Fire Island

Came back this year to see the lighthouse. We enjoyed our walk .the boardwalk was not crowded on a overcast Saturday. We saw some birds & deer along the way. The light house was also historic & interesting. we check out the beach at the end & Watch some people fishing by the docks. There are bathrooms at the lighthouse & A cute shop selling books & souvenirs.

In June 2020, our family enjoyed a peaceful week-long stay in the Fair Harbor neighborhood of FINS. Fair Harbor is a low-key family-friendly area located between Saltaire and Dunewood. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, masks are mandatory on the ferry ride and while walking in Fair Harbor on the pathways. However, on the oceanside beach, a lot of folks will remove their masks while social distancing. The ferry ride to FINS is delightful as you enjoy 30-40 minutes on the bay with views of the bridge and lighthouse in the distance. The absence of cars and traffic (except for a bicycle or red wagon) is a wonderful change of pace and highly therapeutic. In Fair Harbor, kids can walk to the bayside playground, get ice cream at "Unfriendly's", or watch people at sunset trying to catch a fish off the main dock. One downside of Fair Harbor is that the local Pioneer Market can be very expensive for some grocery items. Also, it's inconvenient to get to FINS because you have to lug your bags onto the ferry and find a parking spot at $20 per day (if you bring a car). That said, once you arrive in Fair Harbor, a peaceful and family-friendly vacation awaits you where kids can enjoy the beach. That said, if you don't like quiet residential areas, Fair Harbor is probably not ideal for you.

We enjoyed the walk from Robert Moses State Park Field 5 to Kismet a lot. The Fire Island National Seashore is absolutely beautiful and it was an easy walk to Kismet. We walked on the path from the entrance to the lighthouse , then walked by the beach to Kismet. I felt in love with The town of Kismet as soon as I got there. No cars / traffic at all, neither busy nor crowded. People seemed very relax there. Definitely don't feel like a town in a big city. We took the rocky path / hard pack sands path back to Robert Moses. Overall the walk was easy and relax. Love it.

There is no place like home. So happy to see my best friend get married. Fire Island is beautiful and has always had a special place in my heart. It has a traditional Long Island, quaint , beach feel to it. There are much worse spots to spend a day

Wonderful long sandy beaches which go on for miles. Sunken Forest - access by ferry from Sayville - is a peaceful beautiful get-away.

This place is amazing! How can you honestly not give fire island a 5 star review? Prob bc you're miserable and never satisfied ... Anyway, this place is literally made for anyone at any age.. Preferably, I choose to stick with ocean beach and ocean bay park, however, at a younger age and when my family had a boat we would stay over at Atlantique and walk over to fair harbor.. So, I am pretty much a fire island vet... Ocean beach is for all of your family oriented, bar hopping, restaurant going visitors.. Usually, everyone from Manhattan relocates here for the summer, it's a real dream :) Everything is def expensive on the beach but know that before you go... The food isn't fantastic at any restaurant by any means... I mean so seriously, if you're looking for an exquisite meal, you will not find that.. If you're looking for a good time on the beach not too far from home but will still give you the "vacation feel", this is perfect for you. Stayed in a house on ocean bay park for 4 days 3 nights over on E Cayuga and it was perfect .. $400 for 10 girls to one house and receive your safety deposit back.. House came with a washer, dryer, bbq, access to bikes, and everything else u need for a prime time weekend. Perfect for a weekend getaway or even a bachelor/bachelorette party.. We were with in a minute walk to flynns and schooners!

Do you ever wish you could magically transport yourself to a simple, easy-going beach that time slightly forgot? You don't need to find a genie to have it come true - just hop aboard the LIRR or drive an hour-ish outside the city and step aboard the Fire Island Ferry. You'll be whisked away to a skinny barrier island that is there only habited island in the US that doesn't allow cars. Bikes and wagons will be your method of travel as you experience varied beaches from quaint to serene. Deer walk by you like tourists and finding establishments that take credit cards is like winning the lottery. Sunrises and sunsets can be had daily with unbelievable views. Kids run free like you remember the suburbs you grew up in. Housing is a wonderful and wild combination of rustic, modern and original beach bungalow. The silence at night is almost eerie. Wooden walkways and bay front playgrounds deliver amazing nostalgia. If you live in NYC and don't want to get on a plane for a trip that truly can make you feel like you're hundreds of miles from civilization, make Fire Island a destination this summer.

Great place to spend the day. The public spaces are well kept and even though it can be crowded in some places one can easily walk a few yards and have plenty of space.

