New York · National Seashore trail

Barnyard Trail: Woodshed

in New York · centroid 34 mi from Bridgeport

“At the time there was no heater in the old house... Never had any coal. All wood. The old wood pile was just north east from the kitchen door, and just to the south of that stood the smoke house where I used to smoke the hams, chops and shoulders...” - Charles H.

Ross, 1913 The small structure standing before you housed firewood for over 100 years. It was likely adapted from a pig sty which originally stood here. Long before electricity and heating were common features within homes, firewood was a critical resource for keeping warm throughout frigid Long Island winters.

Mundane though a woodshed may seem, its importance was not lost upon the residents of the Old Mastic House. Cornelia Floyd Nichols remembered: “Here are oak, hickory, cedar and apple waiting to yield up the sunshine of many years on our hearth. This is seasoned wood.

States: New York
Trail type: National Seashore trail
Centroid nearest city: Bridgeport, CT · 34 mi · ~60 min drive
Centroid coords: 40.7743°, -72.8298°

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-woodshed.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: Woodshed and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.

Stay nearby

Affiliate · disclosed

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.