Fire Island
This elongated, thin barrier island in Suffolk Country, New York, protects much of the southern shoreline of Long Island from the worst excesses of the Atlantic Ocean. Fire Island was 49.5 km long and 0.8km across at the widest point. But the shape is constantly changing – at one point it stretched for 95km from adjacent Jones Island in the east to Southampton at the New York end and was as wide as 8km.
Fire Island is separated from Long Island by a series of bays – Great South Bay, Patchogue Bay, Bellport Bay, Narrow Bay and Moriches Bay. The western 7.5 km is made up of Robert Moses State Park, an enormous popular summer destination for New Yorkers. Since 1964 the rest of the island has been protected as the Fire Island National Seashore. There is no road along the island’s length and vehicular traffic is banned during the summer season (June to August). Even out of the season only a limited number of driving permits are available for residents.
The main resorts are Ocean Beach on the South Shore, reached by water taxi or a walk along the sand from Robert Moses Park, nearby Saltaire and Davis Park on Moriches Inlet. Among various hamlets on the island, Cherry Grove and The Pines are famous for the gay community. The year-round population is small, but thousands of flock to their vacation homes or rentals in high summer to enjoy Fire Island’s miles of boardwalk and laid-back beach life.
When to go: Join the summer crowds – this is definitely no place to be in winter. Population: 300
