Sandy Hook operates under different rules than every other Jersey Shore destination: no beach badges required, ever. As part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, this 7-mile peninsula charges only for parking ($20/day Memorial Day through Labor Day, $100 season pass, free off-season), making it the most economical beach option for groups, families, or anyone who resents paying per-person beach fees. Five people in one car pay the same $20 as one person—the math works immediately.
The beaches themselves span the full range of shore experiences. North Beach offers wide sand with Manhattan skyline views and family-friendly lifeguard coverage. Beach Areas D and E handle the bulk of summer crowds with full facilities (restrooms, showers, food concessions). Gunnison Beach provides New Jersey's only legal clothing-optional sunbathing—a half-mile walk from parking ensures the crowd is intentional, and the LGBTQ+ community has made it a welcoming destination for decades. The fishing beaches on the bay side offer calm water, crabbing, and kayak launches.
The Sandy Hook Lighthouse stands 85 feet tall and has operated continuously since 1764—the oldest working lighthouse in the United States. It was 12 years old when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Climb the 95 steps for panoramic views of the bay, the peninsula, and the NYC skyline. Fort Hancock, active from 1895 to 1974, preserves the military history that shaped the peninsula: the defense batteries, the Nike missile site from the Cold War, and the officer housing that now serves as park facilities.
The Seastreak Ferry changes Sandy Hook's accessibility calculation entirely. New Yorkers can leave Manhattan's East 35th Street pier at 9am and step onto Sandy Hook beach by 10am—no car, no traffic, no parkway. The ferry runs seasonally, and weekend slots fill early. Cyclists bring bikes aboard (the 7-mile multi-use pathway runs the peninsula's length) for car-free beach days that feel revolutionary if you've ever sat in Garden State Parkway traffic.
Dining on Sandy Hook is limited to park concessions (Sea Gulls Nest handles beach basics: burgers, ice cream, cold drinks). Serious dining requires driving to Highlands (5 minutes for Inlet Café's waterfront seafood) or Atlantic Highlands (10 minutes for harbor-side restaurants).
Sandy Hook works best for budget-conscious families who want free beach access, NYC day-trippers using the ferry, cyclists exploring the multi-use path, naturists heading to Gunnison, and history enthusiasts touring the lighthouse and fort. Skip Sandy Hook if you want shore-town atmosphere, restaurants, or guaranteed parking on summer weekends (the lots fill by 10am on July Saturdays). But for the national park that provides 7 miles of free beaches 15 miles from Times Square, Sandy Hook delivers value that no beach badge town can match.