Hamptons beach access for non-residents

The Hamptons does not have a beach pass for visitors, but it does have a ladder. Start with the cheapest rung that fits your schedule. If you are staying in a rental, see the renter guides first, because a lease can change the answer.

Rung 1: county and state parks

Suffolk County’s beach parks charge $18 per vehicle to non-residents: Cupsogue in Westhampton, Meschutt in Hampton Bays and Shinnecock East on Meadow Lane. In Montauk, Hither Hills and Montauk Point charge a state vehicle fee; the Empire Pass is $80. No residency test applies to any of them.

Rung 2: Town day passes

Southampton Town sells $40 daily parking every day at five beaches, from Pikes in the west to Long Beach in Noyac, and on weekdays at Flying Point, Mecox and Sagg Main. East Hampton Town sells Kirk Park for $35, South Edison for $25 or $35 and Atlantic Avenue for $50 on weekdays. Shelter Island sells $35. Details on the daily parking guide.

Rung 3: village day passes

The Village of Southampton sells a $55 pass at Cooper’s Beach. The Village of East Hampton sells $50 passes at Main Beach Lot 2 and Two Mile Hollow, Monday to Thursday.

Rung 4: a seasonal permit

Closed to non-residents

• Indian Wells and Ditch Plains (Town residents only).
• W. Scott Cameron Beach (excluded from the non-resident permit).
• Quogue Village Beach, which sells permits only to owners, household members and approved renters.
• The other ten Village of Southampton beaches, where the Village sells no daily pass.

Without a car, or without a permit

Several offices let you skip the vehicle permit with a pass, a time window or a shuttle.

• Free windows in East Hampton Village. You may park at any Village beach before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m. without a permit, and the 15-minute spaces at the head of Main Beach need none. In July the evening window runs for hours of daylight.
• The East Hampton Circuit. A free seasonal shuttle (formerly the Free Ride) runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily between the LIRR station, the Jitney stop, Main Street and Main Beach. The Village’s free long-term lot off Lumber Lane (23 hours) connects to it.
• Walk-on passes. Westhampton Beach sells hotel and B&B guests a walk-on pass at $10 per person per day (ages 10 and up) and Westhampton Beach students one for $10 a season. Quogue sells walk-on passes at $40 each.
• Ferries. Shelter Island restricts parking, not people. A pedestrian arriving on the North or South Ferry has no car to permit. See the Shelter Island page.

Town and village codes regulate parking and vehicles. Whether you may reach a given beach on foot depends on the public access point, which this site does not map. Planning how to get to the East End? Hamptons Commute compares Jitney, train and driving.