Long Island Lighthouse Challenge

This page last updated 03/25/2006.

Fire Island Lighthouse
Cedar Island Lighthouse
Huntington Harbor Lighthouse
Old Field Point Lighthouse

Welcome to the official web site of the

2006 Long Island Lighthouse Challenge

May 20-21, 2006

A cooperative effort of Long Island's historic lighthouse preservation and education groups:

Montauk Historical Society, Montauk Point Lighthouse and Museum
Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society
Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society
The Long Island Chapter of the US Lighthouse Society
East End Seaport Museum and Marine Foundation
Southold Historical Society, Horton Point Lighthouse and Museum

With LighthouseTShirts.com

and assistance from the New Jersey Lighthouse Society
and the Chesapeake Chapter of the US Lighthouse Society

(Lighthouse Photos Courtesy of NewYorkLighthouses.com)

Eatons Neck Lighthouse
Long Beach Bar (Bug) Lighthouse
Plum Island Lighthouse
Orient Point Lighthouse

Horton Point Lighthouse Montauk Point Lighthouse

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED FOR MOST OF THE SITES ON THE CHALLENGE (ESPECIALLY ON THE NORTH FORK). IF YOU CAN VOLUNTEER SOME TIME ON MAY 20 AND/OR 21 TO GREET PARTICIPANTS AND HAND OUT SOUVENIRS, PLEASE CONTACT CHATT CHAPMAN VIA E-MAIL.

Be a part of the Mega Raffle

You do not have to attend to enter the raffle.

Win one of these prizes:

A private party for 20 at the offshore
Huntington Harbor Lighthouse.
A private sunrise or sunset tower tour for 10 at the
Fire Island Lighthouse.
Two tickets to the Long Island Chapter of the US Lighthouse Society's
July 15 New York City Harbor Cruise.
An overnight stay at any of the seven bed and breakfast establishments of the Long Island Wine Country Bed and Breakfast Group.
Six winners will receive a gift basket from one of the following gift shops:
Montauk Point Lighthouse
Fire Island Lighthouse
Horton Point Lighthouse
Huntington Harbor Lighthouse
East End Seaport Museum
LighthouseTShirts.com.
A hat and polo shirt from Eatons Neck Coast Guard Station.
Lighted Statue of Liberty, from Harbor Lights.
Two Tickets for a Long Island Lighthouse Safaris tour.
Personal Tour of Cedar Island Lighthouse courtesy of Bob Allen, great-grandson of the last CI Lighthouse Keeper. Includes transportation to the lighthouse via 4-wheel drive, signed photo, and stories!
Five winners will receive a set of fifteen pewter pins of Long Island lighthouses.
Ten more winners will receive Harbor Lights Little Light of Mine lighthouse replicas.

Tickets are $5 each or 6 for $25.

Purchase tickets at participating lighthouses or mail your check, and a SASE for a quick response to:

LI Chapter, US Lighthouse Society
C/O Chatt Chapman
46 South Bay Drive
Babylon, NY 11702

Raffle Tickets can also be purchased on-line via PayPal:

Single ticket(s) @ $5 each: 6-ticket block(s) @ $25:

If you have questions e-mail Chatt at:
[email protected]. He'll be happy to help you.

Drawing will be held on Saturday, June 3.
Winners will be posted on the web site and notified by telephone. Prizes will be mailed to winners.

View 2006 Challenge Brochure

Challenge Kickoff Dinner

THERE WILL BE A KICKOFF DINNER AT THE
ISLANDIA MARRIOTT
FRIDAY, MAY 19 at 7:00 P.M.

Special Guests:

Jeff Gales, Executive Director, US Lighthouse Society

Bob Muller, Past President, Long Island Chapter, US Lighthouse Society and
author of Long Island's Lighthouses Past and Present

CONTACT BARBARA TORRE FOR MORE INFORMATION AT: [email protected]

INFORMATION ABOUT CHALLENGE MERCHANDISE AND CRUISES IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.LIGHTHOUSETSHIRTS.COM.

MEET OUR LIGHTHOUSE ARTISTS

Local lighthouse artists will be at the following sites on Challenge weekend:

Terry Elkins @ Cedar Island Light
Donna Elias @ Huntington Harbor Light
Mike Killelea @ Eatons Neck Light
Dennis Coburn @ Old Field Light

Again in 2006 - Lighthouse Challenge Triple Crown

The Long Island, Chesapeake, and New Jersey Lighthouse groups
have again joined forces to offer the "Triple Crown" of Lighthouses Award
for those individuals who complete all three of the 2006 Challenges!

