Camp Gateway - Sandy Hook
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- Right now
- Closed for the seasonOut of the season the agency publishes
- A night
- $30From, per site
- Sites
- 2118 on recreation.gov
- Season
- May 1 – September 27Open May 1 through September 27
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 14 notices
In the agency’s own words
Welcome to Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook Unit! There are a variety of cultural and recreational opportunities available at the park including history tours, living history demonstrations, hiking, birding, kayaking, camping, swimming, and biking. Sandy Hook is known for its beautiful beaches, the Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook Proving Ground National Historic Landmark, and the country's oldest continuing working lighthouse. Keep reading
Recreation
Lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day at five ocean beaches. Please swim only at guarded beaches and only when lifeguards are on duty. When wading, be aware of sudden drop-offs. If you can't swim, don't go in. Surf fishing is permitted at all beaches except when lifeguards are on duty. Fishing beach and "M" lot are prime spots. Please stick to the posted signs for closures, as they do occur throughout the summer months for endangered shorebird nesting. 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. It is shared by walkers, bicyclists and in-line skaters. Bike rentals are also available throughout the summer. Hiking trails begin at the Sandy Hook Visitor Center and at Area M near Nine Gun Battery. Walking ocean beaches is permitted but in spring and summer shorebird nesting season closes some areas. Sandy Hook is a prime spot for birding. Try Plum Island, the Spermaceti Cove boardwalk, the Horseshoe Cove salt marsh, North Pond or the fields at Fort Hancock. Non-motorized, car-top boats can be launched from Beach Area C and Horseshoe Cove. Horseshoe Cove is popular with recreational boaters. Landing on beach with a motorized boat is prohibited. Surfing is allowed on beaches B and C. Windsurfing and kite-boarding is best on the bay across from Beach Area C. Kayak and paddleboard rentals are also available at C beach throughout the summer. Enjoy a blanket picnic on the beach. The North Beach Observation Deck has tables and a view of New York Harbor. Grilling outside of the campground is permitted only at Guardian Park in Fort Hancock. The Visitor Center is located in the Keeper's Quarters adjacent to the lighthouse. Free Lighthouse tours with a ranger are offered seasonally. Climbers must be at least 48 inches tall to climb. Visit www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/index.htm for more information on ranger led programs and hours of operation. Please visit www.nps.gov/gate for more information about any of the above.
Facilities
This campground accommodates tent camping only. Be prepared to walk your gear up to .25 miles into the sites from the parking area. No pets allowed in the campground No cars are permitted in the campground or campsites. All campsites come equipped with a fire-ring, charcoal grill, picnic table, and food storage container. Please bring your license plate information with you for check-in. Flush toilets and running water are available. There are no showers and no electric outlets within the campground. Firewood is available for purchase at the camping check-in office. Credit card preferred. There is no public Wifi. There is no day-use permitted in the campground; all guests must be camping overnight. All Beach Centers have restrooms and outdoor rinse showers.
Natural Features
Gateway National Recreation Area exists within one of the most urbanized areas of the country, covering 26,000 acres of New Jersey and three New York City boroughs. Among the urban environment, the park boasts grasslands, woodlands, sand dunes, beaches, ponds, salt marshes and forests. Contact Info Between 05/23/2025 and 07/13/2025 this location is staffed. Please call (347) 630-1124 to speak with local staff. From 09/01/2024 to 05/23/2025 this location is unstaffed. Please call (732) 266-3352 for general information.
