Plum Island is one of my favorite places to visit. Most of my time when I spend at the Parker River Refuge . I possess a lifetime pass that allows me to go thru the gate by just flashing the passThis article appears to have been written in late spring before the dreaded Greenhead flies arrive. I usually avoid Plum Island in the summer as anyone who haus encountered those Greenheads and their painful bite will attest to. In early spring, and the fall , the refuge is a great spot to relax and just walk the beach looking for pieces of driftwood and seashells to adorn your home and garden. The ocean is a large drawing card for people. During the summer as this article says , the beaches on the refuge are banned access as the piping plovers make their nests on the bare beach sand. One attraction this article failed to mention in any depth is the small cottage that is called the Plum Island Soap Company. It took me a couple of years to actually have the time to check them out but it is worth a stop to look and buy hand poured soap bars of unusual fragrances along with items you would use for your bath such as loofah and large soft sponges. Ok, now back to the refuge. If you are an avid bird watcher, the refuge is the place to be during the migration season . Canadian Geese, Mallard Ducks, White Herons, and many other birds find the sand dune scrub woods perfect habitat to be. Along the road leading to Plum Island from Newburyport , is located the Headquarters for the Parker River Refuge , and the National Audubon Society Visitor Center . Both interesting places to visit on your way onto the Island. So if you are looking for a nice relaxing day trip or a place to visit on your spring or fall vacations, Plum Island should be on your itinerary. I forgot to mention above,there is a small herd of white tail deer that take advantage of the refuge and if you are lucky , you will see them along the side of the road or as I did in my last trip there crossing the road., Plum Island is an island in the town of Southold in Suffolk County, New York. The island is situated in Gardiners Bay, east of Orient Point, off the eastern end of the North Fork coast of Long Island. It is about 3 miles (4.8 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km) wide at its widest point. [1], For years, plenty of wild rumors and conspiracy theories have swirled around an 840-acre (340-hectare) speck of land a mile-and-a-half off New York's Long Island, home to a high-security federal research facility that Internet-fueled urban legends have made into the East Coast's equivalent of Area 51..