Fire Island Ferry Guide 2026: How to Get to Cherry Grove & the Pines

Fire Island has no cars and no bridge. The only way on or off is by boat, which means every trip — a day at the beach, a share-house weekend, the Invasion, Pines Party — begins with a ferry across the Great South Bay. For the two gay hamlets, Cherry Grove and the Fire Island Pines, that boat leaves from one place: Sayville.

If you've never done it, the ferry can feel like the confusing part of the trip. It isn't — once you know which terminal serves your community and how the schedules work, it's a simple two-step: get to the mainland dock, hop the boat. Here's everything you need for 2026, centered on the route to the Grove and the Pines but covering the whole system.

Fire Island Ferry Overview

The essentials at a glance:

• No cars, no bridge — you reach every Fire Island community by passenger ferry (or private water taxi)
• For the gay hamlets — Cherry Grove and the Fire Island Pines are both served by the Sayville Ferry, from Sayville, NY
• Crossing time — about 20–30 minutes across the Great South Bay
• Three mainland terminals — Sayville, Bay Shore, and Patchogue, each serving a different set of communities
• From NYC — the LIRR Montauk Branch runs to all three ferry towns; no car needed
• Getting around after — no roads, so it's boardwalks, little red wagons, and water taxis between communities

The Three Fire Island Ferry Terminals

Fire Island is a 32-mile barrier island with more than a dozen communities, and three separate mainland towns run ferries to different stretches of it. Here's who goes where:

• Sayville Ferry Service (41 River Road, Sayville) — serves Cherry Grove, the Fire Island Pines, Sailors Haven / the Sunken Forest, and Water Island. This is the terminal for the gay hamlets.
• Fire Island Ferries (Bay Shore, 99 Maple Ave) — serves the western, more family-and-share-house communities: Kismet, Saltaire, Fair Harbor, Dunewood, Atlantique, Ocean Beach, Seaview, and Ocean Bay Park.
• Davis Park Ferry (Patchogue) — serves Davis Park and Watch Hill on the eastern end.

The three systems don't connect on the mainland, and you can't easily hop between the far-apart communities once you land, so pick your destination first and let it choose your terminal.

Getting to Cherry Grove & the Pines: The Sayville Ferry

For a gay Fire Island weekend, the route is always the same — Sayville Ferry Service to Cherry Grove or the Fire Island Pines. The two hamlets sit side by side, each with its own dock, and the Sayville boats run to both.

• Cherry Grove — the older, campier, drag-forward hamlet. The ferry drops you right at the harbor, steps from the Ice Palace, Cherry's on the Bay, and the guesthouses.
• Fire Island Pines — the glossier, party-and-architecture hamlet next door. The boat lands at the Pines harbor by the Pavilion and the Blue Whale.

Buy a ticket for the specific hamlet you're staying in. If you're bouncing between the two during your trip — which most people do — you'll use water taxis to cross once you're on the island, not the mainland ferry.

Fire Island Ferry Schedules & Timing

Ferry frequency swings hard with the season, and getting the timing right is the difference between a smooth trip and a two-hour wait on a dock.

• Peak summer (late May–Labor Day): Boats to the Grove and the Pines run frequently — often roughly hourly or better during the day, with extra late-night boats on weekends to carry the party crowd home.
• Weekends and holidays: Expect the heaviest traffic of the year, especially Friday afternoons out and Sunday/Monday afternoons back. The Fourth of July, Pines Party weekend, and Labor Day are the busiest crossings of all.
• Shoulder and off-season: After Labor Day the schedule thins quickly, and in the depths of winter service is minimal. Always check the current Sayville Ferry schedule before an off-peak trip.

Tickets & Cost

You buy ferry tickets at the terminal ticket window or, increasingly, online ahead of time — there's no reserved seating, it's first-come boarding. Fares are charged round-trip, and for the Grove and the Pines they run roughly $20 for an adult round trip (confirm current pricing on the Sayville Ferry site, as fares change season to season). Bring a card or cash, and remember there's no car ferry — you and your bags walk on.

If you're hauling a lot — a week of provisions, a cooler, luggage for a share house — you can usually bring it aboard, and the little red wagons waiting at the island docks are how everyone carts it the last stretch to the house.

Getting to the Ferry Terminals from NYC

You don't need a car to reach Fire Island. The LIRR Montauk Branch runs from Penn Station and Jamaica to all three ferry towns:

• For Cherry Grove & the Pines: Take the LIRR to Sayville, then a short shuttle van or taxi from the station to the Sayville ferry terminal (about a 10-minute ride).
• For the western communities: LIRR to Bay Shore, then a shuttle/taxi to the Bay Shore terminal.
• For Davis Park / Watch Hill: LIRR to Patchogue.

If you'd rather drive, you can park at the mainland terminals (paid lots, and they fill on summer weekends) and walk onto the ferry — but no cars cross to the island.

Once You Land: Water Taxis & Getting Around

There are no cars and no paved roads on Fire Island — the whole island runs on boardwalks. To get around:

• On foot: Everything within a hamlet is a short boardwalk walk. In the Grove and the Pines, the harbor, the bars, and the guesthouses are all a few minutes apart.
• Between Cherry Grove and the Pines: Take a water taxi across the harbor, or walk the boardwalk-and-Meat-Rack path between them (about 20 minutes).
• Your luggage: Grab one of the little red wagons at the dock — the island's unofficial vehicle — to pull your bags to the house.

