Parking in Stone Harbor
Current guidance to Stone Harbor, NJ paid parking, ParkMobile, 2026 permits, free beach lots, time limits, overnight rules, and oversized vehicles.
Parking in Stone Harbor
Explore Stone HarborStone Harbor combines paid downtown and beachfront parking with free curb spaces and free lots at outlying natural areas. The borough now uses app-based payment rather than coin meters, and the maximum stay changes between streets and lots. Visitors should decide whether they need a short downtown stop, a beach block, an overnight passenger-car space or access to Stone Harbor Point before choosing a zone.
Parking in Stone Harbor: What Visitors Should Know
Paid parking generally operates daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the borough's annual summer season. For 2026, permit materials identify May 1 through October 1 as the applicable period. Paid street spaces have a three-hour maximum, while paid lots generally have a four-hour maximum. Posted signs and the payment screen control if a particular block differs.
Stone Harbor uses ParkMobile under its current municipal agreement. Payment can be made through the app, the vendor's website or its customer-service phone channel. There is no need to search for a coin kiosk. Enter the license plate and zone exactly as displayed.
Where to Park in Stone Harbor
96th Street business district
Paid spaces are concentrated along Second and Third Avenues and the cross streets from roughly 93rd through 99th Streets. These suit shopping and dining, but a three-hour street maximum can be too short for a combined meal and beach visit. Two Post Office spaces near Second Avenue and 96th Street are free for 10 minutes and should not be used for other errands.
Beachfront and municipal lots
Paid municipal areas include beachfront lots near 95th and 96th Streets, selected downtown lots, portions of First Avenue near 80th through 83rd Streets and other signed zones. Lots generally allow four hours. The current hourly price is displayed in ParkMobile and on borough signs; Stone Harbor sets it by annual resolution, so rely on the posted current rate rather than an older screenshot or third-party listing.
Stone Harbor Point and Bird Sanctuary
The Stone Harbor Point lot provides free parking for access to the southern conservation area. It closes from 2:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. and is not an overnight campground. Parking near the Bird Sanctuary is also free in designated lot and street spaces during dawn-to-dusk use. These locations are for the natural areas, not a practical overflow choice for the 96th Street shopping district.
Free Parking Options
Legal unmetered curb spaces outside the paid core are free. They fill quickly near guarded beaches and may have separate time, overnight or street-cleaning controls. A longer inland walk can avoid a payment, but never block a driveway or leave the vehicle in a municipal facility lot merely because its payment zone is absent.
2026 Parking Permits
The 2026 transferable permit costs $236 and is valid from May 1 through October 1. It is limited to four designated areas: the two lots east of Sunset Drive north of 96th Street; the lot west of Second Avenue south of 97th Street; the permit-only southwest corner of 96th Street and Seng Place; and the west side of Second Avenue between 93rd and 94th Streets. It does not create a reserved space. Borough code caps the permit program at 225, so availability may end before the season.
Use the 2026 municipal permit application for current purchase instructions. A permit does not override time limits, temporary closures, accessible-space rules or a restriction on the vehicle itself.
Accessible Parking
Only vehicles displaying the required placard or plate may use marked accessible spaces, and striped access aisles must remain empty. Visitors should choose the beach entrance first and verify the nearby route, because dune crossings and mat locations vary. Payment and maximum-time instructions posted for an accessible paid space remain part of the parking rules unless an applicable state exemption says otherwise.
Overnight and Oversized-Vehicle Parking
An unoccupied passenger car may remain overnight in an off-street paid area where no lot-specific sign prohibits it, but sleeping in the vehicle is prohibited. Recreational vehicles may not park from 2:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. Unmetered municipal lots also close to ordinary parking during those hours except for a specifically designated marina area.
Vehicles over 6,000 pounds or designed for more than nine passengers are prohibited from public lots unless the borough designates otherwise. Street, alley and lot parking for trailers is limited to 48 hours, with separate marina rules for boat trailers. A bus, RV or equipment trailer therefore requires advance arrangements.
Events and Busy-Weekend Strategy
For downtown errands, use a three-hour street space and keep an eye on the maximum. For a longer beach stay, a four-hour lot may still be insufficient, making a legal unmetered block or accommodation space more appropriate. Festivals and public works can temporarily close paid blocks; ParkMobile payment and a permit never override barricades or temporary signs.
Alternatives to Driving
Stone Harbor's central grid is easy to walk, and a bicycle avoids moving the car between the beach and 96th Street. Use a rack and keep bikes out of ramps and beach paths. Visitors staying elsewhere on Seven Mile Island can also use a prearranged ride or local seasonal transportation, but should confirm operating hours directly rather than relying on an old summer schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I pay for parking in Stone Harbor?
Use ParkMobile through its app, website or customer-service telephone option in a signed paid zone.
How long can I park?
Paid street spaces generally allow three hours and paid lots four hours. A shorter posted limit controls.
Is Stone Harbor Point parking free?
Yes, the Point lot is free for area users, but it closes from 2:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.