Fire Island National Seashore

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.

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.

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.

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!

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 have always heard that fire island was such a nice place to visit. I was thinking of cool day trips and i decided to try this place. I took the ferry from Bay Shore which was very busy even though it was only Wednesday! However, the ferry company was very organized and did their jobs efficiently. The ferry left you at Ocean Beach which is like the main town of Fire Island. It was very beautiful with nice restaurants and shops. The beach was magnificent. However, the downside of this place was no cars! Therefore, you have to walk everywhere or take water taxi. The island is so big too so expect to do hours of walking. Also the water taxi was really expensive! A lot of these on this island are expensive. Probably because the high season is so short and they want to make money. We went to the sunken forest and it was beautiful. Remember to bring bug spray!!! The lighthouse looks beautiful but i didnt get to see it though. Would i go again? Yes because it was a great experience. They just need to find better way to transport people!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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!

This review is for OCEAN BAY PARK beach ONLY
Summer’s almost over and I couldn’t believe I haven’t been to the beach ALL SUMMER due to my crazy hectic schedule! Sure I did go to Orchard Beach in the Bronx to ‘check it out’ but I wouldn’t call that a beach but a ‘DUMP’
I needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. So I jumped onto the LIRR and headed to Fire Island’s Ocean Bay Park beach. Seriously, I love Fire Island beaches, it’s NOTHING like the gritty and over-​crowded Coney Island or other beaches located in the NYC metropolitan area. It’s definitely CLEAN, less crowded, and the waters are clean. I also love the fact that you don’t see people obnoxiously BLASTING their fucking bachata or reggaeton shit music and barbequeing away like if they were on their backyard or something. So it’s definitely a great place to relax and unwind.
THINGS TO NOTE at OCEAN BAR PARK:
–I didn’t see any shower rooms but restrooms are available at Schooner Inn located right near the Ferry Dock/​terminal
–Bring some food (two pizza parlors serving AWFUL and OVERPRICED pizza for $ 4.50/slice for plain and $ 5.50 for with topping)
–Bring sandals, towels, tanning lotion, sunscreen, and other basic items if you’re
doing a day trip
–Have a good time at the local bars
–Unwind in the beautiful beach and take in the gorgeous weather
–DO NOT BRING YOUR BOOM BOX, nobody wants to hear your music. Be chic and NOT ghetto and bring an iPod or iPhone with earbuds or headsets.
–Ferries depart the island every hour during the summer till Fall but re-​check the schedule posted on the wall of the ferry dock.
–BRING some CASH with you just in case although I’ve seen several establishments receive cards here

Amusing to read some of the reviews on here. The seashore runs almost the entire 32-​mile length of the island, so your experience will vary greatly depending on the particular spot you’re visiting.
The Pines, for example, is part of the National Seashore, but like other communities up and down the island, local property owners pay for a lot of upkeep — especially in the wake of Sandy. As a result, the Pines beach area boasts clean, immaculate sands and is exquisitely pristine and peaceful. Residential life is a quiet, tranquil break from more hectic suburban and city life not far away, with just a few dirt roads accessible only to maintenance vehicles, and exclusive, high-​end houses located along elevated boardwalks. Deer roam the forested areas. And the island is narrow enough so that no matter where you are, you can hear the pounding of the ocean from either shoreline.
Whether visiting just for a day at the beach, or renting a house for a week or the whole summer, bring as much supplies as you can from the mainland. Especially bug spray.
A welcome summer respite for city folk and far-​away visitors alike.

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!

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

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.

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 ½ 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.

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

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.