Cupsogue Beach County Park

Location: Westhampton Beach, NY

Size: 296 acres

Date of hike: Jan. 22, 2022

Cupsogue Beach County Park is a barrier beach that's known for seal watching and for having some of the region's best saltwater bass fishing.  I visited it on a cold morning with my family after reading that it's a popular spot for sunbathing seals.  While we didn't see any of them along the shore, we did observe over a dozen of the marine mammals swimming in Moriches Bay.  Most importantly, our doggy adored the sandy walk.

Before exploring, I learned about the history and habitats of Cupsogue Beach County Park, which is located on a barrier island called Westhampton Island (also known as Dune Road).  The island itself is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Moriches Bay and the Moriches Inlet.  "Westhampton Island is the easternmost outer barrier island in the Town of Southampton," said a description on Wikipedia.  "The barrier island had been a part of Fire Island until a nor'easter created Moriches Inlet, thereby turning Fire Island into a proper island in 1931."  The park was later acquired by Suffolk County in the 1950s and was given a pavilion and boardwalk by the 1970s.  Today, it offers lifeguard-supervised swimming and sunbathing along white sand beaches as well as "some of the finest saltwater bass fishing found on Long Island," according to the county's website.  For those visiting in the warmer months, there is also a tiki-themed snack bar, a first aid center, and showers and changing rooms.  Lastly, for those wondering, "Cupsogue" is a Native American word meaning "closed inlet."

The park's entrance is located at the western end of Dune Road, which boasts a bevy of very beautiful beachfront houses.  There is also a piece of the park along the inlet's western edge, but it's a preserved plot and is divided by a strip of town parkland separating Cupsogue from Smith Point County Park, according to Wikipedia.  For starters, we walked westward along the ocean to a pretty rocky jetty that bordered the island's westernmost shore and then we went back to the parking lot along the beach that borders Moriches Bay.  In total, the walk was about 2.8 miles, according to the website AllTrails.  If you're craving more than a hike, the park also permits diving at slack tide along the shore that borders the bay, where the water is approximately 12 feet deep.  Campers or recreational vehicles are also allowed "along the access road running parallel to the outer beach," the county's website said.

The hike's highlight for me was surely seeing the seals' whiskered faces pop out of the bay.  While we had seen photos online of them lounging in groups upon the rocks and sandbars, we weren't fortunate enough to see that on our hike.  But we were happy to see them at all.  Apparently, seals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act that passed in 1972.  "It is against the law to touch, feed or otherwise harass seals," stated a sign near the seal observation area.  "Harassment occurs whenever YOUR behavior changes THEIR behavior."  The sign also listed rules for seal watchers – such as staying at least 50 yards away from resting seals, never getting in the water with them, and limiting your viewing to 30 minutes.

Regarding wildlife, the beach is home to many piping plovers, which are federally protected shorebirds that are described as being small and stocky with a black band on the forehead and a black ring around the base of the neck.  "They once ran in short starts and stops all over the beach," said a sign, which credited their decline to increased coastal development and recreational beach use.  "Even if you couldn't see them, their plaintive bell-like whistles told you they were there."  As for fish, the ocean beach has blowfish, bluefish and snappers. 

In closing, I'd definitely recommend that everyone check out Cupsogue Beach County Park – whether you're a hiker, a wildlife watcher, or simply looking to soak up some sun.  The beach is breathtaking, and it's a peaceful place if you're brave enough to bundle up for a winter visit.  You might even make a fin-footed friend, which is why I'll give this hike my "seal" of approval.

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