City Guides: Things to do While Boating along Long Island Sound, New York
Stretching west to east from New York City to the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island Sound fills in the aquatic space between Long Island and southern Connecticut. The tidal estuary is 23 miles at the widest, about 118 miles long and offers boating, fishing, swimming and sightseeing. Surrounded by barrier islands, the area is filled with sandy beaches, wineries, microbreweries, more than 25 lighthouses and the upscale homes and restaurants of the Hamptons.
In between hanging out at a private boat slip rental, sailing around Smithtown Bay or heading across the sound to New Haven or Stamford, Connecticut, you might want to use your land legs to take in some sights. Let’s look at some things to do while boating in and around Long Island Sound.
Long Island Museum
Photo: Long Island Museum (Facebook)
The Long Island Museum is a nine-acre complex with five historic structures and three exhibition buildings. Stop by and visit a blacksmith shop, an herb garden, a 1794 barn, a one-room schoolhouse and an 1880 fountain and horse trough. Check out the gallery of historic vehicles, horse-drawn carriages and scenes of 19th-centruy New York City. If you’re more into art, peruse the museum’s collection of paintings, photographs, Tiffany glass and sculptures. It was originally created to resemble a New England village. We think it’s a really cool spot to visit from a private boat dock for rent.
Heckscher Museum of Art
Photo: Wikimedia
Founded in 1920 by August Heckscher, the Heckscher Museum of Art features more than 2,100 paintings and artwork by 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th century European and American artists such as Winslow Homer, Edward Moran and Georgia O’Keefe as well as photography by Man Ray and Berenice Abbott. Check out American impressionism and landscape paintings, drawings, sketches and illustrations. There's a really fun collection of art by local students.
Sunken Meadow State Park
Photo: Wikimedia
The 1,287-acre Sunken Meadow State Park offers swimming, picnicking, nature trails, a ¾-mile boardwalk, ball fields and open lawn areas as well as beautiful views of Long Island Sound. The park, also known as Governor Alfred E. Smith State Park, has a 27-hole golf course and a launch area for kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards. It makes a fun and relaxing day trip from a private boat lift rental.
Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium
Photo: Vanderbilt Museum (Facebook)
The Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium looks out over Northport Bay on the north side of Long Island. It’s home to Eagle’s Nest, the 1910 summer home of William K. Vanderbilt. Originally built as a small English cottage, it’s grown into a 24-room Spanish-Revival mansion filled with displays of elegant Jazz Age living and exhibits from Vanderbilt’s travels to Asia, the Pacific, the Mediterranean, the Galapagos and the Caribbean. Check out specimens of marine, bird and insect life as well as animal dioramas, Vanderbilt’s library, decorative iron work, European artwork and a Moroccan-style courtyard. The planetarium, which opened in 1970, has an observatory with a daytime and nighttime telescope.
Shipwreck Cove Spray Park
Shipwreck Cove Spray Park makes a nice diversion for the little ones. There’s a whole pirate theme going on among the big and small slides, sprinklers and dumping water buckets. It’s decorated complete with sails, cannons and a crow’s nest and surrounded by a large shallow pool that’s perfect for dipping your toes in while the kids play. Located in Bay Shore Manor Park, near Bay Shore Marina, it’s within easy access to private boat lifts for rent near Bay Shore or Great Cove.
Fire Island Lighthouse
Photo: Wikimedia
Located along Fire Island National Seashore, on the southern side of Long Island, the 19th-century Fire Island Lighthouse makes an enjoyable day trip from a boat dock for rent. There’s also a ferry if you like to take the scenic route to the island. Visit the 168-foot-tall beacon and climb 182 steps to the top. You can also check out exhibits in the Keeper’s Quarters and equipment used by the U.S. Lifesaving Service. The area along this barrier island is popular for sailing, bicycling, swimming, surfing and fishing.
We hope you’ve found a few things to do the next time you’re visiting Long Island, hanging out at a private boat lift for rent or making a stopover on a Great Loop adventure. Happy boating!