It's definitely a cute town but not at all the best beach ever! The waves are very rough, the water is super cold and there's tons of seaweed. It's just an average NY beach. It's fun as a one day adventure such as taking the ferry and walking through the "town". They have a ridiculously over priced Street market with handmade jewelry that is nothing special but costs an arm and a leg. You cannot bring drinks, food or alcohol to the beach. It is a pain in the butt with children because you have to walk all the way where the restaurant area is to have a drink it go to the bathroom. There are no finding it shower areas either.

I came back and I was so disappointed with fire island. This place should be called money island compared to fire island. Everything is so expensive it is ridiculous. Also, the police is so strict for no reason. They give tickets for everything please be careful and listen to the rules! They are money hungry from the ferry rates to the restaurants to the police! It is not worth it to be honest! Go to a different island destination! Also the locals are so rude with their bicycles! Its like they want to knock you over if you are god forbid in their lane. They should make designated bike lanes for these bikers since they are so aggressive. Too many rules and inconveniences with this place. Pick another day trip destination.

I been hearing about this island for years since I grew up in Queens. I finally made my way there and I wasn't impressed. Its a small island with no cars, a few shops and restaurants/bars. There was nothing bad about it however not really worth the ride to Long Island and the ferry. The beach was just like any other LI beach except with very strict rules. There was no food, music, balls or alcohol at the beach. I will be okay with most of those rules except for the food part, how can I hang out at the beach with no snacks? I saw a cop walking around giving people tickets so if you are planning on doing any of the things that are prohibited make sure you hide it well. I had a good time because I came with two great friends however that was probably my first and last visit.

Had many great times here at da Grove and Fire Isl Pines. Never been to Ocean Beach or Saltaire. I never stayed at any of the hotels and don't really recommend them. Cherry Grove has a better vibe overall, and actually now most people agree with me! More mixed crowd in the Grove while the Pines attracts more annoying uppity types of gays. But had many fun drunken weekends here too! The pizza place in the Grove has really good pizza and there a few pretty good restaurants. The Pines places leave more to be desired food-wise and are expensive. Low tea in the Pines is often good though and they have some good DJs. F.I. is not necessarily for everyone as I have gay friends whom F.I. isn't really their thing as they prefer Asbury or P-town. There's nowhere really to bike or drive in the Pines or the Grove and F.I. is only ferry accessible. Cherry's in the Grove has a bar and dance floor outside by the bay and they often have good Dj's. I met many guys and straight girls who party it up in the Grove, it used to be mostly lesbians but now a mix of everyone. The best thing about F.I. is the party atmosphere and in NY you best be ready to party it up!

I love that place, the view is just gorgeous. We climbed all the way up inside the lighthouse. All the workers provided the greatest service ever. And the ocean ... OMG ... I was speechless. The morning along the coast where the fog and mist meet with the salty spray of the seas is one of my favourite smells.

How can one not give fire island an amazing review!This is a beautiful destination that has something for everyone. From restaurants with great drink specials, lively and update atmosphere, little adorable shops, to the beautiful beaches and then incredible night life, it just feels like a mini vacation right here on Long Island. One thing to keep in mind is that there is not food or drink permitted on the beach and it is quite a walk from the shops and restaurant area to the beach.

