• Introduction
• 1. Aspen
• 2. Avalon
• 3. Fire Island
• 4. Little St. Simons Island
• 5. Lopez Island
• 6. Mackinac Island
• 7. Monhegan Island
• 8. Nags Head
• 9. Nantucket
• 10. South Padre Island

Fire Island

A mere two hours from the crush of Manhattan traffic, just off Long Island’s South Shore, lies bucolic Fire Island, a narrow, 32-mile-long barrier island where nary a honk can be heard since no cars are allowed. Dotted with small communities separated by high dunes and ancient forests (including the 40-acre Sunken Forest, one of the few remaining maritime forests on the East Coast), this National Seashore fronts the Atlantic with broad stretches of fine white sand, ideal for sunbathing, surfing, fishing, boating, and bird-watching. Guided tours are offered during the peak summer months, so visitors can learn more about the abundant wildlife (including a large deer population), freshwater marshland, and trees that have been twisted and formed by the constant saltwater spray. Come sunset, trade nature for nightlife in Cherry Grove or The Pines, two adjacent gay and lesbian communities with booming bar scenes. Ferries from Long Island regularly disembark at the island’s town centers.

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