Island essentials
A smoother beach day starts here.
Parking, access, the rules that matter, and the links worth keeping.
Pick your access before you pack
The town keeps a map of beach accesses and paid parking, plus a separate accessibility map. Check the access closest to where you're staying. The pier lots have about 200 paid spaces between them.
Know how parking works
April 1 through October 31, island parking is paid from 9 am to 5 pm: $5 an hour, $20 a day, $80 a week or $175 a season, by license plate through Otto Connect. Designated spaces are free before 9 and after 5. From November through March, parking is free. A business lot isn't beach parking, and Town Center Park is limited to two hours.
Pack for the rules
No tents, cabanas or awnings, ever. Umbrellas are fine, and so are infant pop-up tents and single-pole wind sunshades. Everything comes off the beach by 7 pm. Dogs stay leashed, and from Memorial Day through Labor Day they're off the strand between 9 and 6.
Watch the conditions
There are no lifeguards. Check the weather and the surf and rip current forecast before you swim. Give marked turtle nests ten feet, fill in your holes, and leave the beach clear of gear and litter.
Check before you go
Checked October 3, 2026. Hours, prices and rules change; the linked source is the authority.