Welcome to Shelter Island. We’ve put together this information to help newcomers figure out the way things work here. The Town of Shelter Island also offers this Good Neighbor Guide.
BEACHES The Island is ringed by gorgeous beaches with gentle surf perfect for families. Drive down any road, and you’re likely to end up at a beach, including dozens with public access and small craft landings. Two public beaches, Wades Beach and Crescent Beach, have lifeguards (10 AM to 5 PM in season), designated swimming areas, picnic facilities, and restrooms. Parking permits are required at these and many other shoreline access points; follow instructions on the signs.
BOATING/WATERCRAFT Read this Boating Guide about local regulations, safety precautions, and environmental protection measures. The Town maintains public docks, boat launches, and mooring areas.
BICYCLING With its hills, shady lanes, and roads that all seem to lead to water, this is a great place to ride. Use common sense and follow the rules for sharing the road to avoid conflict.
DEER The white-tailed deer is the Island’s largest wild land animal. An appointed committee advises the Town Board on the management of the herd. Be alert for deer when driving, especially at twilight and dawn.
DOGS Follow the local laws about licensing and leashing your pet and keeping barking to a minimum. There’s a veterinary clinic on the Island, and 24-emergency veterinary care is nearby.
DRIVING Watch for people walking, biking, and otherwise sharing the road. Critters, too, especially deer and turtles (they sometimes warm themselves on the road — if you pick one up, please hold it by its sides and not its shell, and move it to the roadside in the same direction it was heading. Be careful with snapping turtles; they bite and have surprisingly long necks. Speed limits — 25 to 40 miles per hour — are strictly enforced.
EMERGENCY FOOD/HOUSING A community food pantry is run at the Presbyterian Church. In Riverhead, Maureen’s Haven offers emergency housing. A domestic violence shelter is nearby. CAST — the Center for Advocacy, Support and Transformation, brings a mobile food pantry to the Island once a month. Find details on the CAST website.
EVENTS Visit our CALENDAR to find out what’s going on here during your stay.
EXPLORING The Island has miles of hiking trails, some in Mashomack Preserve, some in smaller preserves. We even have a curated water trail.
FERRIES Our two ferry companies have different schedules. Tickets are not interchangeable. North Ferry connects to Long Island’s North Fork at Greenport. South Ferry connects to the South Fork at North Haven.
FISHING/SHELLFISHING Learn about seasonal limits on fish and shellfishing permits, and the Island’s eelgrass beds.
GARBAGE/RECYCLING Everyone calls it ‘The Dump’, but officially it’s the Recycling Center. If the place you’re staying doesn’t use a private hauling contractor, bring your garbage and sorted recyclables here.
GOLF Shelter Island Country Club is a historic 9-hole public golf course with a pro shop, driving range, golf cart rentals, onsite PGA professional, junior golf program and lessons available. The clubhouse has a restaurant open April through October with some of the Island’s best views.
GROCERIES The IGA, an independent mid-size grocery store, is the biggest market here. Other options are gourmet shops and delis, along with seasonal farmers markets and honor system farm stands.
HISTORY The Island is home of many historic sites. Take a tour of Sylvester Manor, home for millennium to indigenous people and the arrival site of the Island’s first European settlers, or visit the Shelter Island History Center, operated by the nonprofit Shelter Island Historical Society with exhibits about local history and archives featuring varied collections documenting life here since the colonial era.
HOLIDAYS Traditions surrounding holidays are an important part of Island life. All are welcome to participate in our public celebrations and remembrances.
HUNTING Deer hunting — managed by the Police Department — helps keep the herd in check in the absence of natural predators. Learn more about New York State’s hunting regulations.
JUSTICE COURT Shelter Island Justice Court meets every other Monday, presided over by two elected judges who alternate on the bench and serve on-call as magistrates and to hold arraignments and preliminary hearings in cases of serious crimes. Direct questions to the court clerk weekdays 9 AM to 4 PM at 631-749-8989.
LIBRARY Here for a weekend or the entire summer, stop by the Shelter Island Public Library. One of the region’s oldest libraries, it has programs for children, teens and adults.
