New York · National Seashore trail

Barnyard Trail: Barns

in New York · centroid 34 mi from Bridgeport

“The barns had no red paint on them when I came down here. What they called the horse barn stood just south of Robinson’s barn. That went down just before I came here... We used the barn part to shear the sheep in and keep hay in [the] winter.

Had to cart a load or two in every week or so it was so small.” - Charles H. Ross, 1913 With livestock, farming tools, and machinery, the barns were an essential feature of life at the Floyd Estate. The Merrifield sheep barn and the Robinson Barn, for cows, were massive two-story barns that towered over the barnyard.

The “New Barn” on the right was built from the salvaged wood of an earlier larger barn. In 1898 John Gelston Floyd Jr. had a windmill erected on the roof of that barn with a water tank in the loft to provide running water to the house.

States: New York
Trail type: National Seashore trail
Centroid nearest city: Bridgeport, CT · 34 mi · ~60 min drive
Centroid coords: 40.7744°, -72.8302°

About Fire Island National Seashore

National Seashore

This trail is inside Fire Island National Seashore, a national seashore managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/barnyard-trail-barns.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/fiis/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Barnyard Trail: Barns and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.

Stay nearby

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Driving in? The nearest documented metro is Bridgeport, CT — 34 miles away (~60 min drive). See accommodation in Bridgeport on Booking.com → RoamFound earns a small commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we handle affiliate links.