campsites the only other insects to be encountered are sandflies on the beach. Their bites can sting a bit, and they only strike if your repellant has washed off and you are sitting still.

This place is excellent. Bring Picaridin and spray your clothes with Permethrin before arriving for tick and mosquito protection. Bring ThermaCELL mosquito repellent too. You'll be okay with those precautions. Beautiful spot. Glamping is fantastic, too. Extremely COVID-safe as well!! Ferry is outside, and there is outdoor dining and outdoor showers.

We went camping here over Labor Day weekend. Our camping game is high (meaning we have lots of gear to make it super comfy), but trying to limit our equipment knowing that we have to carry everything from the ferry to the campsite was stressful. But we did it, and it was 100% worth it! Here is what we learned: It is buggy!! Bring Picaridin spray for the body. We had 2-6 oz cans between 5 people, and we used them both for the 5 day weekend. Spray tents with Sawyer insect repellent to keep the bugs away from the tents. If you have, bring a cart. It is quite a hike with your gear from ferry to campsite, and in the heat is it's not fun. You can borrow carts from the ferry station area. Ask the staff. Bring bungee chords to keep all your equipment in place on the carts There is camp store with all necessary supplies, but it is expensive. If you can organize and bring everything from mainland, it will be cheaper. There is boardwalk everywhere. Unless you are wilderness camping on the beach, you won't have to drag anything through sand (phew!!) Choosing a campsite: The map on the reserve america is not clear. Some campsites are two in an alcove area. If you are a group of two sites, you need to pick correctly. Site 10 is solo site. 11/12, 9/8, 7/6 are alcove, the others are in row next to each other. Unlike other campgrounds we have been to, these sites are on the smaller side. In our 11/12 site we luckily picked an alcove area, we had two sleeping tents and bug tent. There is a restaurant at the marina which becomes a disco on the weekend. The food is pretty good, cocktails are not bad! Beach is walking distance from the tents with a lifeguard Lots of birds, and very chatty gray catbirds (bring ear plugs! I kid you not! One was right outside our tent at 5 am!!) It seems that a lot of families come back every year on the same weekend, and it felt like close community. National Parks have lots of activities during the day. On Monday they had a canoeing trip. You had to sign up the day of the trip to get a spot. Highly recommend, and we will make it an annual trip! I am not sure the glamping sites are worth the price but we have all camping gear. I can't speak of their comfort.

Just returned from a weekend of camping at Watch Hill. It was supposed to be two nights, but we were eaten alive and caught the first ferry off the island this morning. The mosquitos are insane! We've never seen anything like it. As soon as we stepped off the boardwalk into the site, we were swarmed. Avoid site #2! People walked by us all day and told us that site #2 is notorious for being the buggiest site there. But we were also told that the other sites weren't much better. ||Aside from the mosquitos, it would have been a fun trip. The ferry is an easy 30 minute ride from Patchougue and the parking there is free. We had a cooler on wheels and a wagon piled with everything else. The boardwalk to the campsites is nice and new. Bathrooms and the beach are close and there is a nice snackbar, restaurant with bar, and store. Unfortunately it rained, so the one day we were there we couldn't even go to the beach.||The other factor that might dissuade you from going is the bathroom/showers. Unfortunately bathrooms aren't well maintained. Also, the showers are the stall type with no curtains. It's cold water only that only runs when you pull the chain. In other words, you need to pull the chain with one hand and can only scrub yourself with the other hand. Washing my hair wasn't really possible. ||We were really disappointed as we had been looking forward to this camping trip all summer. We have decided to stick with woods camping from now on!||

Campground is exactly what it needs to be: a place to land for access to the barrier island beach. I've been there a few times over the last decade, and it's maintained in good shape, tho the poison ivy never retreats. Water supply is good, wash station is useful. Bath houses at national seashore are right nearby. Nothing fancy but they're open so far this year (3rd weekend of May). Campsites are generally small, tho a couple are just cherry. All are exposed: sun, bugs, and sometimes wind. The mosquitos weren't out yet for us, and the little gnats nipped at you, but were manageable. Bring your own comfort - shade and screening. Nearby, the staff at the cabana are just great. You could spend a lot of time under those shady canopies, sipping something, ducking out of the sun/escaping the bugs for a spell. It's going to be a great season out there, you can feel it.

I have been going to Watch Hill with my son for two consecutive years now for a few weekends at time during the summer. The place is run by a super cool family with artistic inclinations and a passion for hospitality. Whether you meet them at the campsite or at the restaurant you will always be welcome with a great smile. My son love the place which also have a learning center that teach kids about marine life. The mosquitoes are fierce, but if you cover up and use the right protections you will be fine. The food, the beach and the family feeling that you get from all the employees makes it all worth going back for more.