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.

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
TypeState park
Location40000 Main Road (Route 25)
Orient, New York[1]
Nearest cityOrient, New York
Coordinates41°07′46″N 72°15′59″W
Area363 acres (1.47 km2)[2]
CreatedOctober 1929 (1929-10)[3]
Operated byNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Visitors452,199 (in 2014)[4]
OpenAll year
WebsiteOrient Beach State Park

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
Orient Long Beach Bar Light at the tip of Orient Beach State Park.

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
  1. "Orient Beach State Park - Getting There". NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  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. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  3. 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.
  4. "State Park Annual Attendance Figures by Facility: Beginning 2003". Data.ny.gov. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  5. "Hiking Orient Beach State Park". NY-NJ-CT Botany Online. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  6. "Orient Beach State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  7. "National Natural Landmarks - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2019-04-15. Year designated: 1980
  8. Rather, John (October 8, 2000). "At Orient, Day in Park Winds Up in Arrests". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  9. Müller, Robert G. "Long Beach Bar Lighthouse, NY". Long Island Lighthouses. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  10. "Orient Beach State Park". NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  11. "Orient Beach State Park Hours of Operation". NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  12. "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.


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