The middle of downtown Stony Brook opens onto Sand Street Beach, where you can access a paved walkway and a few sitting areas. The 225-foot-long beach offers views of Stony Brook Harbor, where you can watch sailboats flit across the water. The beach doesn't have its own parking, but you can nab a spot in the village and walk to the beach.
West Meadow Beach stretches 1,100 feet from Stony Brook and into the town of East Setauket. This rocky beach faces Smithtown Bay and the Long Island Sound, and lifeguards in summer help keep swimmers safe. Restroom facilities, game tables and a nearby playground with slides and swings are also available. This quiet stretch of shoreline feels far from urban environs, as it's bordered by a natural marsh area and a protected sanctuary. Birds like the endangered piping plover are found in this area. Access to the beach is free to Brookhaven residents but nonresidents must pay to visit.
McAllister County Park Beach is just seven miles from downtown Stony Brook. The park, located in nearby Port Jefferson, covers 115 acres that include a wide sand beach backed by stunning bluffs flecked with wildflowers. The park itself covers 115 acres along the Port Jefferson Harbor and Long Island Sound. From here, you can watch the Port Jefferson-Bridgeport ferry threading the harbor and, on clear days, peer across the sound to Connecticut. Beach access is free to Suffolk County residents; nonresidents must pay an entrance fee. There is no parking at the park, but you can park in the surrounding neighborhood and walk to the park.
Lake Ronkonkoma is a divot in the middle of Long Island. The island's largest freshwater lake, which was carved by an ancient glacier, is named after an Indian princess. The lake is surrounded almost entirely by residential areas, but there is a small stretch of shoreline accessible to the public through Lake Ronkonkoma County Park. The park's major draw is its swimming area; you can also enjoy several ball fields, playground, picnic area, fishing pier and launch area for small boats. There is a small fee for parking, with a lower rate for Suffolk County residents.
