The park is located in Suffolk County near the eastern tip of Long Island's South Fork, about one mile (1.6 km) east of the hamlet of Montauk.

Montauk Downs State Park includes an 18-hole championship golf course, driving range, tennis courts, swimming pool, and restaurant facilities.

[4] A small population of sandplain gerardia is found near this area, a wildflower on the federal endangered species list, which prompted a land swap in the siting of the Harbor Ridge development.

[7][8] Before the advent of the current telephone reservation system, some golfers would sleep in their cars overnight to get morning tee times at Montauk Downs, particularly on weekends during the summer.

Although the idea of creating a second golf course in Montauk at Camp Hero State Park was once under consideration, it was dropped in 1999 due to environmental concerns.

Every year Montauk Downs holds a gala event at the end of the summer to help raise money for the golf course renovations.

[16] The upper level of the building has a 360-degree view of the golf course and the surrounding area and was originally the location of the club's entertainment facilities including the main dining room and bar.

The large room contains a high ceiling, is enclosed by glass walls, and is bordered by an outdoor terrace that is partly covered by the building's sloped roof.