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Fire Island National SeashoreRanger and other people walking along boardwalk trail flanked by the twisted trunks of shadblow and other maritime forest trees.
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Fire Island National Seashore
For Your Safety: Always Stay On Boardwalks
 
Two red-coated walkers stroll down wooden boardwalk into the forest.

Wooden boardwalks are prone to produce splinters and may become slippery when wet. The park is gradually covering wooden surfaces with recycled plastic lumber to help improve safety.

Many of the park's paths and trails are marked by established boardwalks. By staying on these boardwalks, you can help protect native plants and animals, and help keep some of the native flora and fauna away from you.

Poison Ivy is abundant on Fire Island. Ticks are often encountered on the tips of grasses and other vegetation.

By staying on boardwalks, you help protect the plants that hold the fragile dunes together. Never walk on the dunes.

When and where dogs are allowed, always keep your pet leashed. You are required to pick up your dog's waste and dispose of it properly.

After rain, some boardwalks may be slippery so watch your step.

Always wear shoes on the boardwalks to avoid splinters and cuts from nails.

 

 
Wooden boardwalk trail winds into golden salt marsh grasses on a clear fall day.

The Watch Hill Nature Trail was repaired during the autumn of 2005.

We're gradually upgrading the surfaces of the boardwalks from wood—which is prone to weathering and splintering—to recycled plastic sheathing, which reduces potential for splinters.

Park ranger works at desk inside a visitor center.
Stop by the Visitor Center
Staff at Fire Island's visitor centers help you better understand the park.
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Shiny green leaflets of poison ivy with reddish new growth.
For Your Safety, Avoid Poison Ivy
Poison ivy is prevalent throughout Fire Island as a vine or shrub.
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Group gathers in front of white manor house surrounded by large trees.  

Did You Know?
Several generations of Floyd family women planted trees around the William Floyd Estate's Old Mastic House. You can still see some of those same trees today. Several big trees are now more than 150 years old.
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Last Updated: May 26, 2007 at 10:18 EST