Hecksher State Park (Parking Fields 6, 7 & 8)

Description

Hecksher State Park is located at 1 Hecksher State Parkway, East Islip. These parking fields are located close to the water. Paved walkways allow one go to the sand.
There is an accessible playground at Field 6.
One can walk from one of these areas to the next.
Multi-stall restrooms in each area have an accessible stall.
There are a good number of benches throughout.

Checklist

Attraction Type:  park
Surface of lot:  paved
Distance to venue:  depends on where you park
Transportation to venue offered:  na
Terrain:  flat
Places to rest:  benches along the beach
Paths and walkways:  concrete, paved
Doors:  na
Number of floors:  na
Elevators:  na
Ramps:  na
Steps and staircases:  none
Width of aisles:  na
Places to sit:  benches throughout
Location of restrooms:  restrooms are located in Fields 6 & 8
Type of restroom:  multi-stall, with an accessible stall in each,
Ease of entry and exit:  easy
Baby changing station:  no
Available food services:  no food services in the park
Friendliness of staff:  the people who answered the phone were great

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Except for coming to this park to hear the NY Philharmonic concerts, I don’t know how many years ago, we have never been to Hecksher State Park. How unfortunate for us!

1,6500 acres on the shore of the Great South Bay in East Islip lies a wonderful park that was once the 19th century estates of two very wealthy gentlemen.

Picnic groves, large open fields, playgrounds, four miles of paved, multi-use trails, disc golf, a place to launch water sports, and more, along with stunning views of the Great South Bay and Fire Island in the distance, make for a terrific experience.

Being that it was  a hot, late August day, we did not cover everything we had hoped to. We are going to focus on the accessibility of where we went today. Hopefully we will be back again soon to follow up.

We parked in Parking Field 6, which gave us easy access to the beach (with lifeguards), and a paved path on which to begin our walk. The large parking lot allows you to park closer to the beach side, or closer to the playground, picnic side. There are six accessible spaces near the playground and restroom pavilion ( with an accessible stall ),as well as six accessible spaces and accessible restroom close to the beach.  There is a large, accessible playground in this area.

The park’s website states that the beaches are “accessible.” A phone call clarified that what they mean by “accessible” is that you can reach the beach by the concrete path. Unfortunately, there are no mobi mats here, nor at Parking Field 8, which also has lifeguards, but a longer walk to the water. I was told that one can borrow a “beach wheelchair” at the First-Aid station at Field 6. A big thank you to the lovely people who answered the phone (631) 581-2100, on a Sunday afternoon to answer my questions. I was shocked to have a live person actually answer. 

 Benches facing the water at each area were great to sit on and look at the vista before us. Even though it was a bit hazy, it was easy to see the Robert Moses Causeway, Fire Island Lighthouse, as well as Fire Island itself. Just “boat watching” the activity on the Bay is delightful.

We followed the path to Parking Field 7, where we discovered this is where you can get “up close and personal” with the water. There is no swimming here. It is where you can launch kayaks and other water sports equipment. The thing I LOVED about this area, is the proximity to the water. Sit down on one of the benches and you are literally only a few feet from the water. This is a perfect spot to bring someone who might not otherwise be able to get close to the water. Even if you stay in your car and park in the first row, you can have a gorgeous view ! Take note that there are no restrooms here.

It was difficult to get up and continue on to Parking Field 8. We made sure to stop and enjoy this spot again on our way back!

Parking Field 8, has another beach and swimming area (with lifeguards), as well as restrooms. The beach here is wider than at Field 6, so you have to walk further to the water than at Field 6.

At this point we turned and made our way back to Field 6, with the intent of going in the opposite direction from Field 6.  But it was just too hot! We had to leave that walk for next time.

As we returned to our car at about 12:30, none of the areas were very crowded. It seems to be a low-key place.

If you haven’t been there, take a drive and, if possible a walk, even if only in one of the areas we mentioned. It is a lovely place. 

Parking is $10.00. If you have an Empire Pass, there is no cost. If you are a senior there is no cost Monday – Friday. 

There are no food services in the park.  

A quick mention of the restrooms. Each of the multi-stall restrooms had an accessible stall, two of the three we visited had an accessible sink as well. One of the restrooms (I can’t remember which one) had a cover over the  accessible sink, obviously not working. We can hope that they will fix it, but based on the obvious age of the restrooms, we would not count on it.

As always we at Destination Accessible, advise you to check a venue’s website, www.parks.ny.gov, when planning a visit, to “know before you go.”  You can also call (631) 581-2100. They answered on a Sunday afternoon!

Location

Nearby