North Hampton State Beach located at 27 Ocean Blvd (aka Route 1A) in North Hampton, NH is open daily from 8 am to 12 am (aka midnight) year round and no overnight parking allowed. There are plenty of metered parking spaces (~100), cash / coins and credit / debit cards are accepted and the fees are as follows:
Apr 1 – Apr 30: $1 / hour
May 1 – Sep 30: $3 / hour
Oct 1 – Oct 31: $1 / hour
- Nov 1 – Mar 31: No charge
During peak season, May – September, it's advisable to arrive early, especially on weekends and holidays, as the parking spots can and do fill up quickly. There’s also limited parking on Ocean Blvd for no fee on a 1st come / 1st serve basis, but same advice during peak season, getting there sooner improves your chances of being closer to the beach.
A bathhouse with restrooms and outdoor showers is available from 8 am to 6 pm from April 1 – October 3, but only from 8 am to 5 pm from October 4 – 31 after which it closes. During off hours and the offseason the park is typically not staffed, comfort stations are not available and gates should be closed.
Lifeguards are on duty from Memorial Day weekend in May through Labor Day weekend in September, ensuring a safe environment for visitors. After Labor Day to Memorial Day, you swim, surf, paddleboard, etc. at your own risk.
Like Odiorne Point State Park, pets are not permitted in the park at anytime per NH State Parks.
Alcohol, firearms and fires are not permitted on North Hampton State Beach.
North Hampton State Beach is ideal for fishing, picnicking, picnic tables are available, sunbathing and swimming during the warm summer months. It has also gained popularity among surfers as it is known for its excellent surfing conditions, attracting surf enthusiasts throughout the year.
With its scenic ocean views, one of the beach's highlights is its stunning view of the Isle of Shoals, a group of small islands located six miles off the coast, North Hampton State Beach is quite relaxing and scenic.
The North Hampton Beach State Park area has a long history of tourism with the first "resort hotel" opening at nearby Rocky Bend in 1819-20 and is now part of the New Hampshire State Park system which includes 93 properties ranging from parks and campgrounds to beaches and historic sites.
The beach is known for high water quality. Hampton Beach State Park, which includes North Hampton State Beach, was named one of four "Superstar" beaches in the United States in 2011 for having perfect water-quality testing results in the previous three years and regular testing is done both in the summer as well as in the offseason.