Water taxis also run to the other communities and to Sailors Haven for the Sunken Forest, so you're never truly stuck, even if you land at the "wrong" dock.

Here's how the water taxis actually work: they run like a shared, on-demand shuttle, looping between the harbors and available on call. You catch one at the harbor water-taxi dock or phone for a pickup, tell the driver your destination, and pay per person — fares vary by distance, so bring cash even though many now take cards. On a busy weekend the taxis run late to carry the tea-dance crowd between the Grove and the Pines, and they're the backbone of doing both hamlets in a single trip.

If you're hauling serious cargo — a week of groceries, cases of drinks, a cooler for the house — the ferry companies also run a freight service: drop your boxes at the mainland freight dock and they're delivered to the island, which beats wrestling a loaded wagon down a boardwalk. For a big share-house weekend, it's worth every penny.

Provisioning in Sayville Before You Board

One habit that separates seasoned Fire Islanders from first-timers: stock up on the mainland. Groceries, liquor and basics are limited and pricey at the island's few harbor markets, so most share-house crews do a big shop in Sayville before the boat — the town has full-size supermarkets and liquor stores a short ride from the terminal, and the station shuttle drivers know the routine. Load a cooler and a couple of sturdy bags, and you'll eat and drink far better (and cheaper) all weekend. Just build in the extra time before your target ferry so a supermarket run doesn't cost you the boat.

Where to Stay Near the Harbors

Staying close to the harbor means the shortest walk with your bags off the ferry — and the shortest stumble home from the last tea dance. The marquee stays cluster right by the two gay harbors: The Madison and The Grove Hotel in the Pines, and the historic Belvedere Guest House for Men and smaller guesthouses in Cherry Grove.

Fire Island Guesthouses & Hotels

Hotel

The Madison Fire Island Pines, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

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Hotel

The Grove Hotel, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

Book Now

Hotel

Belvedere Guest House for Men, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

Hotel

Froot Falls, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

Hotel

Dune Point Guest House, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

The Harbor Bars You'll Land Beside

Both ferries drop you steps from the island's nightlife. In the Pines, the Pavilion and the Blue Whale ring the harbor; in Cherry Grove, Cherry's on the Bay and the Ice Palace anchor the dock. It's entirely normal to step off the boat and straight into a tea dance.

Fire Island Harbor Nightlife

Pavilion, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

The Blue Whale, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

Sip·n·Twirl, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

Cherry's On The Bay, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

The Ice Palace, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

Which ferry goes to Cherry Grove and the Fire Island Pines?

The Sayville Ferry Service, from Sayville, NY, serves both Cherry Grove and the Fire Island Pines (as well as the Sunken Forest and Water Island). Neither of the gay hamlets is served by the Bay Shore or Patchogue terminals — for the Grove and the Pines, you always want Sayville.

How long is the Fire Island ferry ride?

The crossing from Sayville to Cherry Grove or the Pines takes about 20–30 minutes across the Great South Bay. It's a short, scenic ride — part of the fun, not a chore.

How do I get to Fire Island without a car?

Take the LIRR Montauk Branch from Penn Station or Jamaica to Sayville, then a quick shuttle or taxi to the Sayville ferry terminal, then the ferry to Cherry Grove or the Pines. It's a car-free trip end to end, and on a summer weekend it's usually faster than driving.

How much does the Fire Island ferry cost?

Round-trip fares to Cherry Grove and the Pines run roughly $20 for an adult (check the Sayville Ferry site for current pricing). Tickets are sold at the terminal window or online; boarding is first-come, with no reserved seats.

Can I do Fire Island as a day trip by ferry?

Yes. Because the crossing is short and boats run frequently in summer, plenty of people ferry over for the day — the Invasion, a tea dance, a beach afternoon — and head back the same evening. Just confirm the last ferry to Sayville before you commit, as it leaves earlier than you'd think and fills up on party nights.

Do the Fire Island ferries run in the off-season?

Service runs on a full schedule from late May through Labor Day, then thins quickly through the fall, with only minimal service in the dead of winter. For any trip after Labor Day, check the current Sayville Ferry schedule before you go.

Plan Your Fire Island Trip

The ferry is the one piece of Fire Island logistics worth getting right — nail the Sayville route and the rest of the weekend takes care of itself. For the gay hamlets, it's always: LIRR to Sayville, Sayville Ferry to Cherry Grove or the Pines, and a little red wagon the rest of the way.

Keep planning with our other Fire Island guides:

• LGBTQ+ Guide to Fire Island 2026 — the complete hub guide to Cherry Grove and the Pines
• Cherry Grove Gay Guide and Fire Island Pines Gay Guide — the two hamlets in depth
• Complete Fire Island Events Guide 2026 — every major weekend, all season long
• Where to Stay on Fire Island 2026 — hotels, guesthouses, and house shares

And browse what's live right now: Fire Island events, Fire Island venues, and the Fire Island city page.