MEDICAL EMERGENCY 24/7 for all medical emergencies, call 911 and tell the operator your location. A Shelter Island EMS crew will be dispatched. A ferry will be readied in case transport to an off-Island hospital is required. The Suffolk County Police Department provides medevac helicopter service to the region’s Level 1 Trauma Center at Stony Brook University, if needed.
MEDICAL NON-EMERGENCY The Island’s medical clinic is staffed weekdays from about 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 631-749-5910 or -3149 for an appointment with ProHealthCare or Stony Brook’s Meetinghouse Lane Medical Practice. Walk-in clinics are located nearby in Sag Harbor on the South Fork and Greenport on the North Fork.
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT For questions concerning the Town of Shelter Island, visit Town Hall, 38 North Ferry Road, weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or call 631-749-0291. For questions about the Village of Dering Harbor, drop by Village Hall, 23 Locust Point Road, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays or Thursdays, or the last Saturday of the month, 9 to 11 a.m. Or, call 631-749-0020.
NOISE Please be considerate of neighbors regarding noise. Amplified music, barking dogs and loud, late-night conversations result in the majority of noise complaints received by the police.
PARKING If you want to park at the beach, you’ll need to buy a Town parking permit. Also, note posted parking limits on spaces along public roads and in municipal parking areas.
PARKS & RECREATION Shelter Island is dotted with public parks and trails— many with picnic areas — and the Town Recreation Department offers programs to residents and visitors. There are two playgrounds on School Street: the school playground and the Tot’s Lot. Public basketball courts adjoin Fiske Field.
PASSPORTS If you are a U.S. citizen required to apply for a passport in person, you may be able to do so at the Shelter Island Public Library. Read this Gazette post for details.
PHARMACY Our one pharmacy is located in a historic building in the Heights, complete with a very popular soda fountain.
POLICE Call 911 to report a police emergency. Shelter Island maintains a full-time police force, augmented by seasonal traffic control officers. New York State and Suffolk County police join local police in certain operations. The non-emergency telephone number is 631-749-0600.
POST OFFICES We are served by two branches of the US Postal Service. One in the town Center at 45 North Ferry Road (11964), the other in the Heights at 6 Grand Avenue (11965).
PUBLIC RESTROOMS There is a public toilet at Volunteer Park on Bridge Street. Seasonal public facilities are maintained at Wades Beach and Crescent Beach. Sylvester Manor Educational Farm has a state-of-the-art clean water system with public toilets open seasonally.
SCHOOLS The Shelter Island Union Free School District operates the Island’s public school for students in grades Pre-K to 12. It benefits from the support of an active PTSA. The Shelter Island Early Childhood Learning Center offers programs for children ages 2 to 4.
SELF-HELP If you (or someone close to you) is struggling with addiction, you are welcome to attend one of the regularly scheduled meetings of self-help groups.
SENIORS The Town of Shelter Island oversees numerous social, educational, nutritional and recreational programs in support of senior citizens. Visit the town’s Senior Summary for details. The Shelter Island Senior Citizens Foundation also works to improve the quality of life for seniors here.
SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS The Island is home to active chapters of the American Legion, the Chamber of Commerce, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Garden Club, the League of Women Voters, and the Lions Club.
SOCIAL SERVICES The Town of Shelter Island employs a licensed clinical social worker to provide assessment and referral services, and support to residents free of charge, including individual and family counseling.
TICKS & OTHER PESTS Home to several species of ticks and other pests, we’ve developed some expertise in how to avoid them and what to do if you are bitten.
WATER CONSERVATION Most Island homes have private wells and septic systems. Our aquifer can be adversely impacted by high demand and by improper disposal of toxins. Please use water wisely. And take toxins to HAZMAT collections held the first Saturday of the month at the Recycling Center.
WEATHER Our summers are warm but, thanks to nearly constant sea breezes are not overly humid. Our winters are cold, windy and wet, but we don’t get much snow. Check our Weather and Tides for current conditions.
WORSHIP Learn about our places of worship, their respective schedules and activities: