Sandy Hook – New Jersey Shore

Awesome place to bike. Come past 5pm and you’ll be able to miss the beach crowds, especially if you don’t want to deal with weaving in and out of strollers and stumbling children. The path is 12 miles long round-​trip with various points of interest. It’s mostly flat so if you’re looking for a vigorous ride, this would not be the place to go. Otherwise, a very relaxing and peaceful ride with a great view of the ocean at certain points. Definitely will be returning as often as possible for my cycling needs!

I absolutely LOVE hiking around Sandy Hook! There are a vast amount of places to see that many people don’t even know exist there.
The history of the ‘Hook’ is quite interesting & walking about you can stumble upon all sorts of structures that were used to protect the area from attack. Sadly, many are in various stages of decay & are unable to be explored from the inside.
Follow to the very end to Fort Hancock where there are still buildings in use. Some structures are being worked on & there are rumors circulating what the end result will be, but I’m waiting for the dust to settle to see what actually happens there. Sadly, many of the officers housing is literally falling down.
As a nature lover, I wander around either the beach or bay side of Sandy Hook. In the winter dogs are allowed on either side. That’s important as he’s my most enthusiastic hiking partner. After March 15^th I believe, they are only permitted on the bay side.
For the beach lover, there are miles of beaches. There are public bathrooms at most of the beaches, showers & water fountains. In the summer there is a fee, per carload, to enter. And yes, there is a nude beach if you are into that sort of thing, the only one I’ve ever heard of in NJ.
There are many species of birds to see & hear, deer, fox, & many other wildlife. If you get lucky you may see harbor seals, a whale or some dolphins too. There are some beautiful plants to admire & there is also an incredible view of New York!
The only downside to Sandy Hook is it is dirty. There is a lot of debris around, especially on the bay side. Much of it is from the buildings & walls that have crumbled over the decades but there is so much trash around, likely coming across from NYC.
The views, history & vastness of Sandy Hook will always have me, & my hiking partner, coming back.

Being the mom of 5 Unschooled kids. We have the freedom to visit Sandy Hook all year round. We love going off season and having stretches of open beach to ourselves. Besides having different beaches on the ocean side, there’s the bay side. Ever since my kids were little, I’d stroll along the bay coast with them exploring the landscape and discovering the creatures in and out of the water. Even during winter months, there’s at least one bathroom open. There’s so much to check out… from the naturey aspect of things to the lighthouse and all the military parts. This is surely one of my most treasured spots that I visit almost each month out of the year.

Sandy Hook is so much more than just a beach. The history in this place is very interesting if you like to explore. Excellent place to take a ride or hike. From the historic look out bunkers, lighthouse, officers row housing, nature trails, nature center, fishing, Horseshoe Cove camping, playgrounds and yes the beaches. You can spend many hours here exploring as this is an all season place. During the summer many travel to relax on the beach and even come by ferry from NYC to the Jersey Shore, because there is nothing like the Jersey shore. During the winter take a hike on the snowy beach and try to find seals, owls, hawks or even a bald eagle. On the River side there are observation decks to relax, look at the boats and birdwatch. Fantastic exploration here and many don’t even realize because they never go to the end of the hook to see it all. The US Coast Guard, Lighthouse, Officers Row and Mast (Marine Academy of Science and Technology) is at the very end. Most of the housing is no longer used but still some buildings have been maintained and used for MAST.
Sandy Hook, New Jersey: For most vehicles, beach parking is $ 15 per day or $ 75 per season. For oversized vehicles (more than 20 feet), charge is $ 30 per day or $ 150 per season. Hours of collection are 7 A.M. to 5 P.M.
Camping
The site open September and October, includes picnic tables, fire pits and grills. One tent site complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act for wheelchair accessibility. The campground sites include picnic tables, fire pits, grills and restrooms. Park rangers with camping experience will assist visitors who may be new to camping, according to the release. Overnight campers may not bring pets or alcohol to any overnight campgrounds at Sandy Hook, and camping is limited to primitive tents not RVs. Campers must bring their own tents. Reservations online at
. Visitors can also call (732) 872‑5916 with questions about the campsite, but not to make reservations.

I have a soft spot for Sandy Hook. I have been coming here since I was born. We frequently came here for my fathers Navy Reunion get togethers they would have at the end of Sandy Hook in the picnic area towards the Coast Guard area.
There is a ton of history to this area which really is worth learning about aside from just going to the beach for the day. Sandy Hook is owned by the government and most of it is managed by the National Park Service.
The out of service U.S. Army post Fort Hancock is open to the public and has some really awesome things to see. Sandy Hook was our military’s original Proving Ground for many years after the Civil War before the proving grounds were moved to Aberdeen, Maryland. It also became the site of a large Nike missile defense installation. Take one of the guided tours they offer, it’s one of the very few that are still intact throughout the US.
In the summer time, get here early if you are driving. The lots fill up quick and they close the gates. Then you have to park and walk. In the summer from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend the cost for vehicles is around $ 13 I believe (after a certain time is free) and after Labor Day weekend the park is free to enter.

