Hither Hills State Park is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

located on the eastern end of the South Fork of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...

near the hamlet of

Montauk, New York Montauk ( ) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York, on the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. As of the 2020 United States census, the CDP's population was 4,318. The ...

History

The land that was to become Hither Hills State Park was once slated for private development of a recreational complex, including hotels, casinos, a polo field, and yacht basin, in the early 20th century. After the planned development was blocked by the

Long Island State Park Commission The Long Island State Park Commission was created in 1924 by the New York State Legislature to build and operate parks and parkways on Long Island. Governor Al Smith was appointed as its first President, and Robert Moses, who had drafted the bill ...

, a portion of the private holdings were sold to New York State, who opened the parcel as Hither Hills State Park in August 1924.

Description

Location and access

The park is located on the South Fork of Long Island at

Napeague Napeague (, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) that roughly corresponds to the hamlet with the same name in the Town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The CDP population was 200 at the 2010 census. Napeague is locate ...

. Three additional state parks a few miles farther east are:

Montauk Downs State Park Montauk Downs State Park is a state park in Montauk, New York, United States. The park is located in Suffolk County near the eastern tip of Long Island's South Fork, about east of the hamlet of Montauk. Montauk Downs State Park includes an 18 ...

Camp Hero State Park Camp Hero State Park is a state park located on Montauk Point, New York. The park occupies a portion of the former Montauk Air Force Station. History Military use The site known as Camp Hero, or the Montauk Air Force Station, was originall ...

, and

Montauk Point State Park Montauk Point State Park is a state park located in the hamlet of Montauk, at the eastern tip of Long Island in the Town of East Hampton, Suffolk County, New York. Montauk Point is the easternmost extremity of the South Fork of Long Island, ...

. The nearby hamlet of Montauk is accessible from the park via the

Montauk Highway Montauk Highway is an east–west road extending for across the southern shore of Long Island in Suffolk County, New York, in the United States. It extends from the Nassau County line in Amityville, where it connects to Merrick Road, to Montauk ...

and the

Montauk Branch The Montauk Branch is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch runs the length of Long Island, 115 miles (185 km) from Long Island City on the west to Montauk on the east. Howe ...

of the

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County on Long Island. With an average week ...

. Suffolk Transit's 10C route also serves the beach connecting it with East Hampton and Montauk, and the Amagansett, East Hampton and Montauk Long Island Rail Road stations on the Montauk Branch.

Features and amenities

The park offers a sandy, ocean beach; picnic tables; a playground; recreation programs; a nature trail; hiking; a bridle path; hunting, fishing; a campground with 168 tent and trailer sites near the ocean; cross-country skiing; and a food concession. The park includes Walking Dunes Trail, featuring a view of the parabolic, migrating sand dunes, which are rare in the Eastern United States; most beach dunes are linear and do not migrate.

References

External links