People Pack Tri-State Area Beaches For Fourth Of July

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Crowds hit the beach for the Fourth of July, and some Long Island spots filled up fast.

Sunken Meadow State Park, Wildwood State Park and Orient Beach State Park were at capacity and cars were turned away.

Instead, beachgoers were directed to other places, like Jones Beach. CBS2's Valerie Castro spoke with spectators as they watched the fireworks there Wednesday night. For many, it's a family tradition.

"Fourth of July is seeing the beautiful fireworks," one boy said.

"It's beautiful, it's awesome," said a woman.

For others, watching from Jones Beach was a first.

"The beach is really nice, and I'm just really excited to be here," a boy said.

"I'm from Long Island, and my mom's house is right across the street from the fireworks, and we've never missed them. So we're kind of exploring, this was the closest option," said Elizabeth Scopellite, of Flushing.

The sand was packed with picnics and parties, beach chairs and towels. Some even brought their own stars and stripes to celebrate the day.

Lifeguards stood at their posts to keep a close watch on the crowds that were cooling off in the water. Some spent all day there, others arrived later to find the best real estate was already taken.

"Overwhelmed, but we'll see how it goes," Scopellite said.

At Sunken Meadow State Park, cars were turned away but some parked where they could and made the long trek in.

"It's really, really far, because the park closed. So maybe like 20 minutes walking, and it's too hot," said Maria Torres, of Rego Park.

"It's almost half an hour already," a man added. "I've got four kids, my wife and me."

Once inside, many families settled in to play volleyball, kick around the soccer ball and fire up the grill.

Down the Jersey Shore on Manasquan's main beach, there was a little reflection on the meaning of the holiday.

"Fortunate to live in this country and have opportunities that we all have," said a man.

Many are expected to take the rest of the week off from work, so the beaches will likely be busy throughout the weekend.