Pass Sandy Hook all the time while working in the Highlands. Finally went today, and loved it! We spent most of the day exploring.
I was disappointed when we went to the munitions bunker to find it was over-​run by foreigners and totally trashed. Garbage including dirty diapers and beer bottles…
Then while we were sitting in the parking lot at Gunnison Beach waiting for a rain shower to pass, I watched some more foreigners pull in in a white Kia, get out with Burger Kings cups, and a Burger King bag. They then threw their garbage in the tall grass in front of their car and walked off towards the beach. Shortly after, a park ranger came through. I flagged him down and told him about the people who think the park is their garbage can. Pointed out the car, their garbage, their description and where they went. Well, the Ranger thanked me and did nothing. Really? Wtf…
Anyway, other than the undesirables invading the park, it’s an awesome place to go. I do realize that it’s off season and free to get in right now. I’m sure there’s fewer undesirables there when they have to pay.

I visited Sandy Beach when I was in high school. I love the beach and when I noticed that the beach was clean, isolated from almost everything, and wasn’t crowded I fell in love.

Ah, beautiful Sandy Hook. I’m a recent convert to this park and its beaches, but I’m so glad I found it. Originally I was taken here to check out Gunnison Beach (yes, for that reason) but I was so charmed with this place I knew I would have to come back.
From all of the ocean side beaches you can get a nice view of the Brooklyn skyline; it’s a very novel view to have at the beach, and really gives this place a lot of uniqueness. It’s funny how a tiny secluded peninsula can be so close to, and yet so far away from the bustling city. The swimming is great too, because while there’s about a foot and a half drop off, once you get past it the waters are calm and easy to wade in.
Not to mention that this park is quite large, and if you want to spend the day exploring there’s plenty to see! Their lighthouse, while not huge, is an interesting attraction nestled inside the now defunct Fort Hancock. The decaying military base in and of itself is strangely beautiful, like a town stuck in time. While I have not checked out the bay side beaches they look like a ton of fun — people can bring their dogs, and while there’s no life guards that I can see, the water looks calm and shallow enough to enjoy. It’s a great sight to see many people crabbing and fishing on the bay side, and one day I hope to join them.
Lots of people from my neck of the woods (Southeast PA/​South Jersey) wouldn’t be interested in checking out a beach this far north, but I can assure you it’s a beautiful place that’s well worth the visit. After all, admittance here is probably far cheaper than beach tags elsewhere.

As far as NY beaches go, this is the best one I’ve been to. New York beaches always have colder water, but on a hot August day, it’s nice to cool off, and you quickly become acclimated to the water temperature.
Overall, the food trucks here are mediocre, but it’s nice to have an option of food. I had chicken wings – would not recommend again.
The beach sand is surprisingly hot, but you get over it, and as you wade into the water, there are rocks for about 10 feet. Other than those minor issues, this is a fantastic beach.

This review is of the campground only — Camp Gateway. This is a small (20 space) campground at Sandy Hook National Recreation Area in NJ.
The campground is for tent camping only. No vehicles. You must reserve way ahead of time (or grab a last-​minute opening) in order to secure a space. The facility has clean restrooms with toilets and sinks, a sometimes-​manned ranger station, and an area of spigots with potable water. No campsite electricity. No showers (but for outdoor showers at the beaches).
This campgroud is not «ON» the beach. It is in a mostly wooded area. You can walk to the sound, but the nearest oceanfront beach is about a mile away.
Rangers were incredibly nice and helpful (as is generally the case with NPS rangers).
Parking is VERY limited. It’s first come first served and there is basically not enough to go around. You may have to unload and park a little down the road at another lot. You will get an overnight parking permit from the rangers upon check-​in. Because your car cannot go to the campsite, you may want to bring a hand-​truck, trolley, wheelbarrow, or even skateboard to help you transport your stuff to the campsite.
You can buy wood for just under $ 10/​bundle from the rangers. You cannot bring in outside wood (fear of bringing in invasive pests). There is no ice available in the park so get some beforehand.
The sites vary in terms of shade. Some have a shade shelter, and it would sure be nice if the reservation website identified this! But, it doesn’t. Seems unfair that this is not disclosed.
We had 2 sites — B5 and B10. B 10 is nice and big, includes a shade shelter, and had ample room for 2 tents. B5 was a joke. It barely fit 1 tent. This worked ok for us since we had the 2 side-​by-​side spots we just flowed it all together, but if you had ONLY site B5 you would probably be displeased. Frankly I think B5 has no business being a site. If you are reserving both sites this will be ok, though.
There are tons of raccoons here (typical for camping!) and they are not shy about STEALING YOUR GOODS! LOL! Bungee your coolers shut. Other food goes into your trunk when you are not there/​asleep. BUT even if you are there, they might come right in front of you and STEAL YOUR PITA CHIPS! (I want those pita chips back!) They are very talkative at night and though not scary you should be aware that they’re around!

