New York · National Seashore trail

Barnyard Trail: Incinerator

in New York · centroid 34 mi from Bridgeport

In August 1852, Sarah Kirkland Floyd wrote her husband John Gelston Floyd, Sr. about her dismay of the conditions of the barnyard. Martin Van Buren’s son, John, had visited the estate and asked to see the barns.

She wrote that she made excuses, “knowing all the time they would not have looked any better if you had been [here], you careless fellow! so they did not go through the gutter now 1/2 a foot deep with green putrid water, or see the vile wood pile & trash around the outbuildings." Trash was, as it remains to today, always a struggle to manage. Through the 18th and 19th centuries, the Floyds relied on refuse pits for discarding trash.

In the 20th century, the Floyd’s decided to tackle the endless trash problem by installing this incinerator. Archeological digs of refuse pits, outhouses, and land around extant and previous building locations help us date periods of occupation and land use. We have recovered toothbrushes, ceramic dishes, tobacco pipes, and more from these sites.

States: New York
Trail type: National Seashore trail
Centroid nearest city: Bridgeport, CT · 34 mi · ~60 min drive
Centroid coords: 40.7742°, -72.8306°

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-incinerator.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: Incinerator 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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