Orient Beach State Park
| Orient Beach State Park | |
|---|---|
|
The entrance to Orient Beach State Park from westbound New York State Route 25. | |
  Location of Orient Beach State Park within New York State | |
| Type | State park |
| Location |
40000 Main Road (Route 25) Orient, New York[1] |
| Nearest city | Orient, New York |
| Coordinates | 41°07′46″N 72°15′59″W / 41.12937°N 72.2664°WCoordinates: 41°07′46″N 72°15′59″W / 41.12937°N 72.2664°W |
| Area | 363 acres (1.47 km2)[2] |
| Created | October 1929[3] |
| Operated by | New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation |
| Visitors | 452,199 (in 2014)[4] |
| Open | All year |
| Website | Orient Beach State Park |
Orient Beach State Park is a 363-acre (1.47 km2)[2][5] state park located in the Town of Southold in Suffolk County, New York in the United States.[6] The park is at the tip of the North Fork of Long Island.
Long Beach, located within the park, was designated a National Natural Landmark in April 1980[7] for its 2.5-mile (4.0 km) sand spit beach demonstrating plant succession from salt marsh to maritime red cedar forest.[8]
The Orient Long Beach Bar Light, commonly known as Bug Light, is located inside the park.[9]
Recreation
The park offers 45,000 feet (14,000 m; 8.5 mi) of bay frontage, and includes a beach, picnic tables with pavilions, a playground, recreation programs, a nature trail, hiking and biking (rentals available), fishing and a food concession.[10] The park is open throughout the year for day-use only.[11]
Restrictions on boat access
In 1997, park rangers began enforcing an existing no boating policy on Long Beach, leading to controversy and ticketing in 2000. State officials contended that renewed enforcement was enacted to protect the beach's value as a protected sanctuary for endangered birds such as the piping plover, in addition to preserving the beach's unusual maritime red cedar forest and other rare plants.[8]
Flora and fauna
There is a common and roseate tern nesting area in the park.[7] There are also eelgrass beds offshore.[12]
See also
References
- ↑ "Orient Beach State Park - Getting There". NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
- 1 2 "Section O: Environmental Conservation and Recreation, Table O-9". 2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook (PDF). The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. 2014. p. 673. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
- ↑ Natural Heritage Trust; New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; New York State Council of Parks & Recreation (1975). Fifty Years: New York State Parks, 1924-1974. Natural Heritage Trust. p. 21.
- ↑ "State Park Annual Attendance Figures by Facility: Beginning 2003". Data.ny.gov. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Hiking Orient Beach State Park". NY-NJ-CT Botany Online. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Orient Beach State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
- 1 2 "Long Beach, Orient State Park". National Natural Landmarks. National Park Service. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
- 1 2 Rather, John (October 8, 2000). "At Orient, Day in Park Winds Up in Arrests". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
- ↑ Müller, Robert G. "Long Beach Bar Lighthouse, NY". Long Island Lighthouses. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Orient Beach State Park". NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Orient Beach State Park Hours of Operation". NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Long Beach Bay Coastal Fish & Wildlife Habitat Assessment Form" (PDF). NYS Department of State. May 15, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 2, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
