A Twentysomething Day Trip to Montauk

Several weeks ago, I gave you the . This week, I'm tackling another day trip to Camp Hero in Montauk.

Camp Hero is a state park located right on the edge of Montauk.  Though not quite as far east as the lighthouse, it's the last turn before you get there.

Historically, Camp Hero was the location of Montauk Air Force Base.  It was renamed Fort Hero in 1942, but to locals it was always “Camp Hero”.  Since Long Island was considered a likely invasion point by the Germans in World War II, it made sense that they stocked the area with coastal artillery pieces, barracks, a torpedo testing facility, and even its own power plant. 

An interesting side note is that Camp Hero was built to look like a typical New England fishing village – the gymnasium looks like a church complete with steeple, and the barracks and bunkers had fake decorative windows painted on them.

Camp Hero was also used during the Cold War as a radar station to protect the entire Northeastern United States from the threat of attack by Soviet long-range bombers.

Though a lot of the original buildings are still standing, but unfortunately you can’t really go in any of them – which I found a bit disappointing. 

All of the barracks and smaller buildings are now just painted stone buildings that are boarded up with padlocked doors. It was kind of a lame sight if I do say so myself. 

I was expecting something at least a little bit cooler, maybe even something a big more grungy and dirty… but nope, these buildings were as bland as they come.

The larger structures, like the radar tower, are only visible (legally, that is) from a distance and you cannot even get up next to them in the slightest. Although I’m sure you could climb up said pesky fence that stands in your way… but I’m not recommending this and it’s really not my fault if you get arrested for doing so. That being said, it’s still cool to look at the radar tower from afar.

In terms of things to do at Camp Hero there really isn’t much. They have hiking trails – some are grassy, some are just dirt, and some are even paved. But if you’re expecting a hike through the wilderness of Montauk I would look elsewhere.

One of the coolest sights at Camp Hero is the bluffs. Standing atop of a perilous-looking bunch of grass leaning over a steep drop onto some rocks and beach below was  breathtaking. 

But seriously, don’t stand too close to the edge as it seems as though that cliff could barely withstand a fly landing on it. And bring your camera if you decided to take the trek out here – you’ll definitely want to remember this view.

If you happen to be in Montauk and have some time to kill, Camp Hero is an interesting place to go, but personally, I don't think it's worth a day trip from Commack.