Lighthouse Beach

                                        Fire Island, NY

                       The nude beach at Robert Moses State Park on Fire Island, just
                       past Parking Lot 5, is one of the success stories of how nude
                       recreation can be managed. Thanks to the efforts of naturist user
                       groups, specifically Friends of Lighthouse Beach, a good relationship
                       has been developed with the National Parks Service, which
                       operates the beach, with both sides doing their share toward a
                       common goal of access for the majority and minority.

                       From the parking area it takes maybe 15 minutes to walk there. Our
                       guidepost along the way was the Fire Island Lighthouse, which is
                       visible from both the parking lot and the beach. The lighthouse is
                       part of the National Seashore Park, and the nude beach starts at the
                       point where the park ends and the seashore begins.

                       The atmosphere is pretty relaxed and friendly. The beach is wide
                       enough for people to stroll at the edge of the surf, and for others to
                       play paddle ball. The water and the beach have remained clean,
                       considering the heavy use. The undertow can be strong in places,
                       and the waves a bit daunting, keeping many people out of the water,
                       even on 99-degree days.

                       The crowd is very mixed, with more couples and families than at
                       some other large beaches. There is a police presence at the beach.
                       They frequently make the rounds, driving on a strip of the beach
                       close to the dunes in their three-wheelers and jeeps. But the police
                       are not concerned with naked bodies. They are there to keep the
                       beach clean, and keep people off of the dunes.