The Tallest Lighthouse in New York Is a Towering 168-Foot Behemoth

The state of New York has always relied upon its waterways for shipping and travel. International ships along with those coming up the East Coast require navigational aid to avoid running aground. In the past, lighthouses were important tools for keeping ships on the right path. The tallest lighthouse in New York towers over its surroundings and still operates to this day. Learn about this massive lighthouse including when it was built and the wildlife that inhabits the nearby areas.  

What is the Tallest Lighthouse in New York?

The tallest lighthouse in New York is the Fire Island Lighthouse at 168 feet tall. The Fire Island Lighthouse is located on Fire Island, a barrier island off the coast of Long Island. The conical tower was started in 1857 and completed in 1858. The lighthouse’s first day in operation was November 1, 1858.

The lighthouse was designed to deliver a flash once per minute. Today, the lighthouse is still operating, but the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society (FILPS) manages the lighthouse through the National Park Service. The preservation society maintains the operation of the lighthouse as well as the keeper’s quarters.

The lighthouse has two 1000-watt bulbs these days. The light appears to flash every 7.5 seconds, and the light can be seen from 21 to 24 miles away. The lighthouse is black and white while the keeper’s quarters are made from brown and gray stone with a red roof.

FILPS offers tours of the lighthouse. People willing to climb the 182 steps on a clear day may be rewarded with a view of the New York City skyline.

A Deep Dive into the History of the Fire Island Lighthouse

The Fire Island lighthouse that stands today is not the original structure. The first structure was built in 1826 and only stood about 74 feet tall. However, that tower was not tall enough to suit its purpose, so the entire thing was torn down. The stones were reused in the modern structure’s terrace, though.

Originally, the Fire Island lighthouse was painted yellow, but it was repainted in 1891 to have the iconic black and white stripes seen today.

The United States Coast Guard officially decommissioned the Fire Island Lighthouse as a navigational aid on December 31, 1973. During that time, private citizens started to come up with ways to save the lighthouse. In December 1996, the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society struck an agreement with the National Park Service to take over the maintenance and operation of the lighthouse and keeper’s quarters.

In 2006, the FILPS also began overseeing the maintenance of the lighthouse beacon, something for which the U.S. Coast Guard was responsible. Nowadays, the lighthouse is open throughout the entire year. Visitors can reach the area by driving to the Robert Moses State Park or by taking a ferry from Bay Shore to Kismet.

How Many Lighthouses Are on Long Island?

Long Island is about 120 miles long and 23 miles wide.  Many ships traveling to the New York Bay area or Long Island Sound need to navigate the length of the island. As a result, various entities established and operated 25 lighthouses along the island over the last several centuries.

Several of these lighthouses are historical landmarks these days. The Montauk Point Lighthouse Museum is located at the far eastern top of Long Island. Today, it is the fourth-oldest working lighthouse in the country. The Montauk Point Lighthouse is about 111 feet tall, far shorter than the tallest lighthouse in New York.

The beacons that dot Long Island are very popular tourist attractions. They serve as a valuable reminder of the effort that went into safely navigating the waters.

How Does Fire Island Lighthouse Compare to the Largest in the United States?

The Fire Island Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in New York, but it is only the sixth tallest in the United States. At 168 feet tall, it’s merely one foot shorter than the fifth-tallest lighthouse, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse in North Carolina.

The tallest lighthouse in the United States is in North Carolina. The structure is called the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and is 210 feet tall! So, while the Fire Island Light is a very tall structure, it’s still 42 feet shorter than the tallest lighthouse in the country.

What Wildlife Lives Near the Fire Island Lighthouse?

A wide assortment of animals lives near the tallest lighthouse in New York. Long Island has many animals on land and in the nearby waters. Take a look at some of the animals that you can find on and near Fire Island.

Animals on Fire Island

Many animals live on Fire Island, including some creatures people may not think to look for in the area. The next time you are visiting, keep an eye out for:

• Red fox
• White-tailed deer
• Shrews
• Horseshoe crabs
• Monarch Butterflies
• Seals
• Voles
• Raccoons
• Northern long-eared bat
• Feral cats
• Feral dogs
• Squirrels
• Piping Plovers
• Norway Rats

The population of these animals varies over time, and some of them are uncommon. Still, Fire Island has all sorts of interesting animals.

What Lives in the Water Near Fire Island?

The waters near the tallest lighthouse in New York are filled with all kinds of sea life. Some of the creatures in the waters near the Fire Island Lighthouse include:

• Clams
• Scallops
• Mussels
• Whales
• Dolphin
• Fluke
• Bluefish
• Striped Bass

The ocean waters have hundreds of different types of fish living in them. However, people are only allowed to go fishing in designated areas on Fire Island.  

The Fire Island Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in New York, measuring 168 feet tall. The structure has a long and storied history, and the FILPS continues to preserve the structure and educate visitors. Lighthouses served an important role on Long Island, but modern technology has all but replaced them. Still, people can visit these historical sites to see their beautiful construction and learn about them.  

Where is the Fire Island Lighthouse Located on a Map?

You can find the Fire Island Lighthouse at the western end of Fire Island. The Fire Island Lighthouse serves as a prominent and easily recognizable landmark on the Great South Bay in southern Suffolk County, New York.

Here is the Fire Island Lighthouse on a map:

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/MikeRega