Plan Ahead For your Visit

Gateway National Recreation Area is open. UPDATED April 18, 2024.

Hours of Operation

Sandy Hook: 6 am to 9 pm
Canarsie Pier and Jacob Riis Park: 6 am to 10 pm
All Other Jamaica Bay Sites: 6 am to 9 pm
Staten Island Units: 6 am to 9 pm

Visitor Centers

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center: Open 10-4 Friday-Monday
Ryan Visitor Center (Floyd Bennett Field): Open 9-12 Sat-Sun. Phone Number is 718-338-3799.
Fort Wadsworth Visitor Center : Open 10-4 Friday-Monday. Phone Number is 718-354-4500.
Sandy Hook: Open 10-4 Sat-Sun. Phone Number is 732-827-5970.
Ranger program are also available. Visit our event calendar for more information and to see if you need to make a reservation. Reservations are required for many ranger programs.

Camping

The Sandy Hook campsite has closed for the season. The campground will reopen Spring 2024. Reservations are available ONLINE ONLY through Recreation.gov. Both the Brooklyn and Fort Wadsworth campsites remain closed at this time.

Lifeguards and Beaches:

LIfeguards are no longer on duty. Swimming is prohibited at all beach areas when lifeguards are not on duty.

Beach Parking:

Beach parking fees are collected at Jacob Riis Park and Sandy Hook between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day. Parking is $20 per vehicle per day, or $100 per vehicle per season. Hours of collection are 8 am to 6 pm. Credit and debit cards or contactless payments will be accepted at both sites.
Advance online sales of parking permits are available through recreation.gov for Jacob Riis Park. Advance on-line purchase of the daily parking fee, also known as timed entry permit on rec.gov, doesn’t guarantee parking in any specific parking spot. Once the visitor enters the parking lot with their rec.gov confirmation, they may stay as long as they want. The parking lot closes 10 p.m. daily.
Visitors arriving prior to 8 a.m. can park in a designated fee lot free until 8 a.m. Once the fee is effective at 8 a.m., visitors staying in the park would need to pay the required fee or park in a non-free area.

Permit Updates:

The following permits are available for purchase ONLINE ONLY through Recreation.gov: Fishing Access Permit (Parkwide), Off-Road Vehicle Permit (Breezy Point), Boat Ramp Parking Permit (Great Kills Park) and Archery Permit (Floyd Bennet Field). Permits are on sale between March 1, 2024 and April 30, 2024.

Pets

Dogs are prohibited on Jamaica Bay and Sandy Hook ocean beaches from from March 15 -September 15. Service dogs with proper identification are permitted. Dogs are prohibited at all times at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Dogs must be on leashes at all times. More information can be found on our pets page.

Mask-Wearing:

As directed by the DOI Workforce Safety Plan, National Park Service masking guidance is based on the CDC's COVID-19 County Check tool for hospital admission levels. Masks are optional in all federal buildings throughout Gateway National Recreation Area.
The CDC has offered guidance to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. We will continue to monitor all park functions to ensure that visitors adhere to CDC guidance for mitigating risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19 and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health. Find more information about the National Park Service’s response and operations at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

Picnicking

Picnicking is allowed first come-first serve at Jacob Riis Park and Canarsie Pier. Barbecuing and open flames are only allowed in the designated picnic areas.
Permits for group picnicking are available for Fort Tilden and Miller Field.

Sports League Permits (Fort Tilden, Frank Charles Park, Miller Field)

Sports leagues permits for low and medium impact sports are now available. Permits are only available through phone call, e-mail, or appointment.

Please contact the Jamaica Bay Unit, Permit Office [phone] or the Staten Island Permit Office 718-351-6970 for updated information for sports league permits.