National recreation area

Gateway National Recreation Area

Gateway National Recreation Area is a national recreation area run by the National Park Service that spans New Jersey and New York: about 1,810 acres of it are in Monmouth County, New Jersey. There is no entrance fee.

Current notices posted by the managing agency. Checked Oct. 5, 2026.

  • Closure: Spring Creek (Queens) Closed to the Public Spring Creek is closed to the public at this time. The NPS is conducting field investigations as part of a Remedial Investigation at the site. Spring Creek is located in Queens, NYC.
  • Closure: Jacob Riis Park Access Restrictions Due to extremely hazardous conditions Gateway National Recreation Area has restricted access to sections of Jacob Riis Park. Erosion has created unsafe conditions from Bays 1-5, and portions of the eastern beach are closed.
  • Closure: Dead Horse Bay (Brooklyn) Remains Closed to the Public The entire southern area of Dead Horse Bay, including Glass Bottle Beach, is closed to the public. Dead Horse Bay is located in Brooklyn, NYC.

Check current closures and fire restrictions for Gateway National Recreation Area on the managing agency's own page.

Gateway National Recreation Area
Photo: NASA, Public domain

Gateway National Recreation Area map

Gateway National Recreation Area boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.

View larger map Open in Google Maps Directions

Fire restrictions

This unit's own agency alerts list no fire restriction as of Oct. 5, 2026. We do not check a statewide fire-order feed for NJ, so that is not a statement that no order exists, and not a green light for a fire. Check with the land manager and your county before you light anything.

Common questions

Partly. About 1,810 acres of Gateway National Recreation Area are in New Jersey (measured from the park's boundary map); the rest is in New York.
Yes. Gateway National Recreation Area has no entrance fee. The park takes no cash: pay by card or buy a pass online.

Fees, passes, and hours

Gateway National Recreation Area has no entrance fee. The park takes no cash: pay by card or buy a pass online.

Source: nps.gov, checked 2026-09-30.

Camping in Gateway National Recreation Area

Campground inside the park's New Jersey boundary: Camp Gateway - Sandy Hook , each with its sites, fees, season and reservations on campgroundsdb.com.

Getting there

  • Nearest town: Atlantic Highlands, 2.9 miles

Source: www2.census.gov, checked 2026-09-30.

What to see

  • HighlightNational Recreation AreaNPS unit designation

Source: nps.gov, checked 2026-09-30.