Fall on Fire Island

In the salt marshes along the island's northern shoreline, glasswort (Salicornia) turns a brilliant red in the fall. Elsewhere on the island, you will find Virginia creeper and poison ivy dot the autumn landscape with scarlet hues. 

After Labor Day, the air usually cools and the summer crowds dwindle. After the first frost, mosquito and tick populations decline. Although ferry service is reduced, you may still enjoy Fire Island National Seashore. By mid-fall it is the perfect time to enjoy nature and the backcountry portions of Fire Island. Hiking and backcountry camping in the Fire Island High Dune Wilderness, although available year-round, is now recommended.

Catch the annual migration of birds and monarch butterflies. Watch as the poison ivy turns red across the island and see why some believe that it was this plant that led to the name "Fire Island."

Autumn is fishing and hunting season (waterfowl only). Proper permits (some fees are applied) can be obtained at the Wilderness Visitor Center and the West District Ranger Station (checkpoint).


Facilities Open:

• Fire Island Lighthouse
• Sailors Haven
• Watch Hill
• Wilderness Visitor Center
• William Floyd Estate