Beach Guide

Ocean Beach Park Parking

Lots, garages, rates & the closest spots to the sand

Arrive early
lots fill fast

Parking at Ocean Beach Park is free at several lots. Compare 4 nearby lots and garages by price, walking distance and how full each one is right now, plus metered street parking. Lot locations, rates and hours are real and geocoded. Tap a pin for driving directions.

Free: Harkness Memorial State Park

Watch the Lots Fill

tap a pin · slide the time

Pouring the water…

12 PM today
OpenFillingTight

4 lots · 2,150 spaces. Scrub the time slider for the crowd estimate.

All Parking

at 12 PM · nearest first

Ocean Beach Park Lot

~153 open

1,500 spaces · $30 weekday / $40 weekend (includes admission) · Beach park · 8 min

Waterford Beach Park

~71 open

150 spaces · Residents / guest pass · Town beach · 15 min

Eastern Point Beach

~94 open

200 spaces · Residents / guest pass · Town beach · 23 min

Harkness Memorial State Park

~126 open

300 spaces · Free for CT vehicles; out-of-state fee · State park · 1.3 mi

On-street parking

0 metered spaces · Park lot only · Access is through the gated park; parking fee includes admission, or walk in for a per-person fee. Pay by plate or ParkMobile.

Local moves

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At Ocean Beach Park the parking fee includes park admission for the whole car -- it drops to $20 after 6 PM, and you can walk in for a lower per-person rate.

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Hot summer weekends fill the lot; arrive by late morning or come for a late-afternoon-into-evening beach session.

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Harkness Memorial State Park is free to park for CT-registered vehicles and is a beautiful nearby picnic spot, though not for swimming.

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The Waterford and Groton town beaches are quieter but generally require a resident or guest pass.

City parking info (860) 447-3031

Parking Questions

How much is parking at Ocean Beach Park?

Parking at Ocean Beach Park is free at several lots. Some lots charge more in peak season or for non-residents.

Is there free parking at Ocean Beach Park?

Yes. Ocean Beach Park has free parking at Harkness Memorial State Park. Free spaces are limited and fill first, so arrive early or have a paid backup in mind.

Where should I park for Ocean Beach Park?

Ocean Beach Park has 4 lots within walking distance; the largest is Ocean Beach Park Lot (1,500 spaces). The lots nearest the sand fill first, so the ones a block or two back usually have room. Use the live map above to compare walking distance and how full each lot is right now.

What time does parking fill up at Ocean Beach Park?

On warm, sunny weekend days the closest Ocean Beach Park lots fill by mid-morning. Arrive before 10 AM or after 4 PM for the easiest parking, and scrub the time slider on the map above for the crowd estimate hour by hour.

More Ocean Beach Park

Beach guideConditionsSunsetWhere to eat

happy hunting

Lot locations, counts, rates and hours are real, geocoded from each address. No live space-count feed is published, so availability is estimated from typical beach crowds and today’s weather. Your location is used only in your browser to sort by distance.

Main parking at Ocean Beach Park: Ocean Beach Park Lot ($30 weekday / $40 weekend (includes admission)) and Harkness Memorial State Park (Free for CT vehicles; out-of-state fee), plus street parking at Park lot only. Check today’s water, surf and UV on the conditions page.