Nearby Attractions
Twin Lights New Jersey Historic Site - Situated 200 feet above sea level atop the Navesink Highlands, Twin Lights has stood as a sentinel over the treacherous coastal waters of northern New Jersey since 1828. Named Navesink Lightstation, it became known as the "Twin Lights of Highlands" to those who used its mighty beacons to navigate. 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. Mount Mitchill Monmouth County Scenic Overlook - At 266 feet, this overlook in Atlantic Highlands sits on the highest natural elevation on the Atlantic seaboard (excluding islands) from Maine to the Yucatan providing beautiful views of Sandy Hook, Sandy Hook Bay, Raritan Bay and the New York skyline. Hartshorne Woods Mounmouth County Park - A hilly, forested 787-acre site overlooking the Navesink River, this park is among the highest elevations along the Atlantic Coast and features prominently in area history as a former coastal defense site. Known for its challenging trail system and scenic views, Hartshorne Woods is a popular park for area hikers, bicyclists and outdoor enthusiasts. Holmdel Monmouth County Park - Holmdel Park is one of Monmouth County's most popular locations for active recreation and nature appreciation. Acquired by the Monmouth County Park System in 1962, just shy of one million visitors enjoy this 565-acre site yearly. This park features a historic farm, an arboretum, fishing, picnic areas, 4 tennis courts, 2 playgrounds, ice skating, sledding and 10 miles of trails - including a 1/2 mile paved loop linking the Pond View and Forest Edge areas of the park with group picnic facilities and playgrounds.
Charges & Cancellations
Recreation.gov refund and cancellation policy: Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount. You can cancel or change reservations through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Late Cancellations Overnight and Day Use Facilities: Late cancellations are those cancelled between 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival. Individual Campsites: If a customer cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival they will be charged a $10.00 service fee and will also forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a single night's reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply. Refunds Customers must request refunds no later than 14 days after the scheduled departure date. Recreation.gov will not grant refund requests after 14 days of departure. Refunds for Bankcard Purchases: Refunds for bank card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank card. Refunds for Check or Cash Purchases: Refunds for Recreation.gov payments made by check or money order, and cash payments at selected campgrounds will be issued a check refund. A refund will be processed within 30 days of receipt and approval. Please Note: Refund requests made during or after departure can only be processed when approved by the facility management staff based upon local policy. Refunds for Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team will attempt to notify users and offer alternate dates (as appropriate). If this is not possible, reservations will be cancelled and all fees paid will be refunded. Reservation fees for free tickets are non-refundable in the event of an emergency closure. No-Shows Camping / Day Use: A camping no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Reserved campsites and group overnight facilities will be held until check-out time on the day following your scheduled arrival. Group day-use facilities will be held until check-in time on your scheduled arrival date. If a customer does not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by the times listed under "Late Cancellations" above, the customer may be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit use fees.
What the agency tells you
During the Months of July-October, Tawny Field Cockroaches can be found in large numbers at Camp Gateway Sandy Hook. These cockroaches are outdoor insects and are commonly found in grassy fields, meadows, and woodland edges. Unlike the German and American Cockroach, the Tawny Field Cockroach does not bite or pose a health risk, nor do they reproduce inside homes, restaurants or other buildings. The Tawny Cockroach is thought to be an important food source for birds and other wildlife. Visitors should expect to encounter the Tawny Field Roach between July-October.
Check-in time is 12pm. Please call (347)630-1124 if a ranger is not present when you arrive. Please have license plate information available upon checking in. Check-out time is 10am.
Alcohol, smoking, and pets are prohibited within the campground.
Everything else this campground posts · 11
Raccoons are very active in the campground. Store all food and scented items in the food storage locker provided at your campsite.
Tent camping only. Camping is prohibited in the parking area. No RV Facilities available. No car camping whatsoever.
Bathroom facilities containing flushable toilets and sinks are available. There are no showers within the campground.
You must be 18 years old to reserve a campsite. At least one camper per campsite must be 18 years old or older.
No day-use within the campground.
Campers are allowed 1 vehicle per campsite to be parked in the designated campground parking lot. Parking is very limited within the campground lot, but additional parking may be available in 'L' Lot.
For After Hour Arrivals (7:30 p.m. or later): Campers with reservations, please obtain your overnight parking pass and site pass at the Entrance Station located at the front of the park at 9:00 p.m. or later. The park closes at 9:00 p.m. All vehicles parked without hang-tags after the park closes are subject to ticketing.
Firewood is available for purchase at the camp office. Please purchase firewood upon check-in. No outside wood is permitted. Collecting firewood in the park is not permitted.
No electric hookups. Generators are not permitted.
Camping Parking Passes are not valid for beach parking. Campers must obtain a separate Parking Pass. The parking pass can be purchased on rec.gov or at the park Entrance Station. Parking Passes are $20/car. Parking fees are in effect daily 8AM-6PM beginning the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day. Anyone parking in a designated fee parking lot during those hours are required to pay the parking fee.
