New York · National Seashore trail

Barnyard Trail: Ice House

in New York · centroid 34 mi from Bridgeport

“I had to drive cattle down to the pond east of the house; when it was frozen over had to cut holes along the shore; no other way to water them. I filled the ice house two years off that pond. It does not look like it now.

There was no brush then to speak of... The old blacksmith shop stood where the ice house now stands and just to the east of that was the goose house. Old Charlotte Hawkins, a colored woman, use to come down and pick those geese alive for the feathers.” - Charles H.

Ross, 1913 This icehouse, with its fifteen-foot-deep brick tub, was built in the late 19th century to provide the family with cold storage. It replaced an 18th century blacksmith shop which, while essential for a busy farm, was not a useful structure for a summer retreat. Locally cut ice was layered with hay from the salt-marsh and insulated by the cool earth surrounding it, the ice would keep for most of the year.

States: New York
Trail type: National Seashore trail
Centroid nearest city: Bridgeport, CT · 34 mi · ~60 min drive
Centroid coords: 40.7742°, -72.8300°

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-ice-house.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: Ice House 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.