Town Dock
One of the few places in town where you can drive right up to the water's edge—a five-minute stop that explains the whole harbor.
- Parking · lot at the dock
- Free
- Fishing
- Benches
- Sunset spot
- Boating
Learn · The shoreline
Go meet the water.
The simplest way to care about the shoreline is to spend time on it. Eleven public places to reach the water—what you’ll find there, what it costs, and when to go.
Rules and seasonal details change—check with the operator before a special trip. Know a spot we missed, or a detail we got wrong? Tell us
Sunset Park
Open lawn and harbor views steps from Main Street—a natural gathering spot for community events.
- Free
- Benches
- Sunset spot
Dawn to dusk
Bay Walk
A waterfront walkway tracing the edge of the bay—an easy walk that shows how much shoreline is already public.
- Free
- Fishing
- Benches
- Sunset spot
Manorhaven Beach Park
Sandy bay beach with playgrounds, courts, and ballfields behind it.
- Parking · lot
- Fee · resident & guest rules
- Benches
- Boating · kayak & paddleboard launch
North Hempstead Beach Park
The long harbor beach many neighbors still call Bar Beach—a fishing pier, picnic areas, and the area's biggest waterfront events.
- Parking · large lot
- Fee
- Fishing
- Benches
- Boating · boat ramp
Hempstead Harbor Shoreline Trail
A walking and biking trail along the harbor's western shore—water on one side, bluffs on the other.
- Parking · at the beach park
- Free
Sandminers Monument shoreline
A monument to the generations of sand miners who dug this shore, with wide-open views across Hempstead Harbor.
- Parking · across the street
- Free
Leeds Pond Preserve
Wooded trails around the pond where it meets Manhasset Bay—quiet birdwatching, a world away from the harbor front.
- Parking · at the Science Museum
- Free
Baxter's Pond Park
A pond-side pocket park a short walk from the harbor—paths, plantings, and waterfowl.
- Free
- Benches
Dawn to dusk
Mill Pond
The historic pond at the heart of town, ringed by a walking path—herons, ducks, and turtles most of the year.
- Free
- Benches
Sunrise to sunset
Sands Point Preserve
Wooded trails down to a Long Island Sound beach walk, with Gold Coast mansions on the grounds.
- Parking · lot
- Fee · $15 per car
While you’re out there