Two Mile Hollow Beach
Best for. Day trippers without a permit who want a calm, friendly East Hampton ocean beach with lifeguards and a daily pay option, away from the Main Beach scene.
Best spot. A mid morning arrival before the small lot fills, a picnic packed in East Hampton village, then a long lunch in the village after the swim.
Know this. Daily parking is sold through a phone app and the lot is small, there is no concession on the sand, and the Atlantic is cold, so swim near the flags.
Two Mile Hollow is the East Hampton beach for people who want the ocean without the performance. Where Main Beach down the road runs on glamour and a scramble for a parking permit, Two Mile Hollow has long been the relaxed one, an open stretch of Atlantic sand with a famously laid back and welcoming crowd, lifeguards in season and a mood that invites you to settle in rather than pose. It is wide, it is calm in temperament, and it does the one thing most East Hampton village beaches will not: it lets a day tripper in.
That is the honest headline here. Two Mile Hollow sells a daily visitor parking permit through a phone app in the summer, recently around 50 dollars a day and to be confirmed for your date, so you do not need a resident permit to reach the sand. The catch is scale, the lot is small and fills fast on a hot weekend, and you pay only once you have found a space, with no prepaying ahead and no refunds. There is no concession either, so you carry your own day. The water is the open Atlantic, cold and lively with the chance of strong currents, well guarded in season but always to be respected, so swim near the flags and keep children in the shallows.
For a traveller who reads the beach as the start of a longer day, Two Mile Hollow asks only that you provision well first, and rewards you for it. Swing through East Hampton village on the way in for coffee and pastries, pull over at a farm stand for peaches and tomatoes warm from the field, and lay a proper picnic on the dune line with the lot small enough that the beach never feels swamped. Take the cool early swim, dry off slowly, and as the heat climbs wander back into the village for a long lunch among the bookshops and cafes. The food and culture wanderer's verdict is warm: this is the easygoing East Hampton beach to choose when you have no permit and no wish for a scene, a relaxed swim you can actually drive up and pay for, framed by the best larder on the East End. Come early, bring your lunch, and let the day unspool.
A public beach, not a club row
Two Mile Hollow is a public East Hampton village beach with lifeguards and restrooms, not a daybed club, and there is no concession on the sand. The bookable beach club day in the Hamptons sits out east in Montauk. We name what is real and mark anything we cannot verify as to be confirmed. To plan a club day, start with the Hamptons clubs guide.
Lunch in East Hampton village
With no food on the sand, the real table after the swim waits a short drive away in East Hampton village, with its cafes, bakeries, ice cream and restaurants set among the bookshops and boutiques. It turns a relaxed morning swim into a proper day out. Which places are open and their hours change with the season and are to be confirmed.
Provisions from the farm stands
The right move at a beach with no concession is to picnic well, and the farm stands and country markets of the East Hampton lanes are heavy with corn, tomatoes, peaches and ready picnic fare in season, perfect for a spread on the dune line. Which stands are trading and their hours change by season and are to be confirmed.
A beach club day out in Montauk
For a beach club you can actually book, the Hamptons scene sits out east in Montauk, where a resort beach club sells daybed and cabana access by the day and casual spots welcome anyone for seafood by the water. The historic clubs near East Hampton are private members only, so we route the bookable day east. Any day fee or minimum is to be confirmed.
East Hampton, New York
Two Mile Hollow Beach lies at the end of Two Mile Hollow Road in East Hampton Village, on the ocean between the village center and the Town beaches further east, around two and a half hours from New York by car in light traffic, or by the Long Island Rail Road or the Hampton Jitney to East Hampton and a local ride from there. Its advantage over the permit only village beaches is the daily paid parking sold through a phone app.
Bring your own picnic, water and shade, as there is no concession on the sand, and swim near the lifeguard flags, as the Atlantic is cold and the currents can be strong. Come in the heart of summer for the warmest sea and the full season, or June and just after Labor Day for fewer people, and arrive early on hot weekends before the small lot fills. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed, and the parking and lifeguard rules change by season, so check before you set out.
Photo: Robert Karlikowski via GoogleNot ready to book?
Keep the good shorelines coming. Shore Notes is our occasional letter on the best beaches and the clubs worth your day, sent straight to your inbox. One field, unsubscribe any time.
Book a beach club
Tell us your dates and party size and we will help line up the bookable Hamptons beach club scene out in Montauk for your trip. We reply by email.
Independent and honest · 1,340 beaches ranked across 103 destinations · We answer to no resort
We are an independent editorial resource. Booking requests are passed to clubs and operators, and some may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices, availability and opening status are set by the venue and are to be confirmed at the time of booking.
Common questions about Two Mile Hollow Beach
Can you pay for daily parking at Two Mile Hollow Beach?
Yes, and that is its quiet advantage. Two Mile Hollow sells a daily visitor parking permit through a phone app in the summer season, so a day tripper without a resident permit can reach the sand by paying for the day. The daily rate has been around 50 dollars in recent seasons but changes year to year and is to be confirmed, so check before you go. You pay only once you have found a space, and there are no prepayments or refunds. Arrive early on a hot weekend, as the lot fills.
What is Two Mile Hollow Beach known for?
Two Mile Hollow is the relaxed, easygoing East Hampton Village ocean beach, long loved for its laid back and welcoming feel and a crowd that skews calmer than the see and be seen Main Beach. It is a wide stretch of Atlantic sand with lifeguards in season, restrooms and accessible parking, and unusually for the village beaches it sells daily access. It suits a quiet swim and a long read rather than a scene.
Is there food at Two Mile Hollow Beach?
There is no concession on the sand at Two Mile Hollow, so bring a picnic and water. The reward sits behind it. East Hampton village a short drive away holds the cafes, bakeries and restaurants, and the farm stands of the lanes are heavy with corn, tomatoes and peaches in season. The smart play is to stock up on the way in, swim in the morning, then take a long lunch in the village. Hours and which places are open change by season and are to be confirmed.
Is Two Mile Hollow good for families?
It works well for families who value calm, with lifeguards in season, restrooms and accessible parking, and a quieter, friendlier mood than the busier village beaches. There is no concession, so carry your own food, water and shade. The water is the open Atlantic, cold and lively with the chance of strong currents, so keep small children in the shallows near the flags and treat conditions as typical and never guaranteed. For a full service family day, Atlantic Avenue Beach in Amagansett is easier.
Where is Two Mile Hollow Beach?
Two Mile Hollow Beach lies at the end of Two Mile Hollow Road in East Hampton Village, on the ocean between the village center and the Town beaches further east. It is around two and a half hours from New York by car in light traffic, or by the Long Island Rail Road or the Hampton Jitney to East Hampton and a local ride from there. The daily paid parking makes it reachable without a resident permit.
When is the best time to visit Two Mile Hollow Beach?
The heart of summer for swimming, with July through early September giving the warmest ocean and the lifeguards on duty, and June and just after Labor Day as the quieter, cheaper shoulders. Early mornings beat the parking rush and the crowds at a beach this relaxed. Spring and autumn are lovely for a walk but too cold for most swimmers. See our Hamptons season guide for the month by month picture.
