Montauk

Discovering Montauk

There is a moment on the drive east along Route 27 when the Hamptons fall away. The hedgerows and estate gates of East Hampton thin out, the road narrows, and the landscape shifts to something rougher — scrub oak, bayberry bushes, low dunes, and an increasingly insistent Atlantic wind. The gas stations grow sparse. The roadside farm stands give way to bait shops and tackle stores. By the time you pass through the hamlet of Amagansett and cross the wide, empty stretch of Napeague — a narrow isthmus of sand barely separating the ocean from the bay — you understand that Montauk is not the Hamptons. It is the end of the island, the last inhabited place before 3,000 miles of open Atlantic, and it carries itself with the windswept independence of a town that has always existed at the edge of things.

Montauk sits on the South Fork of Long Island, 118 miles east of Manhattan, occupying a rugged thumb of land that juts into the Atlantic Ocean. The geography is dramatic by Long Island standards — rolling moorlands reminiscent of Scotland or Ireland, 80-foot bluffs that drop straight to the churning surf below, freshwater ponds hidden in maritime forest, and a coastline so wild and exposed that the Montauk Point Lighthouse, built in 1796 by order of George Washington, was originally set 297 feet from the edge of the cliff. Erosion has reduced that buffer to roughly 100 feet, a reminder that the ocean is always winning its slow war against the land.

The town itself is small — roughly 3,500 year-round residents, a number that swells tenfold during summer weekends. The village center clusters around a few blocks of Main Street and the Circle, where motels, restaurants, surf shops, and bars serve a population that has shifted dramatically over the past two decades. For most of the 20th century, Montauk was a working fishing village — commercial draggers and charter boats filling the harbor, families running modest motels, surfers and fishermen sharing the beaches with little friction. That identity has not vanished, but it coexists now with a newer Montauk of boutique hotels, rooftop cocktail bars, and summer weekenders who arrive by helicopter. The tension between old Montauk and new Montauk is real and ongoing, but the landscape itself — vast, wind-scoured, and stubbornly untamed — has a way of humbling everyone equally.

What draws people to Montauk has not fundamentally changed. The beaches are magnificent, stretching for miles in both directions with a raw Atlantic power that the calm bays of the North Shore and the groomed shores of the western Hamptons cannot match. The fishing is legendary — Montauk Harbor bills itself as the “Fishing Capital of the World,” and the fleet of charter boats, party boats, and commercial vessels that works these waters targets everything from striped bass and bluefish to bluefin tuna and mako shark. The surfing at Ditch Plains is the best and most consistent in New York State. And at the very tip, where the lighthouse beam sweeps across the dark water, there is a solitude and grandeur that feels wildly improbable for a place just three hours from Times Square.

Montauk Point Lighthouse & Camp Hero

The Montauk Point Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in New York State and the fourth oldest in the entire United States. Authorized by the Second Congress under President George Washington, it was completed in 1796 at a cost of $22,300 — a sandstone tower rising 110 feet above sea level at the extreme eastern tip of Long Island. The lighthouse has been in continuous operation for over 230 years, and climbing the 137 iron steps to the lantern room rewards visitors with a 360-degree panorama that encompasses the Atlantic Ocean, Block Island Sound, the distant shores of Connecticut and Rhode Island, and the full sweep of Montauk’s wild eastern coastline. The adjacent museum ($14 admission, open May through October) documents the lighthouse’s history and the ongoing battle against coastal erosion that threatens its foundation. From November through April, harbor seals haul out on the rocks below the lighthouse — bring binoculars and scan the boulders at the base of the bluffs for their sleek gray forms lounging in the winter sun.

Immediately west of the lighthouse, Camp Hero State Park occupies 415 acres of former military land that tells a story spanning from World War II to the age of conspiracy theories. The base was established in 1942 as a coastal defense installation, disguised as a fishing village to confuse enemy aircraft — the gun emplacements were hidden inside structures designed to look like civilian buildings. During the Cold War, the military constructed a massive AN/FPS-35 radar tower on the site, an imposing steel lattice structure that still dominates the skyline and has become one of Montauk’s most recognizable landmarks. The base was decommissioned in 1981, and the property was transferred to New York State in 2002.

Camp Hero’s fame extends well beyond its military history. In the 1980s and 90s, a series of books alleged that secret government experiments in time travel, mind control, and interdimensional portals had been conducted in underground bunkers beneath the radar tower — collectively known as the “Montauk Project.” These claims, while widely dismissed as fiction, became deeply embedded in American conspiracy culture and directly inspired the Netflix series Stranger Things. The show’s original title was “Montauk,” and the fictional Hawkins National Laboratory is transparently based on Camp Hero. Walking the trails past abandoned concrete bunkers, rusting infrastructure, and the eerie radar tower, it is easy to understand why the location captured imaginations.

