Hayes island is almost unglacierized, having only a small ice-cap off its centre by its northern shore.

7 km wide Proliv Yermak in the north, separates Hayes Island from the Zichy Land subgroup of the Franz Josef Archipelago.

Kheysa, a now abandoned Soviet rocket launching site, was located on this island.

Hayes Island is in the transition zone between a tundra climate (ET) and an ice cap climate (EF) technically falling into the former due to above freezing averages in July and August but below freezing low temperatures year round.

It's a frigid and unforgiving land with nonexistent summers and winters which last year round.