No. 81: Huntington Town Beaches

All it takes is a bit of sun and Huntingtonians hit the beach. They have a nice selection of town beaches to hit, eight in all.

Four are outside our purview, in Northport and Centerport – Crab Meadow, Asharoken, Hobart and Centerport. But four beaches are in Huntington and Huntington Bay – West Neck, Crescent Beach, Fleet’s Cove and Gold Star Battalion Beach.

Admission for residents is by seasonal beach parking permit, which this year costs $35, or a daily permit for $20 if they show identification. All beaches have a staffed kiosk where the permits are available. Senior citizens over age 60 may get a no cost senior citizens seasonal permit at Centerport Beach. If you have questions, the main beach office is at Crabmeadow Beach, (631) 261-7574.

West Neck Beach is a classic rocky North Shore beach on West Neck Road in Lloyd Harbor. It sits in a prime swimming area, sandwiched between the Bath Club and the Lloyd Harbor Village Park beach. Swimming lessons are available there through the town’s recreation program.

It’s also one of the five town beaches where residents can rent a waterside spot for their kayak, canoe or rowboat. For $100 a season, from Memorial Day to Oct. 31, town residents can rent boat rack space at West Neck as well as at Asharoken Beach, Centerport Beach, Fleet's Cove Beach or Gold Star Battalion Beach.

West Neck offers swimmers two roped areas staffed with lifeguards from May 28 through Sept. 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. A pavilion houses restrooms and a covered porch to offer shade and protect swimmers during sudden squalls. There also are outdoor showers to rinse off the salt and sand.

Like all town beaches, it is open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

On a recent sunny weekday afternoon, West Neck beach had a smattering of people enjoying the day, with students and families arriving after school ended. Most afternoons, one of the mobile ice cream trucks sets up shop in the parking lot for several hours.

Marguerite Gowdie stretched out in the sun, reading Jodi Picoult’s “House Rules” on the Kindle that her kids got her for Christmas. Gowdie said she comes of the beach often, more so now that she’s retired from working as a nurse at Huntington Hospital. “We came a lot when the kids were little and they still come, too,” she said. “It’s a great place to relax.”

Bob Burns, who was warming up in the sun after doing laps in the still-cool water, said he’s been coming for more than 40 years. “It’s nice to get back in the water,” he said.

Gold Star Battalion Beach on West Shore Road is adjacent to the Coindre Hall boathouse and overlooks the harbor. It has a large building with restrooms and a first aid station and break room for the lifeguards. Several picnic tables sit on its wide deck, and ramps lead from it to the sandy beach. There’s also a playground area with a bit of shade. The town also offers kayak lessons here.

At Fleet’s Cove Beach, there’s a playground area that gets some afternoon shade, a tire swing and regular swing sets. Beach goers also often can watch members of the Sagamore Rowing Association or the Long Island Rowing Club practice beyond the roped-off swim area.

During high tide, just a narrow strip of beach peaks out of the water at Crescent Beach, which you reach down a steep hill off Cove Road. There’s a playground area there, too, and the town’s rec program offers yoga classes there in the summer.

The Crescent Beach lifeguard schedule is a bit different than at other beaches -- lifeguards work from 10a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends and holidays from May 23 to June 28, then daily from June 29 to July 31, and then again on weekends and holidays from Aug. 1  to Sept. 7.

Non-residents may use town beaches by purchasing a non-resident daily permit for $30. These daily permits are sold at all beaches. All groups visiting any of the beaches must have a permit issued by the Parks and Recreation Office.

Stay tuned for No. 80 next week, same time same place, as Huntington Patch explores the places and activities in town.