Long Island Challenge - May 20 and 21

Maryland Challenge - September 16 and 17

New Jersey Challenge - October 14 and 15

Present proof of completion of all three Challenges at your last stop during the New Jersey event to receive your Triple Crown Award!

Challenge Sites -- Recommended Starting Points -- Notes on Traveling on Long Island

Accommodations -- Organizers -- Sponsors -- Supporters -- List of Local Zip Codes

What is a Lighthouse Challenge? And other FAQs

Driving Directions for the LI Lighthouse Challenge

Quick Reference for Sites on the 2006 Long Island Lighthouse Challenge Click on individual sites for more information.
Site	Mapquest Map and Directions	Fees (Subject to change)	Open for Tours?	Handicap access	Contact	Restrooms?	Hagstrom's Map Number and Grid Location
Fire Island Light	Map	$6 parking (in state park)* Free grounds and museum $5 Adults/$4 Seniors/$3.50 children for tower. Children must be 42" tall to climb.	Yes	Grounds and museum	631-661-4876	Yes, in parking lot and at lighthouse	Map 18 Grid X-3 (Park at W-3)
Montauk Point Light	Map	$6 parking (in state park)* $7 Adults/$6 Seniors/$3 Children for grounds, museum, exhibit and tower. Children must be 41" tall to climb.	Yes	Grounds and museum	631-668-2544 Ext 22	Yes, at gift shop	Map 62 Grid G5-38
Cedar Island Light	Map	Donations accepted	Grounds only	Bluff overlooking with viewing aids	631-645-5230	Yes, in park	Map 55 Grid Y3-36 (Park at A4-36)
East End Seaport Museum	Map	$2 museum fee	Yes	Yes	631-477-2100	Yes, in museum	Map 50 Grid Q3-40 (The Greenport ferry dock location is wrong on this map)
Long Beach Bar Light	Map	No fees	No Seen from roadside	NA	631-477-2100	No	Map 50 GridV3-41 (Park at U3-43)
Orient Point Light Plum Island Light	Map	No fees	No Seen from land	NA	877-934-3030	No	Map 49 Grids B4-46 & D4-46 (Park at A4-45)
Horton Point Light	Map	$4 museum and tower	Yes	Grounds and museum	631-765-5500	Yes, in lighthouse	Map 44 Grid K3-39
Old Field Point Light	See Note	$2 Bus Fee	Grounds only	Grounds	877-934-3030	No
Eatons Neck Light	Map	$2 Bus Fee	Grounds only	Grounds	631-261-6959	Yes	Map 1 Grid J-29 (Park at Map 7; Grid M-26)
Huntington Harbor Light	Map	$10 fee for boat ride to lighthouse, includes tour of lighthouse and tower. No children under 6 on boat.	Yes	No, but alternate viewing area available	631-421-1985	Yes, in parking lot	1; F-25 (The dock is on map 2; F-24, marked "Park")
*Fee for state park at Fire Island or Montauk Point is good for both sites if visited the same day. Save your receipt.

Special Note for Old Field Light Parking:

Do not drive directly to Old Field Light. Access is by shuttle bus only. Shuttle bus parking is at Old Field Farm located on West Meadow Road (aka Trustees Road.) See driving directions brochure.

Recommended Starting Points:

Keep in mind that your route will take you clockwise or counterclockwise around Suffolk County, and into northeastern Nassau County

Arriving via Throgg's Neck or Whitestone Bridge, or LaGuardia Airport: Huntington Harbor (proceed clockwise or counterclockwise)
Arriving via Verrazano Narrows Bridge, or JFK or Newark Airport: Fire Island Light (proceed counterclockwise)
Arriving via Bridgeport/Port Jefferson Ferry: Old Field Point, then Eatons Neck (west/counterclockwise - recommended) or Horton Point (east/clockwise)
Arriving via New London/Orient Point Ferry: Plum Island/Orient Point, then Long Beach Bar, then East End Seaport Museum, then Horton Point (west/counterclockwise) or Cedar Island (south/clockwise)
Arriving via Islip MacArthur Airport: Old Field Point (north/clockwise) or Fire Island (southwest/counterclockwise)
Beginning at Islandia Marriott - Old Field Point (north/clockwise) or Fire Island (southwest/counterclockwise)