Call first to make sure beach is open.

Have been coming to sandy hook with my family for years, finally a place to rent kayaks! Located on beach C they rent stand up paddle boards and kayaks by the hour. Had a great time will return A+ sandy hook kayaks

There are a number of different entries for Sandy Hook, in some variety (i.e. the beaches, the lighthouse, etc.). Sandy Hook is so different from the typical Jersey Shore (in a good way). It’s fairly easy to get to from Northern NJ. When you enter, you pay $ 15/​car which is pretty reasonable especially if you come down with a number of people.
It’s definitely a place where you can spend the day and there’s a fair amount to do. I’m not the bicycle type but there are plenty of people riding their bikes up and down Sandy Hook.
You can go to one of the beaches. Overall, I was really disappointed by the beach at Sandy Hook. It was incredibly shelly/​rocky and it was packed. LBI is really the only beach in NJ I go to that isn’t jam packed. The beach was also a little on the dirtier side from the other beachgoers which is really a shame. It stinks people can’t just pick up after themselves.
I think the coolest part about Sandy Hook is the lighthouse. It’s pretty cool and definitely fun to take the tour all the way to the top. You can get a great view of Manhattan on a clear day. The tour is also free which is a nice perk (I guess you pay for it with the general admission). It’s one of the easier lighthouse climbs at only about 95 steps or so.
Sandy Hook’s a cool spot. My family and I will definitely be back.

Amazing place to go to the beach, explore, or ride a bike. A lot of kite surfers on the water. Parts of the park are dog friendly as well.

Great sea shore area so close to NYC. Beaches and general park are open until 10pm but restrooms close at 6pm.
The lighthouse is the oldest still in operation lighthouse in the USA … Pretty cool & fun to climb up but note it closes at 4:30pm.
Lots of old military stuff to visit & photograph, pretty cool.
The thing I hate about this place are the people who visit and prefer to leave their garbage behind rather than carry it out and bring it home. Really??? Do these folks think the garbage fairy will pick it up?
Great hiking just look out, there’s TONS of poison ivy around this park!
Great biking trails… I’m bringing my bike next time.

Beach girl! Really enjoy the sea sight. But this time is a little bit cold, remember to take ur coat when u get there. Enjoy^_^

We came here last Saturday after having some fun in the morning. Usually I am not a fan of NorthEast beaches especially when they are so close to NYC, but this one was super nice!
We went to Lot D where all the food trucks are. Pulled Pork, Fresh Italian Brick Oven Pizza (constructed and cooked for your beach side eating pleasure) and of course icies/​cream cream. Nice parking as people are coming and going all day long.
Lots of families and young groups of friends. Its not ghetto like city beaches (sorry Jones Beach). The water is nice and clear and if you look to your left you have a great distance view of the city.
I also have to say that the area is sooo lovely. Great for a weekend away. We loved it.
It has all these little seafood restuarants by the Bay,
Tip:
If you want to change or use the rest room get there before 6pm. While the beach itself stays open until 10pm, yes I said 10pm, the restrooms do not!
Also there is a no trach policy!
There are no garbage cans at this beach so if you bring food or buy food at the yummy trucks its really BYOB (Bring You Own Garbage– Bag).

The beach has so much to offer. The beaches are well maitained and clean. You’ll have rude people that don’t know the carry in carry out rule. So be aware of the clutter of garbage. The park does not offer garbage cans for that reason. People will abuse the cans. The park rangers are so helpful and friendly. I really appreciated their help with the handicap wheel chair. I will be back soon!

It had been a long time since I went to Sandy Hook but I am glad we finally went back. My boyfriend is an avid fishermen and I am always up for a good day outdoors, so it works well. We also have a 3 year old chocolate lab making this beach perfect for us. They allow dogs on the bay side. Unfortunately they are not allowed on the main beaches. We got there around 6 am (fishing…) so the gates were still closed and there was no charge. We stayed around horseshoe cove for most of the day and had a lovely time, although we didn’t catch anything. The only downside I could say is we brought home three ticks (that we know of). Next time we will be sure to bring the bug spray. Other then that we had an amazing day.

