Are you a real beach bum? If you’ve got a permanent layer of sand on the floor of your car, and you go through about ten bottles of sunscreen a year, than you probably know which beaches in New York might be the best.
Better beaches have their advantages, and there are many different types. Some are awesome, but overcrowded and some beaches are out of the way, hidden gems. Of course, some are better than others. But which ones?
Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which beaches in New York are the best. If you frequent one of the beaches we’re about to highlight, odds are you’re probably wincing, since there’s a chance your favorite spot might get a little more crowded. Sorry about that.
Here are the best beaches in New York:
- Robert Moses State Park
- Jones Beach State Park
- Sunken Meadow State Park
- Tobay Beach
- Hilther Hills State Park
- Glen Island Park
- Long Beach City
- Fair Haven Beach State Park
- Rye Playland Beach
- Town Park Point Lookout
Read on to see how we determined the beaches in New York that deserve a little bragging rights.
How do you determine the best beaches in New York?
In order to rank the best beaches in New York, we had to determine what criteria defines a “best”.
Using government data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- Beach size
- Number of days the beach is open
- Which beaches are publicly owned
We then ranked each beach with scores from 1 to 302.
And finally, we crowned the beach with the highest beach index the “Best Beach In New York.” We’re lookin’ at you, Robert Moses State Park.
Read on below to learn more about what it takes to be called the best beach in New York. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the beaches in the state from best to worst.
1. Robert Moses State Park
Beach length rank: 3rd
Length of season rank: 5th
2. Jones Beach State Park
Beach length rank: 6th
Length of season rank: 5th
3. Sunken Meadow State Park
Beach length rank: 3
Length of season rank: 5th
4. Tobay Beach
Beach length rank: 9th
Length of season rank: 12th
5. Hilther Hills State Park
Beach length rank: 16th
Length of season rank: 12th
6. Glen Island Park
Beach length rank: 11th
Length of season rank: 19th
7. Long Beach City
Beach length rank: 8th
Length of season rank: 5th
8. Fair Haven Beach State Park
Beach length rank: 7th
Length of season rank: 4th
9. Rye Playland Beach
Beach length rank: 18th
Length of season rank: 6th
10. Town Park Point Lookout
Beach length rank: 29th
Length of season rank: 6th
Putting A Bow On Our Analysis Of NY Beaches
If you’re measuring the beaches in New York that are the largest, where they’re open the longest, and those that aren’t private, this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious, here are the worst beaches in New York:
- Centerpoint Yacht Club
- Broadway Beach
- Valley Grove Beach
