Smith Point County Park is home to one of the largest and most beautiful public ocean beaches on Long Island. Better known to many residents as Smith’s Point Beach, this Suffolk County landmark offers Atlantic Ocean shoreline, camping, off-road vehicle access, summer food and music, and one of the most peaceful beach walks in New York during the offseason.
Photo: Cole Kachejian. Copyright 2017
Smith Point County Park and Smith Point Beach
New York State classifies the coastal beach in Shirley, New York, as Smith Point County Park. Most Long Islanders refer to it as Smith’s Point Beach. Regardless of names, the beach at Smith Point County Park is one of the largest and most beautiful public beaches in the entire State of New York.
While Jones Beach in Nassau County and the Hamptons beaches on the far East End of Long Island are usually the most talked about on Long Island, Smith Point County Park is Suffolk County’s largest public beach and one of the jewels of the Suffolk County Park system.
What Smith Point County Park Offers Visitors
The majority of visitors during the summer months utilize Smith Point County Park for its fabulous beach. However, the park also offers a campground that is available by permit only. The campground is often used by a variety of New Yorkers’ camping vehicles and community-sponsored camping trips.
There are 222 campsites with full hookups for trailers. There is also a small snack bar called The Wave that sells Italian ices and assorted snacks. The park also allows off-road vehicles to drive on certain sections of the beach, though 4×4 vehicles require a permit. There are no lifeguards at that section of the beach.
Getting to Smith Point County Park
To reach Smith Point County Park, one must cross over a bridge to reach the park’s location on Fire Island. The William Floyd Parkway provides access to the bridge from the north. There are no tolls on the bridge. However, once visitors exit the bridge and drive about half a mile through the park, they will be greeted by a toll booth to enter the park’s huge parking lot.
The entrances to the beach are via short underground tunnels. Once through the tunnels, beachgoers are met with a boardwalk that overlooks the beach. On the boardwalk stands a building that provides bathrooms, showers, and a large food cafeteria called The Beach Hut.
The Beach Hut features live music in the evenings seven days a week during the summer months. The Beach Hut also offers a wide assortment of fun tropical drinks and a great menu that, of course, features a wide variety of seafood. There is also a first aid station connected to the building.
Storms, Erosion, and Beach Restoration
Over the years, nature has not been kind to Smith Point Beach. Multiple nor’easters and Hurricane Sandy took a toll on the ocean beach, causing massive erosion. However, in 2015, the United States Army Corps of Engineers began placing roughly 2.5 million cubic yards of sand onto the beaches at Smith Point County Park.
The results of the project have been very successful, as Smith Point Beach once again looks more like it did before storms destroyed much of it.
Photo: Cole Kachejian. Copyright 2017
The Name Behind Smith Point
Smith Point Park derives its name from William “Tangier” Smith, who was an early New York settler. He was the former mayor of Tangier, a city on Morocco’s coast. Smith moved to New York in the 1600s and became part of the Governor’s Council. He received land grants from Lord Limerick and eventually purchased large parcels in what is now the town of Brookhaven. In 1701, he served as acting governor of New York.
Easy public access to Smith Point Suffolk County Park began in 1959, when the state opened the bridge connecting the mainland of Long Island to Smith Point Beach on Fire Island.
Smith Point Beach in the Offseason
The majority of people who visit Smith Point Park travel to the beach during the summer months. However, on any day of the year, including the coldest winter days, there will be at least a few people walking the sand at Smith’s Point.
In fact, many people visit Smith Point Beach only during the offseason. There is just something about a beach in winter that offers tranquility, peace, and, even on the coldest day, warmth. The quiet that one finds during the winter months at Smith’s Point Beach is a welcome reprieve from the hustle of the business day.
During the winter months, the sand is compacted, making it easier to walk on the beach in shoes. If there ever was a place to clear one’s head, it is Smith Point Beach during the offseason. Just look at the peace that resonates from the pictures below. Smith Point Park is a place of beauty that shines differently from month to month.
Photos: Malinda Kachejian Copyright 2017
Photos: Malinda Kachejian Copyright 2017
Photos: Malinda Kachejian Copyright 2017
Photos: Malinda Kachejian Copyright 2017
Photos: Malinda Kachejian Copyright 2017
Smith Point County Park Photo Gallery
Smith Point Beach changes dramatically throughout the year. These photographs capture the park in different seasons and help tell the story of one of Suffolk County’s most beautiful coastal destinations.
Photo: Cole Kachejian Copyright 2017.
Photo: Cole Kachejian Copyright 2017.
Photo: Cole Kachejian Copyright 2017.
Photo: Cole Kachejian Copyright 2017.
Photo: Cole Kachejian Copyright 2017.
Photo: Cole Kachejian Copyright 2017.
Photo: Cole Kachejian Copyright 2017.
Photo: Brian Kachejian Copyright 2017.
More Long Island History
Readers interested in Long Island history may also enjoy our article on the TWA Flight 800 Memorial at Smith Point Beach, one of Long Island’s most moving places of remembrance. For more Long Island coastal history, explore our article on the Little Gull Island Lighthouse, another powerful reminder of how deeply New York’s history is tied to its waterways, beaches, and shoreline landmarks.
Article updated June 24, 2026.