I had no idea it was so difficult to find a dog-​friendly beach in NJ, so my boyfriend and I were glad we found this place where we could take his dog! Sandy hook juts out into the water and has two sides of the shore — the ocean side and the inlet side. Dogs are only allowed on the inlet side which is nice, but the water there isn’t that deep and is better suited for sunbathing than swimming. Also, the bathrooms and food trucks are only on the ocean side. It’s only $ 15 per car, so if you are going with a friend or several, it’s a good deal. And if you have a dog, it’s one of the few beaches around that allows them.

For some reason I always avoided Sandy Hook and preferred the likes of Asbury Park and Sea Bright on the rare occasion that I actually hit the beach. This year, I suddenly would rather do nothing else but spend time by the ocean. Asbury is always great but the cost of parking, the beach fee, and all those boardwalk temptations add up. Sea Bright is no more after Sandy (sniff sniff) so I’ve been exploring other options. I discovered Sandy Hook via some volleyball friends and have gone three times so far this season. There are very awesome and very ugly things about Sandy Hook. Let’s break them down:
Very Awesome:
–The view of the NYC skyline
–Extremely wide sand area that makes setting up a volleyball net super convenient and out of the way of other beach goers.
-$ 15 per car for all day access to the Hook. No other fees.
–Driving out further and exploring the old Fort Hancock and its ruins.
–The drive out to North Beach towards the tip and the Observation Deck. If you haven’t been, do check it out. It’s especially beautiful at sunset.
–Sandy Hook Bay, I haven’t really explored it but am excited to hit that side of the island soon.
The Ugly (based on three visits to South Beach, Lot D):
— It’s pretty dirty. Apparently not many people know what «Carry In, Carry Out» means. The sand is full of garbage, cigarette butts and tampons (I know, eww). –The restrooms are dark, damp and filthy. They have no air circulating through them and smell like they’ve been stewing in piss for months.
–If your only mission is to play volleyball you won’t mind the crowds of screaming children and their equally loud, smoking, drinking parents (man, I sound OLD!). But if you go there to sit and read and listen to the ocean, you’ll hate it. You’ll hate it a lot. You’ll move a couple of times to avoid one crowd only to get stuck with someone worse setting up camp next to you.
I’m still giving Sandy Hook 4 stars because it’s close, it’s cheap, it’s great for beach volleyball, and the Bay area seems like THE place to hit if you want to surround yourself with water, the sounds of birds, and sand under your feet.

I don’t want to rate this place any lower inspire of some of the issues we faced — restaurants closed, restrooms not so clean. The place was doing good considering it was hit hard by Sandy.
We took the Seastreak ferry from downtown on a Friday for 45 $ pp round trip. Note: currently there’s a coupon on the seastreak website for 30 $ ticket. On weekends, NY waterway runs a ferry too. The ferries run at more frequent intervals on the weekend. The trip to Sandy Hook took 30 minutes.
Once you disembark, you can take one of the buses to the beaches. North beach was just a 10 – 15 min walk, you don’t really to stand in line for the bus to get to North beach. Right at the ferry landing point, there’s also a kiosk/​stand for renting bicycles. That sounds like a fun activity, will try that the next time.
I asked the park ranger which beach had concession stands, beach chairs/​umbrella rental and he suggested lot D. Too bad when we got there we found the restaurants to be still closed from the storm damage and no rentals. There were a couple of food trucks at the lot offering pizzas, hot dogs, burgers, smoothies, lemonade etc — so at least we didn’t starve! The restrooms were open although not very clean. There were porta potties and showers as well.
As for the beach itself — it was pretty clean. We did see a few debris here and there and cans/​trash left by inconsiderate people. There are no trash cans at the beach — it was strictly carry in/​carry out which I didn’t mind as long as it keeps the place clean. We grabbed a spot near the water, laid down our beach towels and were all set to relax. The place started getting really crowded towards the afternoon. People were certainly well prepared than us and had brought tent, umbrellas and chairs.
The water was a little cold — brrr. But we got used to it after a few chilly dips. The water wasn’t crystal clear or a pretty blue shade but seemed quite clean. Quite a few kids had boogie boards with them and were enjoying the surf. The waves started getting a little rough towards the evening. There were a couple of life guards on the beach and they asked the people to get back when someone ventured too far.
We took the ferry back at 4 pm (on weekends the last ferry back is 7 pm). We had a great time and would love to go back!

Beaches are always nice to go to! This place had a bay area which our puppy loved running around on. Those always make for precious moments :)
Not much else to say-there’s different areas to drive out to. We took a zipcar out here from Manhattan, didn’t know you could ferry over here as well!