Apparently "everyone knows" that the scenic beauty of Fire Island is squandered on Long Island Trash. Well, I didn't know, and none of my friends even hinted at it before I made the long haul out there. Heart thumping at the prospect of spending time on a natural reserve of the U.S. National Park Service, I got up at 5:45 a.m. with a few good friends, took the 7:10 a.m. LIRR ($21.50 round trip - the 50-cent online discount requires several days advanced planning so your tickets can arrive via snail mail) to Babylon. From there, we transferred to a Bay Shore train. They didn't announce the stop, so we missed our destination. Luckily, we caught the opposite train by dashing across the tracks in the sketchiest way. From Bayshore, we took David's car service ($4-see separate review) to the ferry. Hoovered up a dozen clams at Nicky's Clam Bar (separate review), then hopped aboard for a 30 minute ferry ride ($17 round trip) out to Fair Harbor, Fire Island. This "barefoot community" was a place unlike any other. There really were no cars or motorized vehicles of any sort. Girls towed wagons loaded with Vera Bradley bags and 30-pack boxes of Bud Light. One guy wheeled a bunch of potted flowers and his young son at the same time. Everyone had an antique beach cruiser; no one locked anything. Endless wooden boardwalks took us straight past people's residences and rentals to the intimidatingly unspoilt beach, where swimming was constrained to 50-yard portions of water flagged off between lifeguard chairs. This was just as well, because the waves were sometimes double overhead, and the water was chilly enough to cause palpitations even in a confident swimmer. It was HOT on the sand, and we all managed to get burnt despite 90+ SPF sunscreen, black t-shirts, and umbrellas. There was one weird local grocery store charging 99 cents for a big bottle of flavored seltzer water but also 99 cents per shrivelled purple fig. The "town" was run by a few old folks, and a lot of local teens [girls with short shorts and oversized tees...skinny, self-conscious looking errand boys with baskets on their rusty bikes]. The girl working at Unfriendly's Ice Cream next door said simply that she didn't know where the public facilities were, and offered no further assistance. She may have been telling the truth, because we had to ask at least seven people before finally finding the wooden structure on a street that we only detected because we saw someone whizzing by on a bike. By the way, they completely locked the place down at 5 p.m., when the lifeguards also disappeared, leaving people to sink or swim. To sample the nightlife, my gut said to walk 15 minutes due West towards Kismet (the word means "destiny," for crying out loud), but my friend insisted that Ocean Beach was the spot that she heard was really going off. We walked into the labirynth of boardwalks through what looked just like the Others' compound from LOST, and were soon deposited onto an unmarked sand path bordered by creepy green reeds. The full moon came out, and a wild deer peeped out from the dunes as butterflies darted about. This was the only redeemable part to staying here past sunset. Finally, we hung a left (North) and ran right into the Ocean Beach strip. It was like Provincetown but with trashy heterosexuals...it was Family Guy meets Jersey Shore (and I haven't even seen the show, but I'm pretty sure this is what it is like)...Pleasantville met Stepford met the Twilight Zone...it was just plain bloody awful. After blowing dough on a burger and two frozen margs at Bocce Beach Restaurant (separate review) and listening to two douchbags "from the city" talk about how they "don't fuck ugly chicks" and how there were "no hot chicks to fuck," we ran, not walked, to the ferry station just as the last ride was departing. A couple other non-locals were shrieking, "I will NEVER come back here again!" A Holocaust-style (sorry) ride with David's car service, an hour wait at the Bay Shore LIRR station where there was no bathroom, an hour and a half long train ride to Jamaica, a transfer, and another transfer due to a fight between two assholes that brought the cops delivered me to the underground oven of Penn Station at 2 a.m. A ride on the A-train and a desperate crosstown cab trip brought me home just past 3 a.m....but anything was better than staying to witness the freakshow on the island. The moral is: if you want nature, stick to nature, especially in this place, where the social scene is a desecration of any merits that Fire Island might actually have. Sadly, even on this 26-mile preserve, there seemed to be more "look how off the beaten path we are" development than untouched peace and quiet. Still, I MAY come back here in the fall or winter strictly to camp and check out the Sunken Forest. At least then, the eerie houses will be empty of cultish vacationers and fast-talking brats extorting $7 ice cream cones from their guardians.

I love going here I've been going here since I was a kid. It doesn't matter how we do it is always something to do there. It's nice being able to hang out at the beach, get food, shop, swim and to take your boat. My boyfriend and I usually take the boat and we spend a couple days there we usually just anchor. We now have a raft we use to take us to shore.

I can't believe I'm reviewing a seashore, but someone has to counteract the below review. I've been coming to Fire Island - and it's adorable quaint communities - my entire life. I love the relaxed atmosphere, the lack of TRAFFIC or CARS, and how it's everything Jones Beach is not (not to knock Jones Beach, it's just not what floats my boat). I love how you can walk around with an open beer or get a tan WITHOUT LINES. I love spotting deer on the pathway to the beach, and I love the feeling of being on vacation even though you're just a few miles from the "Real World". Ahhh, I don't know. Maybe it's not for everyone. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe I like it just the way it is =p

My review is for the small town of Seaview. (Totally agree with Vincent L. that Fire Island itself is way too big to review, and that even being a mile east or west of where you are can drastically change your experience.) I was so worried about getting here -- the subway, LIRR, a taxi AND a ferry?! -- but the trip was less than 2 hours and quite peaceful (especially the ferry ride). Seaview is a small town where people have had houses for years, there wasn't complete damage from Sandy, and everyone is really friendly. The beaches were populated but not overly busy, and the town is next to Ocean Bay Park, which has a lot of restaurants and bars. I think because this town is more of a family area than some of the other touristy, day-trip visit areas, it's a very different experience. I'd never considered living on an island before (Manhattan doesn't count!), but this definitely made me want to give up my summers to the slow, quiet relaxation that creeps up on you while you're here. Shoes optional!