Notes on Traveling on Long Island

For the Challenge, I HIGHLY recommend getting yourself a map. I prefer the large Hagstrom's Suffolk County map (ISBN: 0880977299). The map is available from Amazon.com for $16.95 at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0880977299/qid=1106355341/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl14/104-6112706-7779943?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 or you can order one from your local book store by using the ISBN. The table of sites above lists the map and grid numbers for each site.
Access to Long Island is by:
- Ferry (to Port Jefferson or Orient Point)
- Bridges (via NJ Turnpike, I-95 or Manhattan)
- Air (JFK, LaGuardia, or Islip airports)
Primary East-West Roads in Nassau and Suffolk Counties (north side to south side)
- Route 25A (Northern Boulevard, North Country Road)
- Route 25 (Middle Country Road)
- Northern Parkway (ends in Hauppauge)
- Long Island Expressway (I-495)
- Southern Parkway (ends in East Islip)
- Route 27 (Sunrise Highway)
- Route 27A (Montauk Highway, Main Street)
Primary North-South Roads (east to west, with corresponding exit from LI Expressway))
- Meadowbrook Parkway
- Wantagh Parkway
- Route 135 (Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway)
- Route 106
- Route 107
- Route 110
- Route 231 (Deer Park Ave)
- Robert Moses Causeway/Sagtikos Parkway/Sunken Meadow Parkway
- State Route 111
- Nicoll's Road (Route 97)
- Route 112
- William Floyd Parkway (Route 46)
- County Route 111
- Route 51
- Route 24
- 114 (requires ferries to and from Shelter Island)
Fuel and food are most easily found along the major east-west routes. On the Challenge, this will primarily be Routes 27 and 25A. On 27, food and fuel are more available west of Patchogue (Route 112). On 25A, you'll have the best luck west of Shoreham (William Floyd Parkway). In general food and fuel become less available, and more expensive, when you reach the eastern end of the island.
Please obey all traffic laws, including wearing seat belts, observing speed limits, and signaling when changing lanes. Also note that NY state law does not allow for the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. You must either pull over, have a passenger make calls, or use a hands-free setup.

Overnight Accommodations (Make your accommodations early)

Town/Location	Name	Cost (subject to change - please contact)	Contact	Nearby Attractions	Nearby Restaurants
LIE Exit 52	Wingate Inn		1-800-228-1000	Fire Island Light
LIE Exit 52	Hampton Inn		631-462-5700	Fire Island Light
LIE Exit 56	Holiday Inn Express		631-348-1600	Fire Island Light
Hauppauge LIE Exit 58	Islandia Marriott	$89 special rate for Challenge Weekend Reserve by 4/18 for this special rate	1-800-228-9290 or 631-232-3000	Fire Island Light Old Field Light
Bay Shore Route 27A	Econo Lodge		631-666-6000	Fire Island Light	Oconee East Diner Coopersmith's
North Fork (Peconic, Cutchogue, Southold, Greenport, East Marion, Orient)	North Fork Bed and Breakfast Association	List of members: http://www.northfork.com/nfbba/members.htm		Horton Point Light East End Seaport Museum Long Beach Bar Orient Point/Plum Island Wineries
North Fork (Peconic, Cutchogue, Southold, Greenport, East Marion, Orient)	Long Island Wine Country Bed and Breakfast Group	www.longislandwinecountrybandb.com [email protected] 631-495-9744		Horton Point Light East End Seaport Museum Long Beach Bar Orient Point/Plum Island Wineries
Greenport	Stirling House Bed and Breakfast	www.stirlinghousebandb.com [email protected] 1-800-551-0654		Horton Point Light East End Seaport Museum Long Beach Bar Orient Point/Plum Island Wineries	Several in Greenport and surrounding area
Sag Harbor South Fork	Baron's Cove			Whaling Museum Historic whaling village Cedar Island Light
CAMPGROUNDS
Town		Name		Phone #
Riverhead		Indian Island Park		631-854-4949
Montauk		Hither Hills State Park		631-668-2554
Greenport		Eastern LI Kampground		631-477-0022
Cutchogue		Cliff & Eds Trailer Park		631-289-4091
East Hampton		Cedar Point County Park		631-852-7620
Old Bethpage		Battle Row Campground		516-572-8690
Smithtown		Blydenburgh County Park		631-854-3712

Challenge Organizers:

Long Island Chapter, US Lighthouse Society
Huntington Harbor Lighthouse Preservation Society
Montauk Point Lighthouse and Museum
Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society
East End Seaport Museum and Marine Foundation
Horton Point Lighthouse and Museum
LighthouseTShirts.com

Challenge Organizing Committee at Fire Island meeting:
standing l. to r. "Chatt" Chapman, LI Chapter; Gene Kinney, Eatons Neck Lighthouse; George Peter, East End Seaport Museum; John Nagi, LI Chapter; Frank Knoll, Huntington Harbor Lighthouse; Terry Elkins, LI Chapter; Dick Ackerson, LI Chapter; Bob LaRosa, Fire Island Lighthouse; Jerry Leeds, LI Chapter; Jim Reidy, LI Chapter; seated l. to r. Susan Yuen, LI Chapter; Nancy Kinney, Eatons Neck Lighthouse; Barbara Torre, LI Chapter
Photo by Ann Shengold, Montauk Lighthouse

Sponsors:

The Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation.

