This realistic Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreation Area Guide helps you plan your next adventure in this park.

Gateway is a very popular park in both New York and New Jersey. Almost 9 million visitors come to Gateway each year to enjoy its fortifications, beaches, and scenic views.

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Sights & Places of Interest

Gateway has three distinct units on different sides of New York Harbor. The units are quite far apart from one another if you travel by car or public transport. It is nearly impossible to visit them all in one day.

You could try to squeeze the stops at Jamaica Bay and Staten Island into one visit. But getting to Sandy Hook in New Jersey is a trip on its own.

While each park unit is unique, there are some similarities. You could expect to see a combination of military forts, lighthouses, and beaches in each unit.

This Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreation Area Guide describes a visit to Sandy Hook Unit. It also covers some of the entrance requirements to other units of the park.

1. Sandy Hook Lighthouse

The main attraction of Sandy Hook Unit depends on your interests. Most of the unit’s 2 million annual visitors likely set foot on some of the park beaches.

Yet, there is no doubt in the minds of any history lover. The Sandy Hook Lighthouse is the main landmark of this park unit.

The Sandy Hook Lighthouse dates back to 1764. The building is 103 ft (31 m) high. Its octagon shape is wider at the base and narrows towards the top.

Back in 1764, the lighthouse was some 500 ft (152 m) from the tip of the peninsula. But the ocean currents kept bringing sand to Sandy Hook over the years.

As a result, the lighthouse is now 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the tip. It is amazing how the landscape could change in 260 years due to the forces of nature.

The Sandy Hook Lighthouse is an active lighthouse to this day. But you could tour it thanks to the lighthouse being part of Gateway National Recreation Area.

The lighthouse tours run on the weekends. They are most frequent between April and October. You might have to wait for over a month to get an opportunity during other months.

The ranger led tours are free and about 30 minutes long. Still, the park requires you to sign up for a tour. You could only do it on the day of the tour at the Visitor Center.

You will get almost to the top of the lighthouse as part of the tour. It might be a problem for those with fears of heights or enclosed spaces.

2. Fort Hancock

Fort Hancock is another prominent site in Sandy Hook Unit. This fort has been synonymous with Sandy Hook for over 160 years.

The U.S. military recognized the strategic position of Sandy Hook peninsula early on. The first fortifications in this area date back to 1813. But it was not until 1859 when the major construction began.

Fort Hancock protected New York Harbor from the sea invasion. Its weapons and garrison served this purpose until 1974. Enhancements to the modern weapons made the Fort obsolete long before 1970s.

The fort became part of Gateway National Recreation Area shortly after. Outside of the U.S. Coast Guard Station, most of Fort Hancock is open to the public.

Fort Hancock is quite different from other forts in New Jersey and the Northeast. It does not have stone buildings as Fort Niagara. Yet, its buildings are more sound than the cabins at Fort Lee or Morristown.

In a way, most residential buildings at Fort Hancock look a lot like Waterloo Village Historic Site. These wooden historic buildings make up entire blocks and streets.

You could get a good look at the fort buildings from the Sandy Hook Lighthouse. The rows of identically painted buildings are quite a sight to see.

3. McCook and Reynolds Batteries

The rest of Fort Hancock consists of historic weaponry. Unless you are a military or history geek, you might not find these structures nearly as interesting. Still, they might be worth a few minutes to explore.

The Batteries McCook and Reynolds are the closest ones to the Sandy Hook Lighthouse. As soon as you cross the road, you could start your exploration.

You could walk inside a few deep trenches and concrete tunnels. Take a notice of the rails on the ground. They made moving the heavy guns a little easier back in the day.

Neither Reynolds nor McCook Battery has weapons now. In fact, Battery Gunnison is the only battery in Sandy Hook that still has its guns. You could visit this battery on select days from April to October.

The battery is off limits during other times of the year. But you will pass it on your way to Beach G, or Gunnison Beach.

