Lighthouse Beach
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Lighthouse Beach is a small section of the Fire Island National Seashore that is adjacent to Robert Moses State Park. It is notable for having sections that are officially designated as clothing optional. It is named for the nearby Lighthouse and is the largest recognized clothing optional beach in New York.
The beach is approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) long and can be defined as the ocean facing beach between Robert Moses State Park and the community of Kismet.
This image taken from the top of the lighthouse facing south shows the entirety of Lighthouse Beach. The parking lot of Field 5 of Robert Moses State Park can be seen next to the beach on the far right and the community of Kismet can be just seen in the mist on the far left.
History
There are some reports of nudists using the beach in the 1950s, getting to the island by rowboat. After the Robert Moses Causeway was extended to Fire Island in 1964, word slowly spread, resulting in the clothing optional usage expanding greatly in the 1970s.
Originally, the entire stretch of beach was clothing optional, however there have been some complaints from users objecting to the nudity going back to the 1980s. These complaints were largely from parents who visited the lighthouse and were surprised by the nudity on the beach.
In 1994, due to negotiations between Friends of Lighthouse Beach and the National Parks Service, the center section was made non-clothing optional or textile so that visitors from the lighthouse who did not want to see nudity could enjoy the beach.
Access
Since there is no vehicular traffic permitted in the Seashore,visitors must come in from the Robert Moses State Park in the west or the community of Kismet in the east. There is currently no handicapped access to the beach. In the past, there were accessible ramps from the Westernmost boardwalk, but these have been destroyed by winter storms and have not yet been replaced.
New York State officials estimate that about 30% of the users of RMSP Field 5 avail themselves of the Lighthouse Beach and the Lighthouse itself.
There is signage on the beach at the start of each clothing optional section to alert unsuspecting visitors that "Beyond this point, you may encounter nude sunbathers."
The beach is widely regarded as family friendly.
Services
There are very limited services at this beach. There are no lifeguards or concessions. There are no trash receptacles making it a Carry in, Carry out facility. As with the rest of the Seashore, law enforcement is provided by National Park Service Rangers with occasional visits from the Suffolk County Police. At least two volunteer organizations work to ensure users are aware of appropriate behavior.