20 Long Island Sunset Spots: Beaches, Parks & Bays

Long Island gives you a ridiculous number of places to watch the sky turn orange, pink and occasionally the color of a fluorescent cocktail. Some are obvious beaches. One is a supermarket parking lot. I am not judging the sunset.

This list is about places with good evening views, not a promise that every location is open after sunset every day. Park hours, seasonal parking rules and permit requirements can change, so check before driving an hour for a locked gate.

20 Long Island sunset spots

1. Cedar Beach, Mount Sinai: Long Island Sound views make this a North Shore favorite, especially when the water is calm.
2. Montauk Point, Montauk: The lighthouse and Atlantic coastline are dramatic even though you are standing at Long Island’s eastern end. Pick your viewpoint carefully if the sunset itself is the goal.
3. Great South Bay: There is no single magic address here. Waterfront spots along the bay can deliver broad western views and strong reflections on clear evenings.
4. Sunken Meadow State Park, Kings Park: A classic North Shore option with open water, beach and elevated views around the park.
5. Deer Park Stop & Shop parking lot: Yes, a parking lot made the list. Sometimes the sky does not care whether the foreground is dunes or shopping carts.
6. Camp Hero State Park, Montauk: Camp Hero is in Montauk, Suffolk County—not Nassau County. The bluffs and Atlantic coastline are striking, but ordinary park access and after-sunset parking are not the same thing. New York State Parks uses special permits for some after-sunset fishing access, so check current rules before making this a late-evening stop. New York State Parks: Camp Hero.
7. Ocean Avenue, Northport: Harbor views and the surrounding village make this an easy sunset stop without needing a full beach day.
8. Jones Beach Field 10: The fishing-pier area gives the sunset a little structure in the foreground instead of nothing but horizon.
9. Port Jefferson Harbor: Boats, docks and harbor water do a lot of the visual work here.
10. West Meadow Beach, Stony Brook: A west-facing North Shore beach is a pretty direct formula for sunset.
11. Robert Moses State Park, Fire Island: Wide beach, dunes and open sky. Access and parking vary seasonally, so check current state-park information before going late.
12. Jones Inlet / West End 2: Open water and fewer visual obstructions make this a strong south-shore option when access is available.
13. Gosman’s Dock area, Montauk: The harbor side of Montauk gives you a very different sunset feel from the Atlantic-facing beaches.
14. McAllister County Park, Belle Terre: This is in Belle Terre, not an “unknown location.” Suffolk County describes the 113-acre seafront park as a sensitive ecological area with very limited parking, so plan accordingly. Suffolk County: McAllister County Park.
15. Bellmore Fishing Pier: A simple waterside stop that works best when you want the view without turning sunset into an expedition.
16. Planting Fields Arboretum, Oyster Bay: Beautiful grounds, but this needs a warning: Planting Fields currently lists park hours as 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. That means it is not a dependable sunset destination for much of the year. It can work during the short winter days, but check the clock first. Current Planting Fields hours.
17. Sunset Park, Port Washington: The name is doing a lot of the marketing for us, and the Manhasset Bay setting helps.
18. Kings Park Bluff: An elevated North Shore view can give you a wider horizon than a flat beach.
19. Horton Point Lighthouse, Southold: Historic lighthouse scenery plus Long Island Sound gives photographers more than just an empty horizon.
20. West Neck Beach, Lloyd Harbor: A quieter harbor setting for people who prefer their sunset without a boardwalk crowd.

Check access before you go

Sunset time changes every day, but gates, parking rules and seasonal restrictions do not always cooperate with it. Camp Hero has special rules for after-sunset access, McAllister has very limited parking, and Planting Fields currently closes at 5 p.m. Treat this as a list of viewpoints to investigate, not permission to ignore a sign because the clouds look fantastic.