Sunken Forest

A rare natural environment, the Sunken Forest is an ancient maritime forest on the Fire Island National Seashore. Nestled behind two substantial sand dunes, the woods are limited in growth due to the salt spray coming over the dunes from the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, the forest is extremely dense underneath its canopy. Visitors can enjoy the remarkable growth of holly, sassafras, and juneberry trees, some of which are up to 300 years old. Animal life is also abundant for the keen-eyed.

This type of forest was once more common on the East Coast of the United States—especially on windblown barrier islands—but has since become rare due to tourist development and rising sea levels.

The Sunken Forest was first protected from development by private citizens in the 1950s, who cobbled together a roughly 50-acre tract of beach, dune and forest through a fundraising campaign. By 1966, it was donated to the National Park Service under the condition that it always be maintained in its natural state and operated as a sanctuary.

Today, this rare habitat can be explored from May to October, when ferries run to the island. Visitors can walk along the one-and-a-half-mile-long boardwalk trail that winds through the forest, go on a guided tour with a ranger, visit the Sailors Haven Visitor Center and the marina, or picnic in designated areas. The forest is open for strolling outside the main season too, but amenities like restrooms might be unavailable when ferry service ends.