Grew up nearby, and this was our closest N. Shore beach option. Always preferred the S. Shore…read moreocean beaches, but only recently have learned to appreciate this and other N. Shore gems. Bring water shoes, as it's extremely rocky, especially during low tide, but it's a wonderful place, especially if you're wanting to avoid crowds and take in the awesome scenery!! **No resident fees after 5pm/Labor Day**

We came here for the day. The beach is clean and has a good number of pebbles on it, but not bad…read more Lifeguards on duty. $30 for a daily pass, cash or credit. No ratchet people here, so you don't have to worry about people smoking or playing their music loud like in the city and can just enjoy yourself and listen to nature. No dogs on the beach and bathrooms do the trick. Plenty of parking.

My boyfriend and I came here later in the evening and we loved this beach to sit and enjoy the…read moresunset. We dipped our feet a bit in the water a bit, looking to come back for a full beach day.

10 dollars per hour parking in Wes Meadow Beach in the town of Crookhaven, if you park and leave…read moreyour car to get your parking pass that costs $10 an hour a meter maid will run up to your car and give you an $80 ticket. Beach is full of large rocks, no soft sand. I don't recommend this awful place, across the water you see three smoke stacks from a large industrial factory. Not safe to swim there.

I love to go off roading at Gilgo. They recently reopened the outer beach. There are a lot of…read moresurfers here. The beach is always empty. You do need a permit to get on and they do usually check.

Limited access beach…read more Beaches - we all love them except for the crowds. I am not a huge fan of any crowd situation - ever. Because of this, I tend to limit my trips to the south shore beaches since they are almost always mobbed. There are exceptions however. Gilgo State Park is located on the south shore of Nassau county but there is no road nor parking lot- in fact you would miss it if you do not know where to look for the entrance. Even better is that you can walk in (not advisable) or drive in with a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Even this is limited though as you need a state issued fishing permit to gain access. I have to admit I've never actually used the official name of this place, it is known as the sore thumb locally. What does this mean? Well- if you are lucky enough to have the wheels and the pass, you can drive out and park on the waters edge and enjoy the entire day with hardly another soul around. There are some catches - you are supposed to be "fishing" and you have to take everything out with you that you brought in. There are many off limit areas due to nesting birds and sometimes the flies can really make you miserable (if there is no breeze). To obtain the pass is not easy - you have to have an assortment of items available for inspection, but it is worth the hassle. The park is undeveloped- there are no restrooms or concessions nor first aid stations- so you have to be a boy scout and sew up that gash on your own. The area is well maintained and great pains are taken to ensure it remains in pristine condition; even with the 4-wheel vehicles, there is little in the way of damage done to the environment. So- you have a summer day fishing, you are on the beach and the double bonus is that you are almost always completely alone there - and yes, you can sun the nether parts there so long as you keep an eye open for the odd wandering soul... Bliss!

I've passed this hidden gem THOUSANDS of times, and while back in NY for a long weekend finally…read moredecided to check it out. Though I grew up less than 15-20 min. away, this beach was not in my township (Huntington) so we stuck to our own local N. Shore Long Island Sound beaches (rather than pay a craaazy entry fee). Off season, everyone's a resident of everywhere/anywhere, so a beautiful, sunny February afternoon was a PERFECT opportunity to check out Callahans. We had the whole place to ourselves, and my sister and I checked out the upper picnic area, the new/improved playground, and the wonderful views around the perimeter of the parking lot. Rumor has it there are other trails, but we did not see them, so we ventured down to the entrance to the beach to get a closer look at the BEAUTIFUL views... NOTE: I don't believe you can park in the little circle near the stairs leading down to the beach, though strangely enough, there are handicapped parking spaces there. This beach is many things: scenic, secluded, convenient if you live in the area, great for families, picnics, and golf fans, but it is definitely NOT handicapped friendly, unless you just plan to enjoy the view from above. There are MANY steps to get down to that beautiful beach, and you'd better be in reasonably good shape AND not forget anything in your car, because it's a TRIP up and down those stairs. While my sister and I didn't find the hiking trails that are supposedly there, we did hike the full length of the beach, a WONDERFUL walk all the way to neighboring Sunken Meadow State Park beach and back. BEAUTIFUL, invigorating, and very do-able, nearly 3 miles back and forth. Well worth the "ride!!" Some of the best things/places on Long Island are still free, especially if you go off season... Check this place out!!

