Free Parking at Sandy Hook Through Sunday

Sandy Hook - Did you know? In honor of the National Park Service's 100-year anniversary, Gateway National Recreation Area - Sandy Hook is free this weekend, Friday through Sunday, Aug. 28.

You will not have to pay to park if you go to Sandy Hook this weekend. However, keep in mind that even on a normal weekend the parking lots at Sandy Hook can fill up fast, so get there early if you want a free day at the beach. Also, be alert: There is an increased risk for dangerous rip currents at New Jersey beaches for this weekend and early next week, according to the National Weather Service.

The National Park Service is debating raising the parking fees at Sandy Hook next year:

Proposed 2017 Fees at Sandy Hook:
$20 per day
$100 per season
$50 per oversize car per day
$200 per oversize car per season

It is currently $15 per day and $75 per season to park at Sandy Hook. For over-sized vehicles it is $30 per day and $150 per season. Fees are collected between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fees are only collected for beach parking lots, not for visitors to Fort Hancock or the Sandy Hook lighthouse. Sandy Hook charges per vehicle, not per person, and that would not change in 2017.

Wikimedia Commons photo/Sandy Hook beaches