Fire Island National Seashore

Just a ferry ride from Long Island’s sprawl, Fire Island National Seashore feels worlds away. The air smells of salt and wildflowers, and the wind carries the distant cries of shorebirds over undulating dunes. Locals slip out here in every season—off-season brings near-empty sands and a hush broken only by surf and gulls, while summer weekends fill boardwalks with families, day-trippers, and sun-bronzed regulars. The iconic lighthouse stands watch, its tower rising above maritime forests and marshes, inviting those craving a climb and a panoramic sweep of sea and sky. Along the shore, driftwood and shells tell the story of tides and time, while the boardwalk lets you wander without disturbing fragile habitats. Community is woven into every grain of sand—generations return to camp, to watch the sunrise, to lose themselves and find themselves again in this wild stretch of Atlantic coast. Fire Island is more than a retreat; it’s a living bridge between city intensity and coastal calm, where New Yorkers and out-of-towners alike come to reconnect with the elemental beauty of Long Island’s edge.