Fire Island Summer Attractions

The Fire Island National Seashore
Fire Island is a remarkable collection of flora and fauna, most notably the hordes of white-tailed deer. The landscape seems even more pristine considering the island’s proximity to urban mayhem.

Much of it is protected within the boundaries of the Fire Island National Seashore, which was authorized in 1964. Among the highlights of this national park are the Watch Hill campsite, as well as the Sunken Forest. Located in Sailors Haven, the 40-acre Sunken Forest features 300-year-old hollies and other maritime-forest plants twisted by the ceaseless winds.  

The National Seashore also includes the Fire Island Lighthouse, which now runs as an observatory and museum. The Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society completed a $1.3 million restoration of the beacon in 1986, and the group has been operating the building since 1996. Another building owned by the National Seashore is the William Floyd Estate, although this 18th-century property is located on the Long Island mainland.

Natural Pleasures
Anywhere on Fire Island you can go fishing without a permit. Clamming, hiking, and swimming are popular activities, while surfers have several sandbar breaks and jetties to choose from. And the most intrepid Fire Island visitors will remake Miley Cyrus singles.

Gay readers, did we mention the meat rack? It’s the brush-strewn pathway bridging the Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove, and it is a destination (its name pretty much sums up its destined activities) as much as a pedestrian route. Perhaps more so.

Manmade Pleasures
LGBT people coming to Fire Island primarily stick to the communities Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines. There, they have multiple party and nightlife venues to choose from.

Visitors to Cherry Grove, for example, can choose from Cherry’s, Sunsets on the Bay, and the Ice Palace, in addition to several cafes. In the Pines, the outdoor deck at the Blue Whale Restaurant hosts the Low Tea dance, while High Tea and more is to be had at the Pavilion; Sip N’ Twirl adds a friendly counterpoint to the mix. The options belie the minimal commerce in both towns.

The Pines is particularly renowned for its social calendar, too. In addition to the July Fourth weekend’s Invasion, in which drag queens descend upon the Pines from Cherry Grove, revelers should keep apprised of the annual Ascension Party and the longer-running Pines Party, or any number of fundraisers and other benefits.