Southampton Village's Coopers Beach was selected the Best Beach in America!
The main beach in Southampton Village is Coopers Beach. Coopers was selected by Dr. Beach as the Number One beach in the United States for 2010, up from Number Three in 2009, and Number Four in 2008.
What especially makes Dr. Beach's selection spectacular is that most of the the other top ten beaches are located either in Hawaii, Florida, or California, or the Carolinas. Dr. Beach, a.k.a. Dr. Stephen Leatherman is a coastal expert and a professor at Florida International University in Miami.
This is how Dr. Beach describes Coopers: "As the first 'Gold Coast' in the country, Coopers Beach is hundreds of yards wide, made of grainy white quartz sand. The beach is backed by large sand dunes covered by American beach grass, interspersed with large and extravagant mansions."
The Coopers Beach Pavilion
Coopers Beach has a pavilion, lifeguards (on duty weekends beginning Memorial Day weekend and daily after June 26), a concession facility serving food and beverage, showers and bathrooms. A ramp and Mobi-Mat provides accessibility for disabled visitors. Chair and umbrella rentals are available.
A snack bar at Coopers Beach (268 Meadow Lane) offers breakfast and lunch seven days a week during the summer season.
Parking Permits
Parking is free to village residents by permit. For non-residents daily parking access is available for $40.00. Additionally a season permit is available for $350. Special rates are available to residents of the local school and fire district. Seasonal parking permits are available at Village Hall, 23 Main Street, and by mail.
Drive on Access
The beaches may be used by 4-wheel drive vehicles with certain limitations. Between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. from June 15 through September 15, 4 x 4 vehicle access is restricted to Road G. Vehicles are required to display both Village and Town permits. Town Permits may be purchased at Town Hall, located at 116 Hampton Road, Southampton. Village Permits are issued without a fee at Village Hall.
Ten Additional Village Beaches
In addition to Coopers Beach, there are ten other designated beaches, mostly requiring season parking permits. One, Dune Beach, is accessible by car by village residents only. Another, Road D, does not require any parking permit at all. Vehicular parking is not allowed on roadways close to any beach access.
The Dongen Patent of 1668 guarantees the right of free passage along the beachfront in Southampton. Parking in the Village center and walking or bicycling to any of the Village beaches, including Coopers, is an option for visitors without permits.
Additionally, the Village of Southampton is home to seven miles of oceanfront beaches, accessible to the general public by walking from one of the designated beaches.
More Beach Info
For a list of the Best Beaches in America,
click here:
America's Best Beaches
To read more about Coopers Beach status,
click here:
The Best Beach in America - from Dr. Beach's website
Coopers Beach Named Best in U.S. - New York Daily News May 28, 2010
Congressman Honors Coopers - Hamptons.com June 25, 2008
In Hamptons, a Recipe for Prize-Winning Beach - New York Times June 29, 2008
