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Jones Beach State Park, Wantagh, NY

Photo: Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFamily Favorite

Jones Beach State Park

2400 Ocean Pkwy · Wantagh, NY

Why you should go…

Jones Beach State Park covers more than 2,400 acres with 6.5 miles of white-sand Atlantic beach, plus calmer water for children at Zach's Bay. Opened in 1929 under Robert Moses, it is marked by a 188-foot water tower modeled on the bell tower of St Mark's in Venice. Along the two-mile boardwalk you find miniature golf, shuffleboard, an adventure park with zip lines and the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center. Concerts play at the 15,200-seat outdoor theater, and pets are not allowed.

  • #beach
  • #boardwalk
  • #state park
  • #swimming
  • #long island

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Jones Beach State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Adventureland

    $50+

    Long Island amusement park with over 30 rides including three roller coasters, open seasonally since 1962.

    11 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Local Gem

    The WaterFront Center

    $25–$50

    Nonprofit waterfront center in Oyster Bay offering sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding and harbor tours.

    19 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

    Free

    Tour Theodore Roosevelt's Long Island home and walk the grounds of his former Summer White House.

    20 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Citi Field

    $25–$50

    Watch the New York Mets play, see the Home Run Apple rise in center field and browse the team's Hall of Fame.

    21 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Brooklyn Botanic Garden

    Under $25

    Stroll 52 acres of themed gardens, from a Japanese hill-and-pond garden to a bonsai museum and conservatory.

    24 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Free

    Prospect Park

    Free

    Roam Olmsted and Vaux's Brooklyn park, from the 90-acre Long Meadow to a wooded ravine and the 60-acre Prospect Lake.

    24 mi awayMore like this