4. 9-Gun Battery

The 9-Gun Battery is another notable battery at Sandy Hook. You could reach it on foot in less than 15 minutes from the Sandy Hook Lighthouse. But you are better off driving since the walk is not scenic.

This battery dates back to 1904. As the name of this battery gives away, it housed 9 guns. It was later split into four individual batteries for ease of command.

You cannot visit the 9-Gun Battery buildings. There are fences and signs that make it very clear. In the end, you might find yourself walking along a large lawn with old concrete structures on its side.

It could certainly be a disappointing experience for many visitors. But the buildings are unsafe for visitors. And safety comes first.

Hurricane Sandy further damaged the Battery in 2012. The damages from this hurricane are still visible throughout Sandy Hook.

5. Scenic Overlook

It might be tempting to skip the 9-Gun Battery. But you should not do so. While the battery is not going to wow most visitors, it serves as a gateway to scenic views.

Take a 0.7-mi (1.1-km) return path to a scenic overlook. This viewpoint is right behind two other batteries, Battery Peck and Battery Eagle.

It is a great place to get distant views of New York City. You should be able to see Coney Island, Brighton Beach, and Breezy Point in Brooklyn across Lower Bay.

The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge from Brooklyn to Staten Island will be on full display. You will also see the skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan and Midtown in the background.

6. Beaches A-I

No visit to Sandy Hook is complete without a stop at one of its beaches. In a typical military fashion, the beaches of Sandy Hook are named A through I.

Beach A is closest to the base of the peninsula while Beach I is next to its tip. Each beach has a nearby parking lot with the same name.

Beach G (Gunnison Beach) and Beach F (Fishing Beach) are the only beaches with “regular” names. You could also hear people refer to Beaches A-E as South Beach.

Unless you plan on swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, you should avoid visiting Sandy Hook in the summer. A parking fee of $20 per car per day applies for visits between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

Early to mid spring could be a better time to visit Sandy Hook. You could enjoy spring bloom in the park and save on the parking fees. Blooming trees next to the Battery Arrowsmith are a highlight in the spring.

7. Twin Lights

If you visit Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area, you should stop at the nearby Twin Lights. This park is a State Historic Site.

The first light at Navesink Lights Station dates back to 1746. But it took until 1828 to build the Twin Lights. This lighthouse has two lights to set it apart from the Sandy Hook Lighthouse a few miles north.

The name of Twin Lights is spot on. This site has a stone building with two light towers. Each tower is 73 ft (22 m) high. Yet, they are quite different in shape and type of light.

You could climb both towers if you visit the site during its opening hours. While the park does not charge admission fees, you need to pay $5 to climb the towers. You could do it at your pace without a guide.

Even if you decide against taking the stairs to the top of the towers, Twin Lights are worth a stop. You could enjoy the views of Sandy Hook peninsula from the top of a bluff.

Continue with this Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreation Area Guide. You will learn more about ways to get to the sights, entrance requirements, and places to stay.

Getting to Sandy Hook in Gateway

Gateway National Recreation Area is a large park in New York harbor. The park spans across two states and three New York City boroughs.

There are three park units you could choose to visit: Jamaica Bay, Staten Island, and Sandy Hook. Jamaica Bay Unit is in both Brooklyn and Queens. Staten Island Unit is in the same name NYC borough.

Sandy Hook Unit is the only part of this park in New Jersey. This unit alone attracts some 2 million visitors every year. Still, most people come to Sandy Hook to enjoy its beaches.

Sandy Hook is the most remote unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. This is true for both local and out-of-state visitors. Jamaica Bay and Staten Island Units are right next to JFK and EWR airports.

Newark Liberty (EWR) is the closest airport to Sandy Hook. But it takes over an hour to reach this park unit by car from the airport. It is double the time for either Jamaica Bay or Staten Island Units.

A car is a must-have when visiting Sandy Hook. Reach this park by public transport comes with a few challenges.

First, you could only get to Highlands, New Jersey. But even getting there could be a bit of a hassle by public transport. It could take over 2 hours to reach Sandy Hook from Newark.

A Seastreak ferry from East 35th Street in Manhattan, New York is the fastest public transport option to Highlands. But this 60-minute ferry ride is expensive. It costs $28 one way or $49 return.

There are another 6.5 miles (10.5 km) from Highlands to Sandy Hook. This distance takes 15 minutes by car or a ride share. But get ready to walk for 2.5 hours since there are no bus routes into the park.

Where to Stay near Sandy Hook

Most places to stay around Sandy Hook in Gateway are vacation rentals. You could get a good deal on a house or an apartment if you book it well in advance.

You should look for places to stay further south or inland if vacation rentals are not your cup of tea. This is the only way to find balance between staying close to the park and getting a good deal.

Both Middletown Township and Eatontown have a couple of places to stay. These towns are 20 minutes from Sandy Hook by car.

Take a closer look at Country Inn of Hazlet and The Hub Middletown Red Bank- Best Western Signature Collection. You could enjoy Sandy Hook sights while staying in highly rated and affordable hotel.

Homewood Suites by Hilton Eatontown and Holiday Inn Express & Suites West Long Branch – Eatontown, an IHG Hotel are worthy contenders. You could count on a proven experience from these hotel chains.

There are more options if you are ok with a longer drive. Woodbridge, South Plainfield, Somerset, and Bridgewater have a good number of places to stay.

And if you take a ferry to Highlands and Sandy Hook, you could consider staying in New York City. There are few affordable places to stay in Manhattan and Brooklyn but you could try your luck.

Entrance Requirements & Passes

Gateway is open every day of the year. You could enjoy the park beaches, forts, and piers daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Canarsie Pier and Jacob Riis Park have longer opening hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

On the other hand, the park visitor centers have shorter hours. They are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. except for the Ryan Visitor Center. You could visit that center from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Most visitor center centers in Gateway are only open on some days of the week. Jamaica Bay Visitor Center and Fort Wadsworth Visitor Center in Staten Island Unit work Friday to Monday.

Sandy Hook and Ryan Visitor Centers are only open on weekends. Keep it in mind if you are planning to tour the Sandy Hook Lighthouse or the Battery Gunnison/New Peck.

The free lighthouse and battery tours run on select Saturdays and Sundays. You need to get a ticket at the Sandy Hook Visitor Center. The tickets are on the first come, first serve basis since spots are limited.

Entrance Fees

Gateway National Recreation Area does not charge entrance fees. Still, you might have to pay for beach parking at Sandy Hook and Jacob Riis Park. The fee applies between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

It would cost you $20 per car per day to visit these park units in the summer. America the Beautiful annual pass does not cover this fee. But Access and Senior pass holders get a 50% discount.

Leave cash at home. You could only pay this fee using credit or debit card. You might want to get a season parking pass for $100. It pays off if you visit Sandy Hook or Jacob Riis Park more than 5 times.

Twin Lights State Historic Site is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You could explore the museum and its grounds for free.

You could climb both towers at Twin Lights from Wednesday to Sunday in the winter. The summer schedule allows daily climbs. This experience costs $5 per adult and $2 per child.

Takeaways: Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreation Area

Gateway National Recreation Area is a nice park with three units. Sandy Hook Unit of the park is well worth a drive. It has nice ocean beaches and a few fortifications.

The Sandy Hook Lighthouse is a true highlight of any visit to Sandy Hook. Time your visit so you could take a guided tour of the lighthouse.

Learn about the history of Sandy Hook while enjoying the views of Fort Hancock. Stop by the Scenic Overlook to see three NYC boroughs. And visit the Twin Lights to complete your visit to Sandy Hook.

You should know that most batteries and buildings at Fort Hancock are closed to public. You will be walking next to the metal fences and old concrete structures.

All in all, Sandy Hook is a good day trip from New York City area. You will enjoy this trip more if military history is your thing. Otherwise, feel free to skip this park if you have little time in the area.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Safe realist travels!