Nothing good to say about this beach.Parking is far from beach area the. After walking to beach…read morearea you have to tackle the stairs going down then after a few heart attacks the beach area is dirty and water dirty with floating it looks like used condoms. Where did my tax dollars go besides the steps and the asphalt area above where lifeguard station is. My last time there!

Awesome local beach/ park right on the Great South Bay. There is a boat ramp as well as plenty of…read moreball fields and tennis courts. The beach hut also serves food and drinks in the summer months and often has a great live music scene every night.

A really nice family-friendly place. My son loves the splash park here. Fortunately it isn't ever…read moretoo crowded here which is great. There are plenty of lounge chairs and regular chairs to watch the kiddos splash and play - or you can join in the fun as well! An hour or so of playing here and my toddler is wiped out. Be mindful of your own children here - obviously surfaces can get slippery with the water so running is not a great idea. The lifeguards are teenagers usually looking at their phones or chatting with one another. Hours for the splash park at 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and last day of the season is Sept. 2nd. There are also fun lawn games when you first enter like giant connect four and corn hole. If the sand and beach is more your thing, Venetian has you covered. There is a small section roped off in the water designated for swimming. The food section is fast-food esque - think burgers, dogs, that sort of thing. Last time we got a soft pretzel which, at $6.50 was a bit outrageous. And it was underwhelming. We sat at one of the picnic tables - no food allowed in the splash park area. They do have concerts here at night which is fun, and a great (free) family summertime activity. In the off-season, the playground here is awesome. Great for the 3-8/9 year old range. It is also completely closed in via gate, which always makes me feel more comfortable.

Beautiful day Robert Moses beach clean then walk to Fire Island lighthouse and go to the top! It's…read morea beautiful one day get away !

We took a morning ferry from Sayville Harbor to Fire Island to hike a little and enjoy the beach…read more The beach had so many people on it already, even in the morning! It's not too crowded, not littered, and it's a departure from Long Island and Montauk which makes it interesting. The ferry was delightful as well, and really cheap. It makes for a good family beach day, and the little wooded hike/national preserve was super interesting to walk through and learn about the plants on the island! Beware of mosquitos though and bring your bug repellant!

Excellent venue for free concerts!…read more Beautiful view of the water. Clean restrooms. Plenty of parking. Snack bar. Bocce. Skate park. One of the nicest town parks in the area!

Juneteenth at Tanner Park was a good time. I saw many familiar faces, some from the neighborhood…read morewhere I grew up, and some from work. The concert had many vendors but due to me working the event I wasn't able to mingle too much but I did enjoy myself. Aubrey at 9 is a star on the rise with her fresh squeezed lemonade and it was good, she also has flavors you can add to the lemonade. The entertainment was awesome, the stage was filled with known and unknown artists and they all did well, I really enjoyed the young girl singing "so easy". Tanner is an awesome park where you can bring the kids to play, take a walk/run, enjoy a concert orsit by the water and clear your mind.

Such a fun beach for the doggies! It's a harbor so the water is calm and safe, though the sand is…read morefull of shells and rocks so make sure to sit your blanket on the outskirts near the woods where there's more sand. The one drawback is that the quality of the water is a little suspect since you're in a heavy shipping area. I had a cut on my leg and was a little nervous about going in but, ah, what are you gonna do. It's also right in the downtown area where it's easy to get dinner or lunch nearby.

Great dog beach! Lots of shells close to the shore, so be careful. But dogs can run leash free if…read morewell behaved. Wasn't crowded. Water was perfect and dogs running having a great time. Was able to get a parking spot close to the beach but it not their is public parking for a fee not far. Walked into village and farmers market after.