What you need to know about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and beaches in New York

Last update 22 May 2020

New York City beaches remain closed to swimming. Exercise, such as walking and running, and access to the sand and boardwalk, are permitted during regular park hours. There is currently no monitoring of beach water quality at New York City beaches.

New York State Park grounds, forests and trails are currently open. Some State Parks have filled to capacity and are currently closed to incoming visitors and traffic. Click here to find out if your park is open.

State Park beaches will begin to open to swimming Friday of Memorial Day Weekend, at 50% capacity or less and with heightened precautions. You must practice social distancing at a state beach. Pools will remain closed. Click here for more information.

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The Empire State has a huge amount of fresh and marine water beaches to enjoy. Beaches in New York range from the Catskills to the Hamptons and you won't lack choice when it comes to finding a spot for a dip in the state.

Surrounded by water, New York City has a number of official swimming beaches that are easy to get to. Coney Island and Staten Island ocean beaches are old favourites with locals. These beaches are some of the first places where new Americans had the chance to dip their feet in the water. The white sand beaches of the Hamptons, scattered along Long Island, are the go-to get away for New Yorkers.

There are plenty of spots to jump in the Hudson River and its tributaries (given safe local conditions). The East River even hosts an annual swim event called the Brooklyn Bridge Swim from the East side of the river to a rocky Manhattan side landing.

However, about 60% of New York’s sewage system is comprised of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), giving rivers and waterbodies in the New York City region its notoriety for being dirty. On the plus side, New York has one of the best water quality monitoring programs in the U.S., and is commendable for letting the public know about water quality issues.

Upstate New York can boast world class beaches. The Adirondacks, and the beautiful Green Lakes State Park are just a couple of stunning destinations that the state has to offer. Swimming, stand-up paddle boarding and whitewater rafting are all popular. This area of upstate New York is a water navigator's dream.

Recreational water users in New York are spoiled, with a coastline on Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, thousands of lakes, rivers, streams, and marine beaches on the Atlantic Ocean.

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Beach	Location	Water Quality
125th St. Pier Manhattan, New York	Manhattan, New York	Special Status
79th Street midchannel Manhattan, New York	Manhattan, New York	Special Status
Albany Rowing Dock Albany, New York	Albany, New York	Special Status
Albert's Landing Beach Amagansett, New York	Amagansett, New York	Historical Status
Alexandria Bay Town Beach Alexandria Bay, New York	Alexandria Bay, New York	Current Status
Amagansett Beach Association Amagansett, New York	Amagansett, New York	Historical Status
American Turner Club Bronx, New York	Bronx, New York	Special Status
Amityville Beach Amityville, New York	Amityville, New York	Historical Status
Annesville Creek Peekskill, New York	Peekskill, New York	Special Status
Asharoken Beach Northport, New York	Northport, New York	Historical Status
Association Island Henderson, New York	Henderson, New York	Special Status
Athens Athens, New York	Athens, New York	Special Status
Atlantic Avenue Beach Amagansett, New York	Amagansett, New York	Historical Status
Atlantic Beach Club Atlantic Beach, New York	Atlantic Beach, New York	Historical Status
Atlantic Beach Estates Atlantic Beach, New York	Atlantic Beach, New York	Historical Status
Atlantique Beach-Bay Bay Shore, New York	Bay Shore, New York	Historical Status
Atlantique Beach-Ocean Bay Shore, New York	Bay Shore, New York	Historical Status
Bath Dune Bath and Tennis Hotel Westhampton Beach, New York	Westhampton Beach, New York	Historical Status
Bathing Corp of Southampton Southampton, New York	Southampton, New York	Historical Status
Bay Crest Association Beach Huntington, New York	Huntington, New York	Historical Status

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Beach	Location	Water Quality
125th St. Pier Manhattan, New York	Manhattan, New York	Special Status
79th Street midchannel Manhattan, New York	Manhattan, New York	Special Status
Albany Rowing Dock Albany, New York	Albany, New York	Special Status
Albert's Landing Beach Amagansett, New York	Amagansett, New York	Historical Status
Alexandria Bay Town Beach Alexandria Bay, New York	Alexandria Bay, New York	Current Status
Amagansett Beach Association Amagansett, New York	Amagansett, New York	Historical Status
American Turner Club Bronx, New York	Bronx, New York	Special Status
Amityville Beach Amityville, New York	Amityville, New York	Historical Status
Annesville Creek Peekskill, New York	Peekskill, New York	Special Status
Asharoken Beach Northport, New York	Northport, New York	Historical Status
Association Island Henderson, New York	Henderson, New York	Special Status
Athens Athens, New York	Athens, New York	Special Status
Atlantic Avenue Beach Amagansett, New York	Amagansett, New York	Historical Status
Atlantic Beach Club Atlantic Beach, New York	Atlantic Beach, New York	Historical Status
Atlantic Beach Estates Atlantic Beach, New York	Atlantic Beach, New York	Historical Status
Atlantique Beach-Bay Bay Shore, New York	Bay Shore, New York	Historical Status
Atlantique Beach-Ocean Bay Shore, New York	Bay Shore, New York	Historical Status
Bath Dune Bath and Tennis Hotel Westhampton Beach, New York	Westhampton Beach, New York	Historical Status
Bathing Corp of Southampton Southampton, New York	Southampton, New York	Historical Status
Bay Crest Association Beach Huntington, New York	Huntington, New York	Historical Status

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	Green means the beach’s most recent test results met relevant water quality standards.

	Red means the beach’s most recent test results failed to meet water quality standards.

	Grey means water quality information for the beach is too old (more than 7 days old) to be considered current, or that info is unavailable, or unreliable.

	Green means the beach passed water quality tests 95% of the time or more.

	Yellow means the beach passed water quality tests 60-95% of the time.

	Red means the beach failed water quality tests 40% of the time or more.

	Green means the beach has historically excellent or pristine water quality, but there is no current data.

	Red means the water at the site has water quality issues or there is an emergency.

	Grey means there is no current water quality information, the beach is under construction, there has been an event that has rendered water quality information unreliable or unavailable.