Atlantic beaches in the Hamptons – 20 views off-season

In the summer beach towels and lifeguards are spread along the Atlantic beaches in the Hamptons. Swimmers and sunbathers arrive due to the allure of wide beaches with pristine sands. It’s the high season.

But from mid-May to mid-September you can go for a walk along these shores and find you’re the only person on the beach as far as you can see in either direction. It’s the off season.

If you drive eastwards from Manhattan then Long Island divides into the South Fork and the North Fork. The Hamptons are in the South Fork. And on its southern coast is the Atlantic Ocean. On the northern coast of South Fork are the Hampton’s bay beaches.

The beaches and the water on the Atlantic side can be wild and tempestuous in the winter. Or calm but cool in the Fall. Migrating birds visit in the Spring. You can take your kids beachcombing or for a walk in the wind or to watch and take photos of the thundering waves.

Here are 20 views of the Atlantic beaches in the off-season:

Two Mile Hollow beach in East Hampton village

Beachcombing on Ocean Road beach in Bridgehampton

Driftwood on Georgica beach in East Hampton village

The end of a storm on a beach in Wainscott

 Stormy waves in Sagaponack

Snow and the end of the day on a Southampton village beach

Seals viewed from a beach near Montauk. You can find out more about how to get here and when to see seals in the Hamptons in this post.

 A winter walk with kids on a Southampton Atlantic beach

Atlantic beach driving during the day in the off season

Signs on Flying Point Beach

Fence on Hamptons beach.

 Protective fencing for dunes and homes on an Atlantic beach in Southampton

Least Terns on Main Beach in East Hampton Village

Two Mile Hollow Beach in East Hampton Village

Indian Wells Beach on a misty day

Ditch Plains Beach in Montauk – where the surfers go

Main Beach in East Hampton Village

East Hampton Village beach

Ocean front homes still empty on Main Beach

Amagansett beach on Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Beaches of the Hamptons

The Hamptons are located on the South Fork  of Long Island.  The western half is overseen by the Town of Southampton – roughly from and including the village of Westhampton Dunes to the Village of Sagaponack. While the eastern half is controlled by the town of East Hampton – from Wainscott to Montauk. Sag Harbor is split between the two.

In the summer season, if you’re a full time resident or a homeowner in the Hamptons, you can get a parking permit from either Southampton or East Hampton town halls for the Atlantic and bay beaches depending where you’re located. If you’re a visitor or just renting a house for the summer season then you can buy a permit. These permits cover ‘town’ beaches. A separate parking permit is needed for both Southampton Village and East Hampton Village. A few beaches sell a daily parking permit.

Main Beach in East Hampton Village is considered one of the top beaches in the USA. In 2013 Forbes reported that it was voted the number 1 beach in the annual list of the nation’s top 10 beaches by Stephen P. Leatherman, “a.k.a. Dr. Beach.” But forget visiting this Atlantic beach in the summer season unless you get on a bike or have someone drop you off – the village permits sell out as soon as they become available early in the year.

But in the off season you can park and visit and enjoy the Atlantic beaches of the Hamptons at your leisure. And more often than not have the whole beach to yourself.