The Best Beaches in Long Island

Jones Beach State Park

The Island’s most famous beach — six-plus miles of sand, the Art Deco bathhouses, and a two-mile boardwalk. The lots are enormous but still pack out on summer Saturdays, so come early or come by bus.

Fire Island

The drive-to western tip of Fire Island, with five big lots and a lighthouse walk at Field 5. It’s the easiest Fire Island sand without a ferry, but the closer fields cap out by midday.

Nassau County

A walkable boardwalk city a 50-minute LIRR ride from Penn Station — the easiest big ocean beach to reach without a car. There’s a daily beach pass in season and street parking is tight, so the train wins.

Rockaway Park

NYC’s only legal surf beach and the city’s summer scene, reachable by the A train, the Rockaway ferry, or the shuttle. Free sand, but driving is a parking headache — take transit.

Coney Island

The classic boardwalk, the amusements, and Nathan’s — free beach at the end of four subway lines. The water gets crowded on hot days, but no other beach is this easy to reach from the city.

Montauk

Montauk’s legendary surf break and the East End’s longboard scene — a reliable point that draws a dawn crowd. The free lot is tiny and gone early when the waves are up, so arrive at sunrise.

Southampton

Southampton’s wide white-sand showpiece, regularly ranked among the country’s best — and priced like it, with a steep nonresident day fee at the lot. Worth it once; come early for a spot.

East Hampton

East Hampton’s flagship — a broad, well-kept ocean beach with a snack bar and lifeguards. The lot runs on resident permits with only a small daily allotment for everyone else, so it’s tough to park midday.

Sailors Haven / Cherry Grove

The car-free heart of the National Seashore — Sailors Haven (with the Sunken Forest boardwalk) and the lively Cherry Grove are ferry-only from Sayville. Leave the car on the mainland and walk the boardwalks.