If you would have asked me any other year before, I would have given Fire Island 5-stars. Hands down, no questions asked this was my favorite getaway from the tri-state craziness while still remaining close to home. With no cars and only sandy walk ways to stroll on, beautiful beaches and 1/2 hour ferry ride to Ocean Bay Park from LI it is pretty easy to forget everything and truly relax for a little while. The island drink, the Rocket Fuel, is definitely worth a sip at one of the beachy bars where you can eat/drink/converse without much care in the world. For some reason, this year was different. The morning we got there, the island was the same old Fire Island I know and love with a very chill beachy vibe. However, by the time I got around to grabbing some lunch at RumJACRum, the sandy walkway from the ferry to Flynn's was inundated with 100 Jersey Shore-wannabes. These people were clearly not going to the beach in their micromini dresses with perfectly straightened hair and 5 lbs of makeup on. Needless to say, the day only went downhill from there. People were staggering around the walkways, tripping with their stilettos in the sand by 3pm and the crowd was actually so obnoxious we decided to leave the island without even having dinner. This was probably a good call on our part because as we were getting on the ferry to leave, the entire ferry emptied with an explosion of [insert most obnoxious Jersey Shore character here]. Seriously reconsidering coming back to Fire Island again but I will probably give it another go.

Spacious beaches with rolling sand dunes and spectacular sunsets - in New York? You got that right! On this particular Sunday in August a little morning cloud coverage apparently dissuaded enough folks that we had Barrett Beach mostly to ourselves (except for some FI deer) in the afternoon when the sun came through - positively lovely. Thank you for protecting this stunning island!

My favorite beach in New York hands down. I love taking the ferry over, it's like I'm not in NYC anymore and that's one of the best parts. The kids working on the ferry are nice and polite and always easy to deal with. The beaches are clean, not very crowded and very relaxing. Since it is the ocean shore the waves can get kind of big but the lifeguards are aplenty and always keeping watch. My dog is allowed on the ferry & on most beaches so another plus for a fun trip. No worries about him home alone all day plus he can swim, dig holes in the sand & fetch :) Great day trip if you can make it!

Seriously there's nothing bad I can say about Fire Island. It is beautiful, serene and not even like being anywhere near the hustle and bustle of New York City. I need to strike it rich so I can buy up some property.

Great get away from the city. Great beach, quaint little communites, relaxed, No cars just bikes and pulling their things in wagons on the sandy walkways. Great NYC quick getaway!!

Love it here! One of the best hidden paradises of New York. Very clean. I tried to swim, but was I was told I can't. We had great times there. Used to drive there from Manhattan and then it got easier to get to when I moved to Long Island.

No garbage can in the eating area I don't want to be bringing my trash around on my next vacation thank you very much please fix

Hammered. Is what I was... LOL had a blast. Went with a large group of friends. There was a lot of alcohol and great people it was just a blast!

What an awesome getaway from the city. Friendly deer, amazing beaches, and 10,000 of Snooki's cousins (in selected areas).

What a gorgeous beach, so visually stunning and captivating, no matter what time of the day you go to walk, swim, sunbathe, or whatever your heart desires. This was true relaxation for me as I escaped NYC, it made me feel so warm and in wanderlust. The beaches are absolutely beautiful, and the view of the sunset was breathtaking. Deers come out to the beach, and on occasions, they'll come up to you. There are rules and make sure you follow them, there's police and a helicopter flying around. The beaches are filled with families, couples, gay men and they get fully nude, embrace your body! I absolutely love this gem located in the state of NY, and I will definitely be coming back very soon!

Ocean Beach, Fire Island is one of this magical places that brings you back to being a kid. The wagons, bare feet, and salt air are just a few of the things that keep me coming back with my family.

What a total waste of time. Absolutely no signs or anything to tell you where anything in this place is. We walked from Ocean Beach to Cherry Grove without even knowing where Sunken Forest was. Our whole objective was to get to Sunken Forest. So we finally were directed the right way by some nice beachgoers. And guess what we get there and what the hell. Small crappy little hike, all along a boardwalk and the mosquitoes. Oh god the Mosquitoes. My wife and I had about 20 bites each. What a waste of time and what a scam Fire Island is. $40 total for the ferries then you also pay $20 for the parking all day. And then $50 for the bike rentals, to do what with the bikes??? You can barely even ride the bikes around anywhere. All the walking on the beach and everywhere else was just ridiculous. Never ever going to Fire Island again. What a waste of time. Horrible restaurants with overpriced food. Everything on this island is so over priced. Heard so much about Fire Island but never went and I am so glad I finally saw it and I will never go again. Just a bunch of trailer park trashy people there looking like they all got done shooting up some "H". We really do have a big "H" pandemic here on Long Island with all these trashy trailer park people. Never ever recommend Fire Island to anyone and I will make sure to never go again. Plenty of better beaches and villages to visit on mainland Long Island.

Secluded, no high rises, and you can walk for miles...