Ditch Plains Beach
The East Coast's most famous longboard wave — a long, forgiving right point break two miles east of the village. Surf schools run all summer; fall brings the best swells of the year.
The complete guide to New York's easternmost town — the beaches, the Ditch Plains surf break, the charter fleet, the seasons, and every way to get here from the city.
Montauk sits past the Hamptons at the very tip of the South Fork, surrounded by ocean on three sides. It's the kind of place where the day is set by the tide chart: surf at first light, beach through the afternoon, dock-fresh seafood at sunset.
The East Coast's most famous longboard wave — a long, forgiving right point break two miles east of the village. Surf schools run all summer; fall brings the best swells of the year.
Montauk Harbor hosts one of the largest charter fleets in the Northeast — striped bass, fluke, sea bass, shark, and offshore tuna. Surfcasters work the rips off the Point during the legendary fall run.
Kirk Park and Main Beach for classic Atlantic surf near the village; Gin Beach on the calm bay side for families; Navy Beach for sunsets over Fort Pond Bay.
Clifftop trails over 80-foot bluffs, Cold War radar history at Camp Hero State Park, and hoodoo ravines at Shadmoor — some of the most dramatic coastal walking in New York.
Lobster rolls on the harbor, chowder shacks, raw bars, and dinner spots where the fish came off a boat you can see from your table. The harbor area around Gosman's Dock is the classic start.
The literal end of Long Island. Rocky shoreline, seal-watching walks in winter, and the best sunrise in New York State — you're standing at its easternmost point.
Peak beach season. Warm ocean, full ferry and train schedules, every restaurant open. Book rooms early — weekends sell out months ahead.
The local favorite. Ocean stays warm, crowds thin, the surf turns on, and the striped bass run makes it the best fishing of the year.
Quiet and windswept. Seal walks at the Point, storm-watching, empty beaches. Some businesses close; the ones that stay open are the town's soul.
The town wakes up. Ospreys return, charter boats splash, and you get summer's light without summer's traffic on the Napeague stretch.
The Long Island Rail Road's Montauk Branch runs from Penn Station and Grand Central Madison to the end of the line, about 3–3.5 hours. The station is a short taxi or bike ride from the village and beaches. LIRR schedules →
Coach service from Manhattan's East Side straight to Montauk, with onboard Wi-Fi. Often the most comfortable option on summer Fridays. Jitney schedules →
Roughly 118 miles from Midtown: I-495 (LIE) to Route 27 East, through the Hamptons and across the Napeague stretch to the end of the road. Allow 2.5 hours off-peak — and considerably more on summer weekends.
Coming from Connecticut or points north, the Cross Sound Ferry runs New London to Orient Point; from there it's a drive around the forks. Ferry schedules →
Take the LIRR Montauk Branch from Penn Station or Grand Central Madison — about 3 to 3.5 hours to the last stop — or the Hampton Jitney coach from Manhattan. In the village, beaches, restaurants, and the docks are reachable by bike, taxi, or the seasonal shuttle.
Late June through early September is peak beach season. September and early October are the local favorite: warm water, smaller crowds, the best surf of the year, and the striped bass run. Winter is quiet, with some seasonal closures.
Ditch Plains is the signature break — a long right point wave ideal for longboards, with surf schools operating all summer. Turtle Cove at the eastern end picks up more swell and suits experienced surfers.
Charter boats out of Montauk Harbor target striped bass, fluke, sea bass, porgy, bluefish, shark, and offshore tuna. Surfcasters work the beaches and the rips off the Point, especially during the fall run.
It's at the far eastern end of the South Fork, past the Hamptons villages, within the Town of East Hampton — but it keeps its own identity: a working fishing village with a laid-back surf-town feel.