Napeague, NY

Napeague is a low, narrow strip of the South Fork of Long Island in East Hampton, set between the Atlantic Ocean and Gardiners Bay. The hamlet and CDP sit between Napeague State Park to the west and Hither Hills State Park to the east, with the ocean, bay, dunes, and wetlands all close together. The Montaukett name is often translated as "land overflowed by the sea," and the 1938 hurricane showed how literal that geography can become.

State park land shapes present-day routines. Hither Hills brings a beach, campground, fishing, fields, and trails, while the Walking Dunes and Napeague Harbor draw hikers and birdwatchers. Piping plovers nest along the shoreline, so beach use and habitat protection are part of the area's future. The Mackay towers, once part of a long-distance communications system, were decommissioned in 1984; their land is now part of Napeague State Park. Napeague is a narrow coastal community where state park boundaries, seasonal activity, and shifting sand determine the map.