Accommodations
Just as Long Island offers a vast array of vacation experiences, based on where you’ll be visiting, the region also offers an abundance of accommodations options that will fit any budget. Especially in Nassau County, it’s easy to find low-cost chain motels and hotels that have rates around $100 or less per night. For people not too concerned with budget, however, there is a wide range of luxurious options that are ideal for single-night, weekend, weeklong, or even longer vacation getaways.
Long Island is somewhat unique in that visitors can choose to stay at a campground, motel, traditional hotel, extended-stay hotel, full-service resort, B&B, inn, or rental property. There are also historical landmarks that have been transformed into accommodations, plus sailboat and yacht rentals are also available. Your options are limited only by your budget, vacancies, and what you’re looking to get out of your Long Island vacation experience.
Since there are so many accommodations options available, it would be difficult to offer a comprehensive listing, and this guide would need to be several hundred pages longer. Thus, this section highlights an assortment of different types of accommodations, at different price points, within each county of Long Island.
Keep in mind that while your choices are plentiful, during peak travel seasons (mainly between Memorial Day and Labor Day), occupancy rates tend to be very high, so it’s important to make your reservations early.
As with any popular tourist or vacation destination, the basic economic principle of supply and demand is in effect when it comes to how much you’ll pay for accommodations. When demand is high and vacancies are low, prices for accommodations go up (sometimes considerably). During the “shoulder” periods (between the peak and off-peak periods), prices start to drop. However, during off-peak travel times, you can literally find bargains, even at the most luxurious resorts and historical inns.
1. Battle Row Campground
City: Long Island, NY
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (516) 572-8690
Description: This is one of two campgrounds managed by the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums. To stay at this campground, an advance reservation is required. Located in the eastern part of Nassau County, Battle Row Campground is a 44-acre property that is surrounded by woodlands. The campground offers 64 campsites, each of which is between 40 and 45 feet in length. About half of the spaces are equipped with water and electric hookups for RVs and trailers. Unlike many campgrounds on Long Island, this one stays open year-round.
2. Nickerson Beach Campground
City: Long Island, NY
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (516) 571-7724
Description: Located along the Atlantic Ocean, Nickerson Beach Campground is a popular destination for campers because it offers its own beach access. The 121-acre park also features a wide range of land- and water-based activities, including swimming and sunbathing. Plus, there’s a large children’s playground here. As for the campground, it offers 74 sites for RVs and trailers, along with 12 spaces for tents. Water, sewer, and electric hookups are available. Reservations must be made in advance. This campground closes in Nov for the winter season and reopens in Apr.
3. Blydenburgh County Park Campground
City: Long Island, NY
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (631) 854-3713
Description: Located along the Nissequogue River on the North Shore of Suffolk County, this county park is known for its fishing, hiking trails, rowing, and horseback riding trails. There is also a campground with space for 50 tents or trailers within this 588-acre park. The campground, which is surrounded by wooded areas, is equipped with restrooms, showers, a dump station, and nearby grills.
4. Cedar Point County Park
City: Long Island, NY
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (631) 852-7620
Description: If you can’t afford to stay at one of the pricy B&Bs or inns located in East Hampton but you still want the experience of vacationing in the Hamptons, Cedar Point County Park is for you. It offers more than 160 individual and group camping sites, along with access to restrooms, showers, and a dump station. There’s also a nearby children’s playground and a basketball court adjacent to the camping area. The county park itself encompasses 607 acres and offers a wide range of land- and water-based activities, including beach access, boat rentals, fishing, hiking, scuba diving, and picnicking. The park also has its own food concessions.
5. Cupsogue Beach County Park
City: Long Island, NY
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (631) 854-4949
Description: Many of the county and state parks in the Suffolk County area offer campgrounds. Most allow RVs and trailers, like this one, but some only permit tents. Cupsogue Beach County Park encompasses 296 acres and includes beach access, which is one reason why it’s so popular. It’s also located in the heart of the Hamptons, another major draw (particularly in the summer). Along with its white sandy beach, where people come to swim and sunbathe, fishing and scuba diving are also popular activities here. Among the park/campground amenities are a snack bar, restrooms, a first-aid center, showers, changing rooms, and a dump station.
6. Smith Point County Park
City: Long Island, NY
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (631) 854-4949
Description: You’ll find this lovely county park on the Fire Island barrier beach. It’s a popular location for surfing, swimming, scuba diving, sunbathing, and camping. The park itself encompasses 2,293 acres, which includes space for 270 tents or trailers. Smith Point County Park has its own food concessions on the premises, and during the peak summer season, lifeguards are on duty at the beach. As for the campground, you’ll find both water and electric hookups, a dump station, showers, and restrooms. There are also grills available, along with a nearby children’s playground. The campground’s biggest perk, however, is the access to the beach.
7. Wildwood State Park Campground
City: Long Island, NY
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (631) 929-4314
Description: This beautiful state park encompasses more than 600 acres, most of which are undeveloped in any way whatsoever. A portion of the park is situated on a high bluff that offers a spectacular view of the Long Island Sound. Camping is permitted within this state park, with space for 242 tents and 89 trailers. Facilities include restrooms and showers, along with a dump station, grills, a small convenience store, and access to a beach. Activities offered within the park include hiking, cross-country skiing (in the winter), and fishing. There’s also a baseball field and volleyball courts near the campground.
City: Long Island, NY
Category: Accommodations
City: Long Island, NY
Category: Accommodations