Explore This Park

Sandy Hook's Operating Hours

The 250-year-old Sandy Hook Lighthouse. The Lighthouse Keepers Quarters next door, built in 1883, is currently serving as the Sandy Hook Visitor Center.

NPS / JERRY KASTEN, Volunteer-In-Parks

Sandy Hook Hours

• April 1 through October 31: The park is open from 5 AM to 9 PM daily, except by permit or as noted below. There is a $15 charge per day for beach parking from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Parking at Fort Hancock is always free.
• November 1 through March 31: The park is open from 5 AM through 8 PM daily, except by permit.
• All navigable marine waters within the park boundary are open 24 hours.
• Visitor centers and contact stations are open every day EXCEPT Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day (December 25) and New Year's Day (January 1).

Sandy Hook Lighthouse and Lighthouse Keepers Quarters / Visitor Center

• Lighthouse tours: Offered first-come first served, from 1 PM to 4:30 PM. Children MUST be at least 48 inches tall to climb the tower. A video in the adjacent barn is always open. NOTE: As of Monday, September 25, 2017, the Sandy Hook Lighthouse tower will be CLOSED for tours due to a restoration project and reopens in Spring 2018. The Keepers Quarters shall remain open for information, exhibits, and Eastern National Gift Shop. National Park Service Senior & Access Passes and night Fish Parking Permits will continue to be available at the Visitor Center..
• Lighthouse Keepers Quarters/ Visitor Center: Open 9 AM to 4 PM daily. Rangers are available to answer questions, discuss the natural and cultural resources of the park and sell Senior/Access passes. Interpretive exhibits and a gift shop are available. The visitor center phone number is [phone].

Group Tours of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse (Starting in May 2018)

• Reservations must be made prior to the group's visit to the lighthouse.
• Reservations must be made three weeks in advance of the requested tour date.
• Maximum group size is 35 participants
• Email us

Can I bring my pet to Sandy Hook?

Pets and their owners may visit bayside beaches throughout the year. Pets are only allowed on oceanside beaches from September 15 - March 15. Pets are not permitted on oceanside beaches during the spring and summer because that is when the threatened piping plover builds nests in those locations. Pets must always be on a leash no longer than 6 feet.

 

Nike Missile Radar Site
Parking Lot L at Horseshoe Cove

Tour the site where radar once guided nuclear missiles during the Cold War, with actual Nike veterans. Find out what is was like to go on full alert, stand the nuclear missiles up, and await further orders with your finger on the switch.