Lighthouse Beach
Lighthouse Beach is a small section of the Fire Island National Seashore that is adjacent to Robert Moses State Park on New York's Long Island. It was notable for having sections that were officially designated as clothing optional prior to 2013.
The beach is named for the nearby Fire Island Lighthouse and was formerly the largest recognized clothing optional beach in New York. On February 5, 2013, the Fire Island National Seashore announced its plan to begin enforcing New York State anti-nudity laws on all Fire Island beaches, including Lighthouse Beach, ending clothing optional usage.
The beach is approximately one mile (1.6 km) long and can be defined as the ocean facing beach between Robert Moses State Park and the community of Kismet. Technically, it is in the Town of Islip.
There are some reports of nudists using the beach as far back as World War II, getting to the island by rowboat. After the Robert Moses Causeway was extended to Fire Island in 1964, word slowly spread, resulting in the clothing optional usage expanding greatly in the 1970s.
Originally, the entire stretch of beach was clothing optional, however there have been some complaints from users objecting to the nudity going back to the 1980s. These complaints were largely from parents who visited the lighthouse and were surprised by the nudity on the beach.
In 1994, due to negotiations between Friends of Lighthouse Beach and the National Park Service, the center section was made non-clothing optional or textile so that visitors from the lighthouse who did not want to see nudity could enjoy the beach.
Since February 5, 2013, the entirety of Lighthouse Beach has no longer been clothing optional. Bathing suits are required at all times, and violators face a maximum penalty of a $5,000 fine and six months in prison. Note that in New York State, women are legally permitted to be topless and continue to do so at this beach.
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