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 18,530 acres of it are in Kings County, New York. There is no entrance fee.
Current notices posted by the managing agency. Checked Oct. 5, 2026.
- 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.
- 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: 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.
Check current closures and fire restrictions for Gateway National Recreation Area on the managing agency's own page.
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.
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 NY, 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 18,530 acres of Gateway National Recreation Area are in New York (measured from the park's boundary map); the rest is in New Jersey.
- 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
Campgrounds inside the park's New York boundary: Camp Gateway - Staten Island and Camp Gateway- Brooklyn Ny , each with its sites, fees, season and reservations on campgroundsdb.com.
Getting there
- Nearest town: Inwood, 5.9 miles
Source: www2.census.gov, checked 2026-09-30.
What to see
- HighlightNational Recreation AreaNPS unit designation
Source: nps.gov, checked 2026-09-30.
Public lands next to Gateway National Recreation Area
- State parkShirley Chisholm State Park lies inside Gateway National Recreation Area.
- State parkBayswater Point State Park is 0.2 miles away, straight line between the two boundaries.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
- nps.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- www2.census.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- nps.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- nps.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- nps.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)