Beyond the mythology, Camp Hero is simply a beautiful park. The trails wind through maritime forest and coastal grassland, emerging at dramatic bluff overlooks where the Atlantic crashes against the rocks 80 feet below. The fall surf fishing from the rocky shoreline is considered some of the best in the Northeast — striped bass run hard along the point from September through November, and the annual blitz draws anglers from across the region. Cycling the paved roads through the old base is excellent, and the quiet trails on the north side of the park offer solitude even during summer weekends.

Surfing, Beaches & the Outdoors

Ditch Plains is the heart of Montauk’s surf culture and arguably the most important surf break in the New York metropolitan area. Located about two miles east of the village center, this wide, sandy beach faces south-southeast and catches virtually every swell that moves through the western Atlantic. The break is a combination of sand-bottom beach break and a submerged reef that shapes consistent, well-formed waves in the waist-to-overhead range. During summer, conditions are ideal for beginners and intermediate surfers — warm water, moderate swells, and a packed lineup that, while occasionally competitive for waves, maintains the easygoing ethos that defines Montauk’s surf community. Several surf schools set up directly on the beach, offering lessons for around $80-100 per person.

Fall is when Ditch Plains truly comes alive. Hurricane season sends powerful swells up the Eastern Seaboard, and the break transforms into a legitimate surf destination. Overhead waves, offshore winds, thinning crowds, and water that remains swimmable through October (with a wetsuit) draw experienced surfers from across the Northeast. The parking lot at Ditch Plains on a clean fall swell day is a gathering of New York’s committed surf community — boards strapped to every roof rack, wetsuits hanging from side mirrors, and the electric energy of a swell that might not come again for weeks.

Beyond Ditch Plains, Montauk’s beach portfolio offers something for everyone. Kirk Park Beach, the main public beach in the village, has lifeguards, restrooms, and easy access to restaurants and shops. Hither Hills Beach, backing the state park and campground, is a long, wild stretch of sand that feels genuinely remote — walk east for 15 minutes and you may have a quarter-mile of shoreline entirely to yourself. Shadmoor State Park, perched on dramatic bluffs between the village and Ditch Plains, offers trails along the cliff edge with sweeping ocean views, plus beach access via steep wooden stairways. The beach below Shadmoor is dark sand and clay, backed by eroding cliffs that glow amber and rust in late afternoon light — one of the most photogenic stretches of coastline on Long Island.

Shadmoor and the adjacent bluffs also provide some of Montauk’s best hiking. The trail system is modest by upstate standards but extraordinary for Long Island — cliff-edge paths with unobstructed Atlantic views, walks through maritime grasslands dotted with wildflowers in spring, and connectors that link Shadmoor to Camp Hero for a full-day coastal trek of eight or more miles. The Seal Haulout Trail at Camp Hero leads to bluff-top viewing points where harbor seals rest on the rocks below from November through April. Birdwatchers find Montauk particularly rewarding during spring and fall migration, when the point acts as a natural funnel for raptors, songbirds, and shorebirds moving along the Atlantic flyway.

Fishing, Food & Gosman’s Dock

Montauk’s identity as a fishing town predates everything else. Long before the surfers and the summer weekenders, before the boutique hotels and the helicopter arrivals, there were the boats. Montauk Harbor, a protected inlet on the north side of the peninsula, has been home to one of the most productive commercial and recreational fishing fleets on the East Coast for over a century. The harbor today is a working waterfront — draggers unloading their catch at dawn, charter boats lining the docks, bait shops opening before first light — and it remains the economic and cultural anchor of the community.

Charter fishing is the quintessential Montauk experience for visitors. Half-day trips ($100-200 per person on a shared boat, $600-1,200 for a private charter) target striped bass, bluefish, fluke, and black sea bass in the nearshore waters. Full-day offshore trips ($250-400 per person) head out to the canyons 60-100 miles south, where bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi, and sharks patrol the warm currents of the Gulf Stream. The annual shark tournaments in June and the fall striped bass migration, when massive schools of fish stack up along the point, are signature Montauk events that have defined the town’s reputation in the angling world for decades. Even if you have never held a fishing rod, a morning on the water with a Montauk captain — watching the sunrise over the Atlantic, feeling the violent strike of a bluefish hitting your lure — is an experience that connects you to something fundamental about this place.

