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Beach Passes Now on Sale

If the flashes of spring weather have you thinking about summer, you're in luck: beach passes for the 2024 season are now on sale.

According to Beach, Recreation, and Senior Services Director Austin Hall, passes went on sale April 1, and residents are urged to purchase their passes to the town beaches sooner rather than later.

"People have been coming to the Surf Club looking to buy them for the past couple of months," Hall explained at a March 25 Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting. "There'll be people continuously coming over the next couple of weeks, and [then] that slows down a bit, and then more online sales will take place."

Residents looking to enjoy the town's three beaches this summer will need a pass starting Memorial Day weekend. Beginning Saturday, May 25, passes will be required to park at all beaches on weekends. On June 15, residents will need a pass seven days a week.

"We do that after school gets out because we can't really staff the gates and have the right amount of people until we get the high school kids involved," Hall said.

First Selectwoman Peggy Lyons added that many of the employees are seasonal.

"It could be a beautiful day in May, and everybody goes to the beach. Hammonasset [Beach State Park] gets packed. I've seen it many times. It'll be like May 15 or May 10," Lyons said. "We do not have the staffing for that because our staffing is usually seasonal type people that are either in high school or college — mostly college students — which is why we have to start the seven-day staffing June 15."

Lifeguards will be on duty on weekends starting Saturday, May 25, and seven days a week beginning June 19.

While residents will need a beach pass to visit the Surf Club, East Wharf, or West Wharf, Hall noted that guards will only be posted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Surf Club and East Wharf. West Wharf will have guards posted from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

"That's our smallest parking area, and if we leave at 5 p.m. like at East Wharf [and] Surf Club, the parking lot fills up immediately. Then, if you're still wanting to go to the beach, you probably aren't going to get a parking spot," Hall explained.

Though beach passes went on sale earlier this week, Hall said his department continues to sell passes for the current season up until Labor Day. Typically, residents can purchase their passes online at www.madisonct.org/beachstickers, in person at the Surf Club, or by mail, with one notable exception: the July 4th holiday. Starting July 3, beach parking passes will only be sold online or at the Surf Club. After July 3, anyone looking to buy a pass for the holiday week must make their purchase online. In-person sales will not resume until July 8. A beach parking pass will be required to drive down Surf Club Road over the holiday weekend.

"You could still buy them online. I encourage everyone to have their parking pass prior to [July] 3rd if you want to visit during the holiday weekend," Hall said. "July 4th weekend is our busiest weekend."

Lyons agreed, urging residents to make plans for the holiday early.

"I just encourage: plan ahead. July 4 is always a crunch," said Lyons. "You can't just wake up at 10 a.m. on July 4 and say, 'You know, maybe I'm going to have my entire family come to the beach for the day.' You gotta plan ahead."

Prices for the 2024 beach pass are unchanged from 2023. Residents can purchase a pass for $40 for the first car and $20 for a second car. Seniors 65 and up can purchase a pass for $10 per car. Passes for veterans are $10 for the first car and $20 for a second car. Residents can also purchase a single-day guest pass for $10 per car.

During the meeting on March 25, the BOS discussed possible plans for handling beach passes for future seasons. One proposed idea was to send residents a beach pass when property tax bill receipts are mailed.

"We [the BOS] had a big discussion about this back in 2020," Lyons said, explaining that conversations were tabled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "I think we are due to look at all the stuff again this year."

Any conversations about beach passes would not impact the current season since sales are already underway.

For more information about beach passes, visit www.madisonct.org/beachstickers.

"If it's your first time getting one, you can come in person, and you just walk in with your car registration," Hall said, adding that a driver's license is not sufficient. "You have to show proof of being a taxpayer."

New residents are encouraged to call the department at 203-245-5623.

"If you're new in town and you have questions, feel free to call us," Hall said. "We'll walk you through the entire process. It's pretty painless."