West Meadow Beach is located in East Setauket and operated by the Town of Brookhaven. Located on the Long Island Sound, the beach is open for free to Brookhaven residents only. In addition to a stretch of rocky beach and a sandbar that stretches deep into the Long Island Sound on low tide, West Meadow Beach is bordered by marshland that attracts numerous species of birds, including the Piping Plover, a protected seabird.
The beach used to be filled with cottages that were privately owned, which caused great controversy in the community. In 2004, due to a measure by state Assemblyman Steve Englebright, the cottages were torn down. Only a few remain, including one at the tip of the peninsula that in 2004 was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Dr. Erwin J. Ernst Marine Conservation Center, which is located on the harbor side of the beach, is operated by the Ward Melville Heritage Organization and offers an assortment of environmental programs geared towards marine conservation.