Hither Hills State Park Explained

Hither Hills State Park
Photo Width:300px
Map:New York
Coords:41.01°N -72.01°W
Type:State park
Location:164 Old Montauk Highway
Montauk, New York[1]
Area:1755acres[2]
Created:[3]
Operator:New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Visitation Num:425,642
Visitation Year:2014
Visitation Ref:[4]
Open:All year
Camp Sites:168
Website:Hither Hills State Park

Hither Hills State Park is a 1755acres state park[2] located on the eastern end of the South Fork of Long Island near the hamlet of Montauk, New York.

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, a portion of the private holdings were sold to New York State, who opened the 1755acres parcel as Hither Hills State Park in August 1924.[3]

Description

Location and access

The park is located on the South Fork of Long Island at Napeague. Three additional state parks a few miles farther east are: Montauk Downs State Park, Camp Hero State Park, and Montauk Point State Park.

The nearby hamlet of Montauk is accessible from the park via the Montauk Highway and the Montauk Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. 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.[1] 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.[5]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hither Hills State Park . NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation . October 8, 2016.
  2. Book: 2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook . The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government . 2014 . Section O: Environmental Conservation and Recreation, Table O-9 . 672 . February 21, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150916082616/http://www.rockinst.org/nys_statistics/2014/2014_Yearbook_Section_O.pdf . September 16, 2015 . dead .
  3. Book: Fifty Years: New York State Parks, 1924-1974 . 19 . Natural Heritage Trust . 1975 . Natural Heritage Trust . New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation . New York State Council of Parks & Recreation .
  4. Web site: State Park Annual Attendance Figures by Facility: Beginning 2003 . Data.ny.gov . October 8, 2016.
  5. Web site: Black. John A.. 1996. The Origin and Fate of the Migrating Dunes, Napeague, N.Y.. July 22, 2020. SUNY Connect.