Supporters:

Fire Island National Seashore
US Coast Guard Station Eatons Neck
The Village of Old Field
Old Field Farm, Ltd.
Southold Park District
Islandia Marroitt
Long Island Lighthouse Safaris

What is a Lighthouse Challenge? And other FAQs

Q. What is a Lighthouse Challenge?

A. A Lighthouse Challenge is an event in which participants are "challenged" to visit a fixed number of lighthouses and lighthouse-related sites in a given amount of time. At each stop they receive a souvenir and, if they complete all stops on the Challenge, they receive a special commemorative souvenir. The event generally includes extra activities, special guests, etc.

Q. What group is running the Long Island Lighthouse Challenge?

A. There is no single group organizing the event. It is a collaborative effort of all of Long Island's historic lighthouse preservation and education groups. All involved groups have input and must agree on the details. While this might sound like a "design by committee" nightmare, the event is based on a successful core concept, and the involved groups are working with mutual respect and communication.

Q. Who benefits from the Challenge?

A. The idea is to benefit all the involved groups as equally as possible, as well as participants, local communities, sponsors, and lighthouse preservation and education in general.

Q. What lighthouse does the Challenge start at?

A. You can start or end anywhere on the route, and go in either direction (clockwise or counter-clockwise). There are recommended starting points above, depending on where you are coming from.

Q. How much does it cost to participate?

A. There is no fee for the Challenge, but some sites may have fees for parking, admission, etc. See the table of sites above for more specific information.

Q. Can we drive to Old Field Point or Eatons Neck instead of taking the bus?

A. No. Because Eatons Neck is an active US Coast Guard station, and the Old Field Point Light is on Village property at the end of a long, narrow road, special conditions needed to be met to include these sites in the Challenge.

Q. Are there special instructions for people with accessibility concerns?

A. Participants with accessibility concerns should call each site ahead of time (recommended) and/or speak with volunteers at the sites during the weekend. Such matters have been a part of the planning process from the start, as we want everyone to be able to enjoy the event.

Q. I like to buy lighthouse stuff. What merchandise will be available during the Challenge Weekend?

A. Several of the sites will have site-specific merchandise for sale (Fire Island, Montauk Point, Cedar Island, East End Seaport Museum/Long Beach Bar, Horton Point, Eatons Neck, and Huntington Harbor). More in formation on event merchandise will be available soon.

Q. Will there be food or refreshments available at any of the sites?

A. While it's best to check with each site for specific information, food should be available at Montauk Point State Park (adjacent to the Montauk Point Lighthouse) and Cedar Point County Park (home of the Cedar Island Lighthouse). The Fire Island Lighthouse has soda and water available for sale. There is no shortage of restaurants on Long Island and there are plenty of fast food establishments in central and western Suffolk County.

Q. I have a question that isn't answered here. How can I get an answer?

A. E-mail Chatt Chapman. He likes to answer questions.

Find an online map	Zip Codes of Towns Near Challenge stops (These can help you get local weather, maps, etc.)		Check Local Weather
Huntington Harbor Light		Huntington - 11743
Eatons Neck Light		Northport - 11768
Old Field Point Light		East Setauket - 11733
Horton Point Light		Southold - 11971
Long Beach Bar Light		East Marion - 11939
Orient Point and Plum Island lights		Orient - 11957
East End Seaport Museum		Greenport - 11944
Cedar Island Light		Sag Harbor - 11963 East Hampton - 11937
Montauk Point Light		Montauk - 11954
Fire Island Light		Fire Island National Seashore - 11770

Take the Maryland Lighthouse Challenge September 16-17
and
New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge October 14-15

Please Note: The information on this site is intended to help you make your participation in the Challenge more convenient, enjoyable, and safe. You must do your own planning, though. No one associated with this site or the LI Lighthouse Challenge makes any guarantees about, or assumes any responsibility for, the use of this information.