Operating Hours & Seasons

You can experience four distinct seasons on Fire Island, although timing of each season along the coast can be difficult to predict.

NPS Photos

 

Parts of Fire Island are accessible all year, but most people come during the summer months (late-June through September) when the weather is most favorable for beach related activities. In the off-season (October through April), public transportation to the island may be limited, and some services on various parts of the island are unavailable.

Open all year (hours vary by season):

• Fire Island Lighthouse: Facilities & Hours
• Wilderness Visitor Center: Facilities & Hours
• Park Headquarters in Patchogue: Facilities & Hours

Open mid-May through mid-October:

• Sailors Haven: Facilities & Hours
• Watch Hill: Facilities & Hours
• Barrett Beach/Talisman: Facilities & Hours

Open mid-May through mid-November:

• William Floyd Estate: Facilities & Hours

Ranger-led interpretive activities are primarily scheduled for summer months at all locations.

Things to Do: Spring Summer Fall Winter

Be sure to review the train and ferry schedules in advance, and pay particular attention to the return schedules. Ferries run regularly to the island in the summer months but are limited in the off-season. See "Directions" for park access information.

Schedule a full day for your visit to each part of Fire Island, since getting to and from the island requires more time than you might expect. There is no paved road running through Fire Island to connect each destination.

Be sure you allow plenty of time to enjoy the seashore.