Rockaway Beach is a 7-mile stretch of Atlantic Ocean shoreline running from Beach 9th Street in Far Rockaway to Beach 149th Street in Neponsit — one of the longest urban public beaches in the country. For the nearly 100,000 people who live on the Rockaway Peninsula, it’s not a destination. It’s the backyard. This guide is for them, and for the outer-borough regulars who’ve figured out how to use it without fighting the crowds.
Address and Cross-Streets
Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk spans the full length of the Rockaway Peninsula, Queens, NY 11691–11694. The main managed sections run along Rockaway Beach Boulevard (the service road behind the boardwalk) from Beach 9th Street on the Far Rockaway end to Beach 149th Street near Neponsit. NYC Parks main contact: (718) 318-4000. The address residents use as a reference point is the boardwalk — not a single street address.
Best Transit
The A train is the primary subway option, splitting into two branches at Howard Beach. The Far Rockaway branch drops you at Beach 67 St, Beach 60 St, Beach 44 St, and Beach 36 St — all within a two-minute walk of the boardwalk. The Rockaway Park branch terminates at Rockaway Park–Beach 116 St, also steps from the water. The free Rockaway Park Shuttle (S train) runs between Far Rockaway–Mott Av and Rockaway Park–Beach 116 St, connecting both ends of the peninsula.
The LIRR Far Rockaway Branch runs from Atlantic Terminal (Brooklyn) and Penn Station to Far Rockaway station. From there, the Q22 and Q114 buses reach the western sections of the beach. LIRR is faster than the A from Midtown — check current timetables at mta.info before you go.
The walk from the A train’s beachfront stations to the boardwalk is under five minutes.
Parking
NYC Parks maintains free parking lots at Beach 11th to Beach 15th Street and at Beach 95th Street. Free street parking is available throughout the peninsula, but it fills by 9:30 AM on summer weekends. There are no paid garages directly at the boardwalk — the parking situation is lot-or-street, nothing in between. Alternate side parking rules apply on most residential blocks; signs vary block by block, so check the sign on your specific street before leaving the car. A street cleaning ticket in Queens costs $65.
Restrooms
NYC Parks operates nine public restrooms along Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk, confirmed locations as of the most recent Parks listing:
- Beach 9 Playground — Beach 9th Street, north of the boardwalk
- Beach 17 Playground — Beach 17th St. & Seagirt Blvd.
- Beach 30th Street — Boardwalk at Beach 32nd Street
- Beach 59th St Playground — Boardwalk & Beach 59–60 Streets
- Beach 67 Modular — Boardwalk at Beach 67 Street
- Rockaway Playground M — Boardwalk between Beach 84th and Beach 90th Streets
- Beach 97th Street — Boardwalk at Beach 97th Street
- Beach 106th Street — Boardwalk at Beach 106th Street
- Beach 115th Street — Beach 115th St. & Rockaway Boardwalk
Most public restrooms are open 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily, with extended hours seasonally. During peak summer months, hours extend further — check posted signage on arrival.
Accessibility
Rockaway Beach is an accessible beach. NYC Parks provides beach mats for wheelchair access to the sand. Beach wheelchairs are available by reservation only — call (718) 318-4000 in advance. The Rockaway Park–Beach 116 St subway station and Far Rockaway–Mott Av station are ADA-accessible. Several boardwalk access ramps are distributed along the length of the beach. To report accessibility issues with restrooms, use the NYC Parks ADA Complaint Reporting Form at nycgovparks.org.
Hours Residents Wish They Knew
The boardwalk is open year-round from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. During beach season (Memorial Day weekend through the Sunday after Labor Day), lifeguards are on duty daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Swimming is only permitted when lifeguards are present and in open sections — areas closed to swimming are marked with red flags.
The surf beaches operate differently: Beach 66–70 Street, Beach 87–92 Street, and Beach 110–111 Street are open year-round from dawn to dusk for surfing. No swimming is permitted in surf zones, and no lifeguards are on duty there. This means year-round surfers access these sections outside of the general beach season with no issue — it’s not closed in October.
The fishing beach at Beach 12–14 Street and the kayaking beach at Beach 57–58 Street also follow the general park schedule rather than lifeguard hours. The beach status map at nycgovparks.org is updated each morning after 10:00 AM during summer, showing which sections are open for swimming.
Mobile charging stations are located at Beach 84th Street, Beach 97th Street, and Beach 108th Street on the boardwalk — useful during all-day visits.
When to Avoid
Summer Saturday and Sunday afternoons from roughly 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM see the heaviest crowds, concentrated at the central sections between Beach 86th and Beach 97th Streets. July 4th weekend is the single busiest period — parking is essentially unavailable without arriving before 8:00 AM, and the boardwalk becomes difficult to navigate by midday.
Beach closures due to water quality happen without much warning — always check the beach status map at nycgovparks.org before making the trip, especially after heavy rain, when combined sewer overflow can temporarily close sections.
The western sections near Beach 116th Street draw the largest crowds on summer weekends because the A train terminates there. The far eastern sections (Beach 36th to Beach 9th Street area) are quieter by comparison on the same days.
3 Places Residents Go After
Tacoway Beach (Beach 86th Street, on the boardwalk) — A seasonal spot for fish tacos and chorizo tacos that’s been a peninsula staple since it evolved from the original Rockaway Taco. Arrive before 1:00 PM on weekends or expect a line.
Rippers (Beach 86th Street boardwalk) — A burger counter with cheese fries that draws locals for a reason. Open seasonally. Cash-friendly and straightforward.
The Boardwalk itself, eastward — After eating, regulars walk east toward Beach 36th Street where the crowd thins quickly. The boardwalk extends far enough that within ten minutes of walking you’re in a quieter stretch with the same ocean and none of the summer-weekend density.
