Outdoors · Beaches
Beaches in New York
Pull up a beach chair — New York has three coasts, from Atlantic surf to quiet lake sand, and a good swim day is closer than you think.
New York is a beach state in three directions. To the south, Long Island and New York City face the Atlantic Ocean with miles of wide, sandy surf beaches. To the north and west, the Great Lakes — Lake Ontario and Lake Erie — give you calm, fresh water and sandy shores. And in the middle of the state, the Finger Lakes have their own little swimming beaches tucked into state parks.
Most of the best-known beaches are run by New York State Parks (parks.ny.gov), the National Park Service (Fire Island and Gateway), or New York City Parks. The big thing they all share: you swim only when lifeguards are on duty. That rule keeps people safe, so we'll repeat it a lot.
Below we'll walk you through the signature spots, how to get to each one, when to go, and how to stay safe. Seasons, fees, and hours change year to year, so we link the official page for every spot — always check it before you load up the car.
Good first stops
Jones Beach State Park (Long Island)
New York's most famous ocean beach — a long boardwalk, classic Art Deco look, ocean surf, fishing, concessions and a nature center. A great first stop if you want the full Atlantic beach day.
Robert Moses State Park (Fire Island, Long Island)
Nearly five miles of ocean shoreline and almost 3.8 million visitors a year. It is the only part of Fire Island you can reach by car, so it's the easy gateway to that barrier island.
Fire Island National Seashore (Sailors Haven & Watch Hill)
Wild, car-free beaches with fine sand and few crowds. Lifeguards staff Sailors Haven and Watch Hill in season, so you get the quiet of a barrier island with a guarded place to swim.
Before you go
A few checks make the day easier.
- Find the manager: State Parks, DEC, NYC Parks, NPS, a county, or a town may each have different rules for the same kind of trip.
- Check today, not last month: Trail status, beach status, parking, air quality, water quality, and weather are current-condition checks.
- Use the exact place page: A statewide guide gets you oriented. The official page for the exact park, trail, beach, water, or campground makes the call.
- Keep the day pleasant: A backup trail, beach, town walk, or scenic drive is part of the plan, especially on crowded or stormy days.
Where to go
Jones Beach State Park (Long Island)
New York's most famous ocean beach — a long boardwalk, classic Art Deco look, ocean surf, fishing, concessions and a nature center. A great first stop if you want the full Atlantic beach day.
Getting there: On the South Shore of Long Island in Nassau County, reached by car via Wantagh State Parkway or Meadowbrook Parkway. Parking fields 1-6 line the beach; fields 3, 4 and 5 connect to the sand by tunnels under Ocean Parkway. Use the ocean fields staffed by the Jones Beach Lifeguard Corps, or try calmer Zach's Bay for small kids.
Plan the visit →Robert Moses State Park (Fire Island, Long Island)
Nearly five miles of ocean shoreline and almost 3.8 million visitors a year. It is the only part of Fire Island you can reach by car, so it's the easy gateway to that barrier island.
Getting there: At the western tip of Fire Island, at the south end of the Robert Moses Causeway. Drive in, or take the train to Babylon and connect by bus. Swim and boogie-board at any of the four lifeguard-staffed fields. From Field 5, a 3/4-mile nature walk leads to the Fire Island Lighthouse.
Plan the visit →Fire Island National Seashore (Sailors Haven & Watch Hill)
Wild, car-free beaches with fine sand and few crowds. Lifeguards staff Sailors Haven and Watch Hill in season, so you get the quiet of a barrier island with a guarded place to swim.
Getting there: A 32-mile barrier island off Long Island's South Shore, run by the National Park Service. The two lifeguarded ocean beaches — Sailors Haven and Watch Hill — are best reached by ferry or private boat. The whole Atlantic shore is open to swim where beaches aren't closed for bird or turtle nesting.
Plan the visit →Rockaway Beach & Jacob Riis Park (Queens, NYC)
NYC Parks describes Rockaway as the city's only legal surfing beach, and it is a summer institution — boardwalk, surfing zones, and easy subway access. Jacob Riis next door adds a historic federal beach with its own lifeguards.
