Fire Island 101: getting there and how it all works

The short version

• What: two gay beach towns, Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove, on a car-free barrier island off Long Island.
• When: Memorial Day to Labor Day, with a quieter September. Very little is open in winter.
• How long: about 2 hours door to door from Penn Station (train, shuttle, ferry).
• Cost to get there: roughly $32–40 each way (train + shuttle + ferry).

Getting there from Manhattan

1. LIRR to Sayville. Trains run on the Montauk Branch from Penn Station (Moynihan Train Hall), Grand Central Madison or Atlantic Terminal. Most trips change at Jamaica or Babylon. Sayville is Zone 10: $16 off-peak, $21.50 peak, one way (2026 fares). Buy in the MTA TrainTime app; it's cheaper than paying on board.
2. Station to the ferry. The terminal is at 41 River Rd, about 1.5 miles away. Shuttle vans meet the trains for about $5–6, cash only. Taxis and Lyft work too.
3. Sayville Ferry to the Pines or Cherry Grove. About $11 one way / $20 round trip in cash (cards add 3.5%). One ticket works for either town, and returns are good any day. The crossing takes 20–30 minutes and there are no bathrooms on board. Boats run roughly hourly or better on summer weekends; always check the last boat at sayvilleferry.com.

Driving? Park in the River Road lot across from the terminal: $13/day Monday–Thursday, $24/day Friday–Sunday and holidays.

Other options: Bay Bus runs coaches between the city and the Sayville ferry (verify times). There's no confirmed scheduled seaplane to the Pines in 2026; BLADE does private charters if you're feeling expensive.

The Pines vs. Cherry Grove

Going between them: the Fire Island Water Taxi runs Grove ↔ Pines for $10 (FI mTickets app or 631-665-8885). Or walk about a mile (20 minutes) along the beach. The wooded stretch between the towns is the "Meat Rack," a protected part of the National Seashore and a long-standing gay landmark. Stay on the paths: it's prime tick habitat.

How a day works

1. Beach all day. Bring more sunscreen than you think.
2. Low Tea at the Blue Whale (daily 4–8 pm, busiest 5–7). This is the Pines' main event every single day.
3. High Tea at the Pavilion (7–10 pm).
4. Dinner at the house (most people cook) or at the harbor.
5. Late: Sip-n-Twirl and the Pavilion's weekend parties. In the Grove, it's Cherry's on the Bay then the Ice Palace (its Friday party is a Grove institution).

The harbor venues (Blue Whale, Pavilion, Tryst Pool Club, Canteen) have been run by Tryst Hospitality since 2024. The old Hotel Ciel/Botel was condemned in 2023 and is being rebuilt as The Tryst Fire Island, targeted for 2027, so there's no hotel at the Pines harbor right now.

Where to stay

• Shares: full-season, half and quarter shares in a house. They form over the winter, so start looking in January.
• Weekly rentals and Airbnb/VRBO for groups.
• Hotels and guest houses: the Grove Hotel (21+) and the Belvedere (men only) in Cherry Grove.
• Last-minute beds: the Boys of Fire Island Facebook group is where shares and spare rooms get posted. Or ask in /b/fire-island.

The big weekends

Full dates are on the calendar. The 2027 season, roughly:

• Memorial Day (May 28–31): season opens.
• Leather Weekend (mid-May) and Bear Weekend (mid-June).
• Invasion of the Pines (Sunday, July 4): in 1976 a drag queen from the Grove was refused service in the Pines, and the Grove answered by sailing over in drag. They've invaded every July 4 since. Free to watch at Pines Harbor.
• Fire Island Dance Festival (mid-July).
• Pines Party (July 30–Aug 1): the beach party of the summer, ticketed, 3,000+ guests.
• Labor Day (Sept 3–6): the last big weekend.

Practical stuff

• No cars. Boardwalks only, no bikes on the walks. Everything moves by wagon.
• Groceries: Pines Pantry (delivers in the Pines, 631-597-6200) or the Grove Market. You can also have cold groceries delivered to the ferry's package boat.
• Cash for shuttles, tips and water taxis.
• Ticks (deer, lone star, dog): avoid tall grass, wear repellent, check yourself daily.

On the calendar

See all on the calendar →