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Gateway National Recreation Area

 

Contact Information:

Gateway National Recreation Area
Public Affairs Office
210 New York Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10305

Public Affairs Office
(718) 354-4606

Jamaica Bay Unit
(718) 338-3799

Staten Island Unit
(718) 354-4500

Sandy Hook Unit
(732) 872-5970

Additional Information:
Official Park Page

Need a place to stay?
New Jersey Lodging

Books:
Frommer's® Family Vacations in the National Parks
Secret Places of Staten Island: A Visitor's Guide to Scenic and Historic Treasures of Staten Island


Gateway National Recreation Area Gateway NRA is a 26,000 acre recreation area located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area. The park extends through three New York City boroughs and into northern New Jersey.

Park sites offer a variety of recreation opportunities, along with a chance to explore many significant cultural and natural resources.

Sites of Interest

Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook is a 1,665 acre barrier beach penninsula at the northern tip of the New Jersey Shore. THe park includes seven miles of ocean beaches, salt marshes, hiking trails and a maritime holly forest. Historic sites include the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, the oldest surviving lighthouse in the United States.

There have been forts on Sandy Hook since the 1800's to guard the entrance to New York Harbor. Historic Fort Hancock defended the harbor from 1895 until 1974. The Hook was also the site of the first U.S. Army Proving Ground.

Opportunities exist year round for birding, hiking, wind surfing, fishing and exploring the park's natural and cultural resources. Sandy Hook is open every day from sunrise to sunset.