Getting there: In the Rockaway peninsula of Queens. Rockaway Beach is run by NYC Parks; nearby Jacob Riis Park is part of Gateway National Recreation Area (NPS). Reach Rockaway by the A train, the Rockaway ferry, or by car. Swim only in marked, lifeguarded sections during beach season.
Plan the visit →Coney Island & Brighton Beach (Brooklyn, NYC)
The classic NYC boardwalk beach — amusement park, hot dogs, and a wide sandy strip that flows into Brighton Beach. One of eight free city beaches across 14 miles of shoreline.
Getting there: On the southern shore of Brooklyn, free and open to the public. Easy to reach by subway (D, F, N, Q lines to Coney Island-Stillwell Av). Lifeguards are on duty daily during beach season from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; use the areas where they are present.
Plan the visit →Hamlin Beach State Park (Lake Ontario)
Clear water and sandy Great Lakes beaches without the ocean crowds. Good for families, camping, and fishing for salmon and trout — a relaxed northern-coast option.
Getting there: On the Lake Ontario shore in the Town of Hamlin, Monroe County, west of Rochester. Drive in off the Lake Ontario State Parkway. Use the guarded beach area when lifeguards are on duty; the park also has a large campground and lakeside trails.
Plan the visit →Evangola State Park (Lake Erie)
One of the nicest natural sand beaches on New York's Lake Erie coast. The water is routinely tested in season, so check the current status before swimming — a great Western New York day trip.
Getting there: On the Lake Erie shore at 110 Evangola State Park Rd, Irving, in the Town of Evans southwest of Buffalo. Drive in; the beach has guarded swimming, with scenic cliffs lining the shore and a campground nearby.
Plan the visit →Getting in: parking fees and beach access
Most New York beaches are easy to reach, but how you get in depends on who runs the beach. State park beaches (like Jones Beach, Robert Moses, Hamlin, and Evangola) charge a per-vehicle entrance fee during the swimming season, usually collected at a toll booth. The fee changes from year to year, so check the park's official page before you go.
NYC Parks lists city beaches — Coney Island, Brighton, Rockaway, Orchard, and the Staten Island beaches — as free and open to the public, and many are easy to reach by subway. Fire Island's guarded beaches at Sailors Haven and Watch Hill are best reached by ferry or boat, not by car. Federal beaches at Gateway, like Jacob Riis Park, are run by the National Park Service and have their own parking.
If you plan to camp or fish, you may need a separate reservation or license. State park camping is booked through ReserveAmerica. Always confirm current fees, hours, and parking details on the official page for your beach.
Official source — NY State Parks — find a beach →
When to go: beach season and lifeguard hours
The New York beach season runs roughly from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, and that's when lifeguards are on duty. Some inland beaches open a little later — for example, Hamlin Beach and Taughannock Falls beaches typically open in late June. Because exact dates shift each year, check the official page for your beach.
Lifeguard hours are usually mid-morning to early evening. NYC beaches have lifeguards daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in season. Gateway's beaches (including Jacob Riis) are guarded 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day. State park beach hours vary by park — Hamlin Beach, for example, runs about 11 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.
Ocean water off Long Island rarely climbs above the mid-70s Fahrenheit, and only in July and August. The Great Lakes and Finger Lakes can feel warmer in late summer. After Labor Day, lifeguards leave for the season even though the weather can still be warm — and that means no swimming.
Official source — NYC Parks — Beaches →
Staying safe in the water
The single most important rule at every New York beach: swim only where and when lifeguards are on duty. This is true at ocean, lake, and Finger Lakes beaches alike. Going in the water with no lifeguard present is prohibited and, at federal beaches like Gateway, can get you a ticket from a Law Enforcement Ranger.
Closed sections are marked with signs or red flags — stay out of them. On the ocean, lifeguards watch for rip currents, lateral currents, undertow, and big storm surf. If you ever get caught in a rip current, don't fight it; swim parallel to the shore until you're free, then head in. Keep a close eye on children at all times.
