Shelter Island is a National Historic District with houses built in the 18th century. It is a summer resort with about 2,500 permanent residents, though the population grows to over 8,000 residents in the summer. There are four public beaches and a beach club. The Shelter Island Yacht Club remains a social and yachting center for many summer families. The Shelter Island Beach Club has a large parking lot, tennis courts, a pool, boat slips, a beach with beach cabanas, a park that used to be an historic wooden hotel, and other basic amenities. The North Ferry comes in from Long Island right at the Beach Club. Land is very dear, and there are at least 40 current building permits out at any one time. There is a library, a K-12 school, a unified volunteer fire department, and two post offices, one in The Heights and one in The Center. Golf can be played at both a public course and a private club. This is a Tier II beach.

The description above was copied from or heavily based on Swim Guide, with permission.

More Information

• Swim Guide - Weather and water quality for Shelter Island Heights Beach Club and 8,000 other beaches.