Sandy Hook North Beach(Lot H, Gateway National Recreation Area)

Located in on a peninsula named Sandy Hook in Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook North Beach – also called Sandy Hook – North Beach – is a large beach with light brown sand.  

Sandy Hook Beach is open between 6 am to 9 pm.

Sandy Hook North Beach offers lifeguards daily between 10 am to 6 pm between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day.  In addition to lifeguards, the beach and the areas near it offer many other amenities including seasonal restrooms, pavilions, a concession stand, nearby observation areas, seasonal showers, and picnic tables.  Dogs are not permitted here between March 15 and September 15.  Dogs on leash are allowed here during the rest of the year.  

Sandy Hook North Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodysurfing, boogie boarding, parasailing, volleyball, fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, and wildlife watching. 

Sandy Hook North Beach is ideal for less-experienced swimmers because the water here is usually known to have gentle waves.  If you are planning to swim, kayak, canoe, or surf here, we recommend being careful because the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents and dangerous waves.  Please note that snorkeling, scuba diving, and fishing are prohibited near the beach between 10 am to 6 pm from Labor Day to Memorial Day weekend. 

If you like beachcombing, Sandy Hook North Beach offers an amazing beachcombing experience and it is known to have sea glass.  If you like camping, there is a tent campground near Sandy Hook North Beach.  This campground offers a fun nearby Sandy Hook Beach camping experience – if you want to camp here, you can visit Gateway National Recreation Area’s webpage at the National Park Service’s website. 

If you like hiking and biking, there are many hiking and biking trails near the beach that offer a fun way to explore Sandy Hook and Gateway National Recreation Area.  In addition, there are also many fun things to explore near this beach – you can check the Sandy Hook Beach Map to explore many nearby landmarks including a Nike Missile Radar Site and a recreational park named Guardian Park. 

Sandy Hook North Beach is ideal for visitors looking for a quiet beach experience because this beach sees fewer visitors as compared to other nearby beaches.  If you want a nudist experience, you can visit a nearby Sandy Hook nude beach named Gunnison Beach.

Sandy Hook North Beach offers beach wheelchairs for visitors with disabilities – if you want to book a beach wheelchair, you can contact the Gateway National Recreation Area’s visitor center by phone at (732) 872-5970.

Getting to Sandy Hook North Beach is easy and you can reach this Sandy Hook beach address easily – from Navesink Avenue – which is a part of New Jersey Route 36 – you need to turn towards Ocean Avenue North and then towards Hartshorne Drive.  From Hartshorne Drive you need to turn towards Atlantic Drive and then towards Ford Road.  Ford Road will eventually lead you to the parking lots near Sandy Hook North Beach, which are known as “Parking Lot I” and “Parking Lot J” – the parking lot near this beach charges a seasonal $20 fee between Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day between 7 am to 5 pm.  You can easily walk to Sandy Hook North Beach from the parking lots through an access path. 

As an alternate access option, you can also visit this beach through a ferry from New York City between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend.  This seasonal ferry service departs from New York City and then travels to Sandy Hook – once you get down at Sandy Hook’s ferry terminal, you can then easily walk to Sandy Hook North Beach.  You can visit the website of the seasonal ferry service provider – Seastreak – for more information regarding the local ferry details.  

Some portions of this beach may be closed to visitors because they may be seasonally used as nesting sites by an endangered bird named piping plovers.

If you like taking pictures with amazing views, Sandy Hook North Beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Atlantic Ocean and the New Jersey and New York shorelines, especially at sunset.  In addition, the area near this beach also used to have a military installation named “Nine Gun Battery.”  This beach also hosts an annual event named the annual New Year’s Day Beach Walk that is organized by the American Littoral Society.

There are many attractions near Sandy Hook North Beach.  Sandy Hook Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse that was built in 1764 that offers a unique insight into local history.  Hartshorne Woods Park is an 812-acre park that offers many amazing activities including picnicking, hiking, biking, wildlife watching, fishing, and horse riding.  This park also has a beach named Black Fish Cove and it also has World War Two-era military bunkers and a naval gun named 16"/50 caliber Mark 7 gun.  The Twin Lights – also known as the Navesink Light Station – is a historic former lighthouse and museum that was built in 1862 and it offers interesting exhibits on science, technology, and local history.  This historic site also offers amazing views of the Jersey Shore region and New York City.  Huber Woods Park is a recreational park that has a beautiful landscape which can be explored by hiking, bicycling, and horse-riding.  This park also has a reptile house that is home to snakes and turtles and it also has an environmental center that has exhibits on natural and cultural history.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Seven Presidents Park – also called Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park – is a recreational park that is a 23-minute drive away and it has a beach named Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park Beach.  This park offers many fun activities including kayaking, sunbathing, beachcombing, canoeing, wildlife watching, volleyball, surfing, swimming, and fishing.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Sandy Hook North Beach.  Mule Barn Tavern is located in a historic building and it offers a variety of excellent regional American dishes with modern culinary influences.  One Willow offers amazing seafood and it also offers a variety of excellent dishes for lunch and dinner including salads, steaks, pastas, and sandwiches.  Proving Ground is a waterfront restaurant and bar that offers many amazing dishes including seafood, sandwiches, burgers, barbecued ribs, and pasta - this restaurant also offers live music performances.  The INLET Cafe offers a variety of delicious seafood dishes including lobsters, clams, and grilled octopus – it also offers a variety of other dishes for lunch and dinner including soup, salads, sandwiches, steak, and pasta.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Bay Ave Bakery and Cafe offers many amazing dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner including salads, hot dogs, sandwiches, burgers, and French toasts.

If you are looking for a hotel near Sandy Hook North Beach, there are many great nearby options within a 27-minute-drive.  The 4-Star Wave Resort & Spa  offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, a bar, seasonal firepits, an ATM, bike loaner facilities, a seasonal pool, a private beach area, a gym, a salon, a spa, and a kids’ playroom.  The 4-Star Ocean Place Resort and Spa is another upscale hotel that offers many amenities including multiple restaurants and bars, multiple pools, a gift shop, a games area, a spa, and a fitness center.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Oyster Point Hotel that offers many amenities including a marina, a fitness center, a restaurant, and a lounge.  The 3-Star Molly Pitcher Inn is another moderately-priced hotel near Sandy Hook NJ that offers many amenities including a pool, a restaurant, and a marina.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Beachwalk at Sea Bright offers many amenities including a seasonal pool, a sundeck, an indoor shower, a boat dock, and a restaurant.