These East Coast Beach Towns Are Even Better in the Fall

Condé Nast Traveler

2 days ago

Ask anyone who grew up on the East End of Long Island or the Jersey Shore, and they'll tell you the best time to hit the beach is actually in September, right at the onset of shoulder season—when the weather gets a bit milder, the crowds flee, and the pace of life mellows down. Fall is a particularly magical time on the East Coast, when lighthouse lookouts and cliffside walks are bathed in autumnal hues.
While some beach towns become eerily uninhabited in the off-season, others transform into something else entirely—whether that's a prime birdwatching haven, or an unexpected setting for a quirky jazz or seafood festival. There are also certain activities (like Gilded Age mansion tours in Newport, Rhode Island) that become much more attractive when you're not tempted by clear-clouds-blue-skies weather, and many of the best hotels in these getaway towns offer discounted rates at this time of year, so you'll get a better bang for your buck, too.
Read on for a selection of East Coast beach towns to visit from September through November, the most underrated activities to do in each one, and the best places to stay while you're there.
The off-season is an ideal time to enjoy North Fork's idyllic nature preserves.
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North Fork, Long Island
Often billed as a less swanky alternative to the Hamptons, the North Fork of Long Island has all the makings of a fall retreat. From Riverhead to Orient, there's ample opportunity for wine tastings, farm visits, scenic hikes, and vintage shopping. Pick up apple cider donuts at Breeze Hill Farm before taking a brisk trek through any one of North Fork's idyllic nature preserves: Orient Beach State Park, Sound View Dunes Park, and Laurel Lake Preserve are some of our favorites. Greenport is where you'll want to spend your money, whether on a '70s shift dress at The Times Vintage, or a midcentury-modern coffee table at Beal & Bell. Over at Silver Sands Motel, a rejuvenated 1950s retreat, you can book private oyster tours at Pipes Cove Oyster Farm (some say the bivalves are at their best in the fall months) or a private winery tour and tasting at McCall Wines.
Where to stay in the North Fork: