Gateway National Recreation Area | BEACH D AT SANDY HOOK Water Dogs are not permitted on ocean-side beaches at Sandy Hook Unit from March 15 through September 15 due to piping plover season. Remove hazardous trees and replace with new plantings. Battery Potter is a sight to see and the Nike Missile site cannot be missed. Generators are not permitted. These are at Beach Area B, C, D, E, Gunnison and North Beaches. Can I still use my Senior Pass/Access pass? Restroom at Guardian Park in Fort Hancock is accessible. Sandy Hook, New Jersey Is One Of America's Most Visited National Parks If you love hiking around waterfalls and scrambling up rocks for stunning views, Norvin Green State Forest will capture your heart. Beach D is the most popularand the bestbeach in the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. For seasonal programs both ranger-led and partner-led, visit www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/index.htm for more information. You can also find out more about Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook Proving Ground National Historic Landmark and read the national historic landmarks nomination for Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Proving Ground. Fort Hancock is another key area, allowing visitors to stroll past military barracks and old batteries. Does New Jersey have any National Parks? Atmosphere Holmdel Monmouth County Park - Holmdel Park is one of Monmouth County's most popular locations for active recreation and nature appreciation. Sandy Hook Season Beach Parking Pass - Recreation.gov The white streaks in the ocean are the wakes of pleasure boats, ferries, and commercial ships. The new season pass fee will be $100 a vehicle and $200 for an oversize vehicle. Active service members and veterans, as well as visitors with Every Kid Outdoors vouchers will receive free beach parking. The Sandy Hook Lighthouse is open for tours from 1 to 3:30 on Saturday and Sunday. There are no showers within the campground.. Check-out time is 10am.. Ride a bike! 210 New York Avenue For a great way to see Sandy Hook by bicycle, the seven-mile long multi-use path starts at the park entrance and loops around Fort Hancock. This is the least visited beach at Sandy Hook, so if you want . Located on a thin peninsula that juts between the waters of Sandy Hook Bay and the New York/New Jersey Bight, the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area is a park that draws more than two million visitors annually to enjoy its historic landmarks, natural areas and recreational facilities. Gateway is increasing beach parking fees in 2021 at Sandy Hook in order to maintain and improve visitor services. Collecting firewood in the park is not permitted. Water A second fort was started in the middle of the 19th century, but it was never completed because the artillery developed during the Civil War rendered the design obsolete. Named Navesink Lightstation, it became known as the "Twin Lights of Highlands" to those who used its mighty beacons to navigate. https://www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/beach-parking-at-gateway.htm. And if science fascinates the family, visit Liberty State Park and the Liberty Science Center. This six mile peninsula had an outsize influence on the safety of the harbor and the defense of New York City. There are different sections for clothed and nude bathers. Visit New Jersey's NPS page to learn more about each of these spots. Over the past five years, theNational Park Service said, revenue from beach parking feeshas been used to rehabilitate the Sandy Hook Lighthouse and Fort Hancock Post Museum. No. Study 1935 Army maps of all the forts which are now part of Gateway: Hancock, Wadsworth and Tilden. Sandy Hook Sandlass House is dying: Will National Park Service agree to save it? Perhaps the Grand Canyon? The Sandy Hook Unit, my personal favorite, is concentrated in a single area but has many notable historic sites. What are the new fees? Landing on beach with a motorized boat is prohibited. According to the National Park Service, which today oversees the fort as part of its Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook's military importance became obvious as soon as lighthouse was . First lit on June 11, 1764, Sandy Hook lighthouse still stands as the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the United States. At least one camper per campsite must be 18 years old or older. If your kids love the beach, it's hard to top a day at Sandy Hook! The entire peninsula was purchased by 1814 and has been kept free of civilian development ever since. Gateway National Recreation Area | SANDY HOOK VISITOR CENTER Sandy Hook is one of three parts of Gateway National Recreation Area, named because it is the Gateway to the New York region. Climbers must be at least 48 inches tall to climb. For more information about this unique park, check out this article on Fort Hancock and this article about the Nike Missile site. I walked out to the beach but didn't take any photos because I didn't want to look like a pervert with a camera. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Among the urban environment, the park boasts grasslands, woodlands, sand dunes, beaches, ponds, salt marshes and forests. NY The lighthouse is America's oldest and has been in continuous operation since June 11, 1764. Gateway National Recreation Area, New York - Recreation.gov Today, due to the relentless march of sands and sediments to the north (littoral drift), the lighthouse now stands 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) south of the tip. Directions to Sandy Hook - U.S. National Park Service Stay right to enter the park. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Created in 1972, the recreation area is the fifth-most visited National Park Service site, averaging 7.6 million visitors per year. Rising seas pose dangers to Sandy Hook's ecology: Report - WHYY Non-motorized, car-top boats can be launched from Beach Area C and Horseshoe Cove. Plan Your Visit - Gateway National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park The natural beauty of Sandy Hook stands within a few miles of the densest urban area in the United States. This pass is a vehicle pass permitting the pass holder to occupy one parking space within a designated fee area. Firewood is available for purchase at the camping check-in office. There you will find miles of amazing beaches, overnight camping, the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the county, the Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook Proving Ground National Historic Landmark and a former life-saving station. Driving directions, operating hours, and so much more. Here, you'll find beautiful beaches, the historic Sandy Hook Lighthouse, Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Proving Ground. Full view. Gateway National Recreation Area | NORTH BEACH AT SANDY HOOK Description Facilities Contact Getting There PROTECTIVE CLOSURE: This area is subject to closure due to habitat protection. Eighty percent of the money raised from parking fees stays within the park. 210 New York Avenue The Official Friends Group of the National Park Service at Sandy Hook. NY The Visitor Center is now located in the Keeper's Quarters adjacent to the lighthouse and is open from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Plenty! Sandy Hook is a prime spot for birding. Gateway National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service) Image of the Day View maps, amenities, descriptions, reviews, and directions on TrailLink. NASA Earth Observatory images by Jesse Allen, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Concrete bunkers and rail-mounted guns were buried in the beach dunes so that they could disappear from sight after firing on enemy ships. Upgrade the Sandy Hook water treatment system. Fees have increased four times since 1983, when parking fees were first established at Gateway. Menu Place Sandy Hook - Beach B Gateway National Recreation Area One of the many beaches at Sandy Hook. Atmosphere There are over 7 miles of beaches to visit at Sandy Hook. Established in 1989, the Foundation has funded cultural, educational, environmental, and conservation programs and has helped restore and preserve historic structures of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse and Fort Hancock both National Historic Landmarks. The history of Highlands as a recreational beach resort overlaps areas which are now part of the national park. Entering the park is still free for those who walk or bike into the park. Contact him atjcarino@gannettnj.com. In the cooler months, it is a spot for all different . Part of Naval Weapons Station Earle, the 2.9 mile (4.7 kilometer) train trestle and pier system allows ships to be loaded with ammunition carried by rail from inland forts. Other National Park Service spots in the state include Morristown National Historical Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, The National Wild And Scenic River At The Lower Delaware, and Thomas Edison National Historical Park. The park closes at 9:00 p.m. All vehicles parked without hang-tags after the park closes are subject to ticketing. Plan Your Visit The Sandy Hook Foundation However, the history and scenic beauty of this park are what I love most. Severe Storms Nike Missile Base Tours, Sandy Hook, New Jersey - Roadside America 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. When it was built, the light stood just 500 feet (150 meters) from the tip of the spit; by 1864, it was 0.75 miles inland. Hundreds of projects and programs in the park have been funded in full or part with fee money. Land Address: Hartshorne Drive, Sandy Hook, NJ Directions: Hwy 36 east to Sandy Hook, then north into the Gateway National Recreation Area. Pets are NOT permitted on the oceanside beaches at Sandy Hook Unit from March 15 through September 15 for wildlife protection. 2 within 3 miles. The lighthouse tower, museum, gift shop, and other buildings are open daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., September through May. There is no entry charge for pedestrians or bikers, only a charge for parking your car at the beach. Id like to buy a season pass. Please bring your license plate information with you for check-in. Store all food and scented items in the food storage locker provided at your campsite., Tent camping only. $70 per person season pass & $70 parking season pass (16 & younger free M-F, 12 & younger free on weekends)$75 season pass per person $40 parking season pass. GUNNISON BEACH AT SANDY HOOK - National Park Planner When was the last fee increase? North Beach at the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. For the first time since 2012, beachparking fees at Sandy Hookare going up. Both are major tourist draws but their visitation pales in comparison to a park thats partially located in New Jersey. New Jersey is home to some of the most visited National Parks in the country! Sandy Hook Multi-Use Pathway | New Jersey Trails | TrailLink The decision to raise parking fees weighs multiple factors. The Fort Wadsworth Visitor Centers is open Friday- Monday from 10 am to 4 pm. Credit card preferred., There is no day-use permitted in the campground; all guests must be camping overnight., All Beach Centers have restrooms and outdoor rinse showers.. From its days as a British colony and outpost to the era of nuclear missiles, Sandy Hook lighted the paths of seafarers and protected New Yorkers from potential attack and invasion.