Water quality matters too. Beaches are sometimes closed after heavy rain or when bacteria levels are high. NYC swimmers can sign up for beach notifications through Notify NYC, and most state parks test their water during the season. When in doubt, ask the lifeguard or call the park before you swim.
Official source — Fire Island — Swimming safety (NPS) →
Quick reference
On the ocean, Jones Beach, Robert Moses, Fire Island National Seashore, Rockaway Beach, and Coney Island
On the Great Lakes, Hamlin Beach (Lake Ontario) and Evangola (Lake Erie). The Finger Lakes also have small swimming beaches, like the one at Taughannock Falls State Park on Cayuga Lake.
Beach season runs roughly Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, which is when lifeguards are on duty
Some inland beaches open in late June. Swim only when lifeguards are present, and check the official page for your beach since exact dates change every year.
Official beach pages generally allow swimming where and when lifeguards are working
No. After Labor Day, lifeguards leave even if the weather is still warm, so check the current page before treating the water as open.
NYC Parks lists city beaches — including Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Rockaway, Orchard Beach, and the Staten Island beaches — as free and open to the public, and many are reachable by subway
Yes. NYC Parks lists city beaches — including Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Rockaway, Orchard Beach, and the Staten Island beaches — as free and open to the public, and many are reachable by subway.
Most state park beaches charge a per-vehicle entrance fee during swimming season, collected at a toll booth
The amount changes year to year, so check the current fee on the park's official parks. ny. gov page before you go.
Robert Moses State Park, at the island's western tip, is the only part you can reach by car
The lifeguarded national seashore beaches at Sailors Haven and Watch Hill are best reached by ferry or private boat.
Off Long Island, the Atlantic rarely gets above the mid-70s Fahrenheit, and only in July and August
The Great Lakes and Finger Lakes can feel a bit warmer by late summer.
Swim near a lifeguard and obey red flags and closed-section signs
If you're caught in a rip current, don't fight it — swim parallel to shore until you're out of it, then swim back in. Watch children closely.
Lake Ontario (Hamlin Beach) and Lake Erie (Evangola) offer sandy Great Lakes beaches, and the Finger Lakes have swimming beaches in state parks like Taughannock Falls on Cayuga Lake
Yes. Lake Ontario (Hamlin Beach) and Lake Erie (Evangola) offer sandy Great Lakes beaches, and the Finger Lakes have swimming beaches in state parks like Taughannock Falls on Cayuga Lake.
Official sources
Use the agency page when dates, fees, closures, permits, or safety rules matter. Reviewed June 2026.
- Jones Beach State Park — NY State Parks Official page: swimming, lifeguard-staffed ocean fields, Zach's Bay, parking fields and tunnels.
- Robert Moses State Park (Long Island) — NY State Parks Official page: four lifeguard-staffed fields, access by car or Babylon train + bus, Fire Island Lighthouse walk.
- Fire Island National Seashore — Swimming (NPS) Official NPS page: lifeguarded beaches at Sailors Haven and Watch Hill, ferry access, swim-safety guidance.
- Gateway National Recreation Area — Beaches (NPS) Official NPS page: Jacob Riis Park (Queens) and Great Kills (Staten Island), lifeguard hours, swim-only-with-lifeguards rule.
- Jacob Riis Park — Gateway NRA (NPS) Official NPS page for the historic federal beach in the Rockaways, Queens.
- NYC Parks — Beaches Official list of NYC's free public beaches, season, and daily 10am-6pm lifeguard hours.
- Coney Island & Brighton Beach — NYC Parks Official page for Brooklyn's Coney Island and Brighton Beach, with swim rules.
- Hamlin Beach State Park — NY State Parks Official page: Lake Ontario sandy beach, guarded-only swimming, campground and fishing.
- Evangola State Park — NY State Parks Official page: Lake Erie natural sand beach, guarded swimming, in-season water testing.
- Taughannock Falls State Park — NY State Parks Official page: Finger Lakes swimming beach on Cayuga Lake (Taughannock Point).
- NY State Parks — Swimming Facilities Official statewide page on swimming facilities and the swim-only-when-lifeguards-present rule.
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