Fire Island
Long Island, NY
Fire Island is a 32 mile barrier island off the south shore of Long Island, car-free for almost its entire length, reachable only by ferry, with a string of small communities and long stretches of undeveloped National Seashore beach between them. Boardwalks instead of streets connect the houses in most villages.
A genuinely car-free barrier island this close to New York City is remarkable, though the ferry schedule and summer crowds at the terminals take real planning.
How we score beachesBook the ferry in advance for a summer weekend. The lots at the ferry terminals on the mainland fill early, and a missed boat means a long wait for the next one.
Ferry terminal lots on the mainland offer daily, overnight, and long-term parking when space allows, filling fast on summer weekends.
Most of the island has no roads. Boardwalks connect ferry docks to the villages and beach, though the terrain varies by community.
Dogs are allowed on all beaches in colder months, but restricted to the bay side only, not the ocean beaches, from March 15 through Labor Day.
Water reaches the mid 70s by August, inside Atlantic hurricane season, June through November. Early fall keeps warm water with a fraction of the summer ferry lines.
More Atlantic Coast beaches
Coast Guard Beach
Eastham, MA · Atlantic Coast
A National Seashore beach backed by grassy dunes and a tidal marsh, with clean Atlantic surf and one of the Cape's most scenic approaches on foot from the parking area.
Surfside Beach
Nantucket, MA · Atlantic Coast
Open Atlantic swell and a wide sandy shoreline about three miles from Nantucket town, popular with locals for its bodysurfing waves and quieter, less commercial feel.
Jones Beach State Park
Wantagh, NY · Atlantic Coast
A classic Long Island beach with six and a half miles of shoreline, a landmark water tower, boardwalk, and a large outdoor amphitheater that hosts concerts through the summer.