Plum Island—which really isn’t an island—and the beach directly to the north (Kite Beach) are accessed from Parking Lot B at Sandy Hook. Keep in mind that you must pay a fee to use this parking lot from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend between the hours of 7 AM and 5 PM. Daily and seasonal passes are available. See the National Park Service’s official Gateway National Recreation Area Fees and Passes web page for the latest prices.

There is an access point at the center of the parking lot (across from the bathhouse) that leads over to Plum Island. A couple of sand paths run between two small, land-locked ponds (no swimming in the ponds). I suggest staying straight on the wider path, but no matter which route you take, you’ll end up at the bay. Be sure to stay away from the vegetation as much as possible, because ticks do live in the grass.

The better choice for swimming and sunbathing is at Kite Beach, the beach north of Plum Island. To get there, park at the north end of Parking Lot B and walk directly across the road from the north entrance of the parking lot.

A much better bay beach, and one that’s easier to get to than the one at Plum Island, is located across from Parking Lot C at Sandy Hook (again, there is a fee to use this parking lot from Memorial Day through Labor Day). If I were going to the bay, this is the beach I would choose. However, being better also means being busier.

The bay beach at Sandy Hook’s Parking Lot C is also a popular sportsman’s beach, not only for fishing, but for windsurfing and paddling. You can even rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards from Sandy Hook Kayaks.

Horseshoe Cove is located near the entrance of Fort Hancock directly across the street from Parking Lot H. Unfortunately, that parking lot is for Sandy Hook Campground patrons only, and you will get a ticket for parking there without a camping permit. There is a small roadside parking area for Horseshoe Cove that might fit four vehicles at most, or you can use Lot L a quarter mile to the south. There is no fee to park in Lot L.

The very north end of Sandy Hook is on the bay, and this can be reached by hiking .6 mile on the Fishermen’s Trail—way too far to carry beach gear and kids. If that doesn’t dissuade you, the currents can be swift here because it is at the mouth of New York Harbor, plus there is a lot of trash on the beach that washes up from New York City.

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