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, between May 1 and October 31, and 1PM to 3:30 PM between November 1 and April 30. Children MUST be at least 48 inches tall to climb the tower. A video in the adjacent barn is always open.
- Lighthouse Keepers Quarters/ Visitor Center: Open 9 AM to 5 PM between May 1 and October 31, and 10 AM to 4 PM between November 1 and April 30. 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 (732) 872-5970.
Group Tours of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse
- 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
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.
