You can camp at all three units of Gateway, in the shadow of NYC.
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!
Middletown, N.J. – The Leave No Trace organization has selected Sandy Hook as a 2025 Spotlight site. As outdoor areas, including Sandy Hook, continue to experience the impacts of record visitation, this new initiative from Leave No Trace shines a light on communities rising to meet this challenge with multi-day, onsite education and restoration initiatives. From June 19-21, 2025, Leave No Trace will be in Middletown, NJ with Gateway National Recreation Area to work with the community and local land agencies to deliver Leave No Trace education as well as partner on restoration and stewardship projects.
Gateway National Recreation Area will continue to close sections of Jacob Riis Park Beach due to hazardous conditions. Significant beach erosion occurred along the eastern shoreline of Jacob Riis Park Beach. The erosion exposed deteriorated wooden groins, rockwork, and other structures. Access restrictions established in 2024 will continue at Bays 1 and 4 due to these unsafe conditions from beach erosion. Bays 1 and 4 will remain closed to access and swimming.