Fire Island closed to nudity; Gunnison may be nearest option

Here is a followup to yesterday's posting about the reopening of Sandy Hook's Gunnison Beach:

When Gunnision Beach reopens on Memorial Day weekend, it may be a little more crowded than usual. A recent decision to close nude sunbathing in Fire Island may mean that disappointed New York nudists will flock to New Jersey.

On February 5, the National Park Service announced that it will begin enforcing New York's ban on public nudity. A state law enacted in 1984 prohibited public nudity, but Fire Island's beaches are operated by the federal government, which until now had no similar ban. The Park Service changed its policy in the wake of complaints of public sex. Since then Hurricane Sandy last October wiped out many of the dunes that obscured sight lines.

The Park Service ban on nudity at Fire Island includes the tract of land in front of Sailors Haven, from Point O' Woods to Cherry Grove, and at Lighthouse Beach, a narrow strip just east of Robert Moses State Park.

"I'm pretty disappointed," Felicity Jones, co-founder of Young Naturists and Nudists America, told Newsday. "It was the best beach we had for New Yorkers, and it's not easy to be a nudist in New York. I think a lot of people will end up going to Gunnison Beach in New Jersey."

Years ago New Yorkers faced a long drive in congested traffic to reach Sandy Hook's Gunnison Beach. The trip became more convenient when the Sunstreak ferry began operating in 2003. The ferry makes it possible "for a banker on Wall Street to go from power suit to birthday suit in less than an hour," the New York Times said.

According to Newsday, Park Service rangers on Fire Island will begin informing nude sunbathers of the new restriction. This would be followed up by ticketing. Violators could face six months in jail and up to $5,000 in fines. Fire Island's chief ranger, Lena Koschmann, acknowledged that enforcement may be difficult because many nude sunbathers do not carry identification.

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