We love to travel, but due to Covid-19 many of our travel plans have sadly been cancelled. Everyone has been stuck in quarantine for over four months, and life has come to resemble something out of a dystopian novel. However, now that some places are starting to open up again, it’s a great opportunity to get out of our homes once in a while. If you’re missing last summer’s beach days, then you’re in luck because beaches like Sandy Hook have started to open up for the summer!
For our July 4th weekend, we went to Sandy Hook Beach. Sandy Hook is located in Monmouth County, New Jersey, on the Atlantic Coast. It’s part of the Gateway National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service). So, with snacks, masks, and plenty of hand sanitizer at the ready, we headed out to Sandy Hook!
Park Hours
When you’re deciding when to have your beach day at Sandy Hook, keep in mind is that the lifeguards are only on the beach until 6 pm. So, if you’re going to the beach for a swim, make sure to get there well before that time. The park itself is open from 5 am to 9 pm every day until October 31; from November 1 to March 31, the park is open from 5 am to 8 pm. You can find out more about Sandy Hook’s hours of operation here.
Parking at Sandy Hook
When we got to the park entrance, there was the usual line to get in, but, fortunately, we didn’t have to wait too long. The rangers at the entrance, who greeted us and gave us our tickets to the beach, were wearing masks and gloves. The parking fee was $15 for one day of beach parking.
Credit: National Park Service Website
There are actually 5 beach areas in the park, running from areas A through E. Beaches C, D, and E are lifeguarded, so, to be safe, I would recommend one of those three beaches. We decided to settle down at Beach C. Luckily, there were quite a few parking spots available at Beach C.
On the Beach!
Once we got out of the parking lot, we headed to our left and made our way across the beach. I would suggest going further left on the because of the clusters of submerged rocks in the water.
You might be worried about how crowded the beach was, but actually it was far from crowded! There was enough space for family to be about ten feet apart! That’s better than the minimum social distancing guideline of six feet.
Once we settled down, it was time for some beach activities! I’ve heard that the sand on beaches A and B tends to be more filled with pebbles; in contrast, the sand on Beach C had hardly any pebbles and was not difficult to walk on. One of the first things we did was test out the waters, and it was quite cool and refreshing.
Besides swimming, there are so many classic beach activities you can do: building sandcastles, picnicking, collecting shells, reading, and so much more! If you’re looking for a good beach read, check out our list of Top 10 YA Book Series!
We ended up staying there for about three hours from 3 to 6 pm and had a great time while being safe! Next time you feel the need to get away during quarantine or after, spend your perfect day at Sandy Hook Beach!
Look at this amazing sunset we saw on our way out!
If you liked this post, check out our other travel posts and subscribe to our blog for more travel posts!
Also, don’t forget to follow us on our socials and share this post!
