Captree State Park Playground: Know Before You Go

Before the ropes section was unveiled, the sandy playground at Captree State Park already boasted two metal boat structures to play on plus baby swings, regular swings, and an accessible swing. 

The ropes course features a spider-web structure, wobbly discs, a wooden ladder, a trapeze walk, stepping stones, and more. My 6-year-old son pretended the ground was lava and tried to cross the entire course without hitting the ground. While my 3-year-old daughter tried to follow in his footsteps, she wasn't skilled enough or big enough to tackle all the obstacles. 

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The Captree State Park playground already had lots of climbing features. 

The middle section of the playground is a large metal ship play structure, complete with a captain's wheel. There are multiple places to climb, a slide, a spinning wheel to hang on, and even a periscope. While this section is not new, it has held up wonderfully. It's great for a game of tag, as there are many places to climb and run under. This equipment was easily accessible to my 3-year-old, but older kids will be able to tackle the bigger climbing sections of the ship. 

The west section of the playground is also a play structure shaped like a ship, but this one is meant for toddlers and preschoolers, although my son loved using his imagination and hiding in the bottom of the ship. Just outside the ship are diggers for children to sit on and excavate the sand. 

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The playground also has plenty of swings for big and little kids. 

Captree State Park has a restaurant on-site, though it is not open in the off-season. Fishing is a big pastime here, with a bait shop also on-site. There are bathrooms located outside the bait shop. You can fish from the pier or charter one of the boats that leave directly from the dock. There is also the annual dockside family festival, which generally occurs in September. The festival features crab races, pony rides, craft and food vendors, plus lots more. 

Be sure to bring sunscreen, as there is no shade at this playground. 

Getting to Captree State Park

Take the Robert Moses south to the exit for Captree State Park, which is on the eastern tip of Jones Beach. Turn left after the toll booth. Park in the east side of the lot. There is an $8 parking fee on weekends in April to Memorial Day, as well as after Labor Day through mid-October. Daily fees run from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day Weekend. Find more info on the state's official website for the park. 

Photos by the author