Gosman’s Dock is where Montauk’s fishing heritage and its dining culture converge. This waterfront complex at the entrance to Montauk Harbor has been operated by the Gosman family since 1943 and houses a seafood restaurant, a clam bar, a fish market, retail shops, and an outdoor dining area overlooking the harbor and the fleet. The lobster roll at Gosman’s ($28-32) — served warm with drawn butter or cold with mayo on a toasted roll — is one of Montauk’s essential culinary experiences, best consumed at a picnic table on the dock while watching charter boats return with the afternoon catch. The fish market sells whatever the local fleet brought in that morning — fluke, striped bass, swordfish, tuna — and if you are staying in a rental with a kitchen, buying direct from the dock and cooking your own dinner is one of Montauk’s great pleasures.

Duryea’s Lobster Deck on Fort Pond Bay occupies the other pole of Montauk dining — upscale waterfront seafood in a setting so beautiful it borders on unfair. The restaurant sits on a working lobster dock (the Duryea family has been harvesting lobster from these waters since the 1930s), and the combination of fresh-off-the-boat lobster, rose wine, and a sunset over Fort Pond Bay has made it one of the most Instagram-documented restaurants on the East Coast. The lobster is outstanding, the prices are high ($38-42 for a lobster roll, $55+ for a full lobster dinner), and reservations during summer weekends are essential.

For more casual eating, the Clam Bar at Napeague on Route 27 is a Montauk institution — a roadside shack between Amagansett and Montauk that has been serving fried clams, lobster rolls, and chowder since the 1960s. The line on a summer Saturday can stretch 30 minutes, but the food and the atmosphere — wooden picnic tables, the smell of fryer oil and salt air, sunburned families in flip-flops — capture the unpretentious soul of old Montauk. In the village, Harvest on Fort Pond serves elevated farm-to-table cuisine with a focus on local sourcing, and the Surf Lodge, despite its reputation as a scene destination, serves genuinely good food with live music and sunset views over Fort Pond.

Where to Stay & Planning Your Visit

Montauk’s accommodation ranges from camping on the beach to oceanfront luxury, and the choice of where to stay shapes your experience significantly.

Budget travelers have a standout option in Hither Hills State Park ($35/night), where 168 campsites sit on the dunes within steps of the Atlantic. This is beachfront camping in the most literal sense — unzip your tent and the ocean is right there. The campground has hot showers, fire rings, and a general store, and the sites are shaded by a canopy of scrub pine. Reservations open six months in advance and summer weekends sell out almost immediately — set an alarm and book the moment the window opens. Beyond camping, budget options are limited during peak summer, though off-season motel rates in the village drop to $80-120/night.

Mid-range travelers will find Montauk’s sweet spot in the motels and boutique properties that line Old Montauk Highway and the village center. Montauk Beach House ($180-250/night) is a retro-cool property with a heated pool, fire pits, and a social scene that captures the town’s surf culture without pretension. Solea ($200-280/night) and the Montauket ($150-220/night) both offer clean, comfortable rooms with easy beach access. The Ocean Resort Inn ($180-260/night) sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean with a pool and direct stair access to the beach. Many of these properties were built as modest mid-century motels and have been thoughtfully renovated — they retain the casual, unpretentious character that defines Montauk’s hospitality.

Luxury travelers have Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa ($450-700/night) as the clear flagship — the only oceanfront resort in Montauk, with a private beach, a heated ocean-fed pool, a seawater spa, and rooms with floor-to-ceiling Atlantic views. Gurney’s Star Island ($400-600/night), the resort’s sibling property on a peninsula in Montauk Harbor, offers a quieter, more secluded experience with bay views and a marina. For groups and families, rental houses in Montauk range from modest cottages ($2,000-4,000/week) to sprawling oceanfront estates ($10,000+/week).

When to visit: The season runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with July and August being the peak months — expect crowds, high prices, and a palpable energy in the village. June offers slightly lower prices and fewer people while still delivering warm weather and long days. September is widely considered the best month in Montauk — the summer crowds evaporate after Labor Day, ocean temperatures reach their annual peak, the surf picks up, the light turns golden, and restaurants and hotels drop their rates by 20-40%. May is lovely but cool, with ocean temperatures that still require serious wetsuit commitment. October through April reveals a dramatically different Montauk — quiet, windswept, and beautiful in its austerity, with seal watching, storm surf, and empty beaches as the primary attractions.