Gateway National Recreation Area • NY,NJ

Tent at Floyd Bennett Field campsite in Gateway's Jamaica Bay unit.

Visitors enjoying the sun and sand at Jacob Riis Park

The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

The Sandy Hook lighthouse and keepers quarters

Battery Weed is the fort under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in Staten Island.

Spanning 27,000 acres from Sandy Hook in New Jersey to Breezy Point in New York City, the park is both the gateway from the ocean into New York Harbor, and the gateway to the National Park Service for millions of visitors every year. Gateway offers green spaces and beaches alongside historic structures and cultural landscapes. Every day, Gateway is open for you to explore, envision, and enjoy!

You can camp at all three units of Gateway, in the shadow of NYC.
NPS Photo

Millions of visitors visit Gateway's beaches every summer.
NPS Photo

The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is the only wildlife refuge in the National Park Service
NPS Photo

The Sandy Hook Lighthouse is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the United States.
NPS Photo

Battery Weeds guards the entrance to the New York harbor.
NPS Photo

Sunrise over the water

Plan Your Visit

Gateway is open all year-round. Plan your visit to enjoy each season.

Kayakers in red and orange kayaks

Explore all the different things to do at the park.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gateway

Frequently Asked Questions

Driving directions, operating hours, and so much more.

What to know before you visit Gateway

Know Before You Go

Plan ahead for your visit.

Sunrise on a snowy beach

2026 permits are sold out. The permit pick up period ended on April 12.

Granite Fort from the water

Coastal Archeology & Planning for Future

Learn about Gateway's past and our plans for the future through archeology.

View of trees with red leaves and a shoreline from a bridge

Learn About the Park

Learn about the historic sites of Gateway and the animals that you may encounter when you visit.

Path leading down to ocean surrounded by trees

There are many ways to get involved at Gateway.

Lighthouse and reflection with owls

Sandy Hook's 2026 Artist in Residence

Visit Heather Heckel's exhibit celebrating 250 years of America at Sandy Hook's Building 28 through Sept. 20, 2026

Last updated: June 10, 2026

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

210 New York Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10305

Phone:

718 354-4606

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