Fire Island — The Pines & Cherry Grove
A weekend on Fire Island is the iconic queer summer escape just outside New York. Reach the car-free island by ferry, drift between The Pines and historic Cherry Grove, and party at the legendary Tea Dance on the beach. Everything here is just a rough suggestion that you can change as you please.
What to expect
Fire Island can't be reached by car, and that's part of the magic. The ferry from Sayville takes you to a car-free island where one of the most famous queer summer communities in the USA has been meeting for decades. The Pines and neighboring Cherry Grove are connected by a boardwalk over the dunes - even the walk in between is an experience.
The day often starts on the beach, between dune grass and Atlantic waves, and ends with a tea dance in the harbour of The Pines, the sociable fixture of the late afternoon. If you want to delve deeper into history, you will find it in Cherry Grove, one of the oldest queer holiday areas in the world. At night, bars in The Pines alternate with the Ice Palace in Cherry Grove.
It gets quieter in the Sunken Forest, a protected piece of forest directly on the dunes - a contrast to the hustle and bustle on the water.
Your programme — day by day
Arrival & The Pines
Beach & Cherry Grove
Nature & Conclusion
Queer Hotels in Fire Island
Hotels around Fire Island
Tap the map for prices and availability.
Safety & legal situation
- ✓ Homosexuality legal
- ✓ Marriage equality
- ✓ Civil partnership
- ✓ Anti-discrimination protection
- ✓ Legal gender recognition (trans*)
- ✗ Conversion therapy ban
Last reviewed: 25. June 2026
Gay Fire Island
Gay Fire Island is one of the oldest gay destinations in the USA and is located as a narrow sand island off the south coast of Long Island, about two hours by train from Manhattan. You can travel by train to Sayville and from there by ferry, because there are no cars on the island. You move on foot over wooden footbridges, and you pull your luggage in the handcart. The queer heart of the island is formed by two places: Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines.
Cherry Grove is the older of the two, known for drag, cabaret and a mixed audience of all generations. The fancier, party-oriented neighborhood is considered The Pines, with modern architecture and the famous Tea Dance in the late afternoon. Between the two places is the so-called Meat Rack, a piece of forest that you can cross in half an hour. Both Hamlets are suitable for accommodation, depending on whether you like it more hustle and bustle or more down-to-earth. The season runs from Memorial Day weekend at the end of May to Labor Day at the beginning of September, and it gets crowded from mid-July to mid-August. The highlight is the Invasion of the Pines on July 4th, when drag performers come over by ferry from Cherry Grove. If you are there for the first time, it is best to go in the high season and plan a few days.
- Destination
- Fire Island, USA
- Travel time
- Long weekend (Thu–Sun)
- Best season
- Mai – Sep
- Price level
- €€€
- LGBT safety
- Very high
Bars, clubs & locations on gay-location.de
Last reviewed: 29. July 2026