For more information about Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook Unit please visit www.nps.gov/gate.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 21 · 18 tent-only, 1 group
- Hookups
- None
- Accessible sites
- 1
- Pets
- Not allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- 5 of 9 sites
Facilities
- Toilets
- Flush Toilets - seasonal
- Showers
- None at this campground
- “There are no showers and no electric outlets within the campground.”
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Playground
- Yes
- Firewood
- Sold here
Around the campground
- On the water
- River, Beach, Coast
- Biking
- Birding
- Boating
- Canoeing
- Cultural Activities
- Environmental Education
- Evening Programs
- Fishing
- Guided Interpretive Walks
- Hiking
- Historic site
- Information Site
- Ranger programs
- Kayaking
- Fall color · reported 4 days ago, 31 km away
- Minimal color
No reading yet, book on recreation.gov
recreation.gov lists 18 of the 21 campsites the agency files here. The rest aren’t on its booking system, so a reservation won’t get you one.
No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 12
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the lowest per-night amount the agency’s fee record states ($30), plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
“Recreation.gov refund and cancellation policy: Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees - Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount. - You…” · this campground’s own no-show terms
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 6
rules read Sep 9, 2026 · record Aug 23, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
21 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 17 mapped sitesAll 21 sites
Measured shade is NLCD Tree Canopy Cover 2024 (USDA Forest Service / MRLC) read at the site’s own coordinate, 27% canopy or more, and only for the sites the agency gave no Shade value. It never changes the agency’s own shaded count beside it.
| Ajax | A01 | tent only nonelectric | yes | 97 ft | 617 ft |
| Ajax | A02 | tent only nonelectric | 60 ft | 715 ft | |
| Ajax | A03 | tent only nonelectric | 60 ft | 755 ft | |
| Ajax | A04 | tent only nonelectric | 74 ft | 714 ft | |
| Beach Plum | B05 | type not stated | |||
| Beach Plum | B06 | tent only nonelectric | 61 ft | ||
| Beach Plum | B07 | tent only nonelectric | 57 ft | ||
| Beach Plum | B08 | tent only nonelectric | 49 ft | ||
| Beach Plum | B09 | tent only nonelectric | 49 ft | ||
| Beach Plum | B10 | tent only nonelectric | 59 ft | ||
| Cannonball | C11 | tent only nonelectric | 67 ft | ||
| Cannonball | C12 | type not stated | |||
| Dune Grass | D13 | tent only nonelectric | 58 ft | ||
| Dune Grass | D14 | tent only nonelectric | 44 ft | ||
| Dune Grass | D15 | tent only nonelectric | 44 ft | ||
| Dune Grass | D16 | tent only nonelectric | 58 ft | ||
| Endicott | E17 | tent only nonelectric | 76 ft | ||
| Endicott | E18 | type not stated | |||
| Endicott | E19 | tent only nonelectric | 76 ft | ||
| Endicott | E20 | tent only nonelectric | 116 ft | ||
| Nike | N21 | group tent only area nonelectric |
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Camp Gateway - Staten IslandGateway National Recreation Area · 11 mi
Camp Gateway- Brooklyn NyGateway National Recreation Area · 12 mi
The Cottage at Sailors HavenFire Island National Seashore · 49 mi
Watch Hill Bayview HouseFire Island National Seashore · 55 mi
The Bayberry Dunes HouseFire Island National Seashore · 55 miFrom North Jersey and New York: South on the New Jersey Turnpike, Exit 11 onto the Garden State Parkway (South), Exit 117 (Keyport/Hazlet). After toll, bear left and follow Route 36 East 12 miles to park entrance (after crossing the Highlands Bridge). Stay right to enter the park.
From South Jersey: North on Garden State Parkway, Exit 105 (Eatontown), bear left for Route 36 East. Continue on Route 36 East, pass Monmouth Mall and across Route 35 through Eatontown and Long Branch (Route 36 is called Joline Avenue here). Continue on Route 36, which turns left and follows north along ocean (Route 36 is called Ocean Blvd. here). North for six miles through the towns of Long Branch, Monmouth Beach and Sea Bright to park.
From Philadelphia & Camden, New Jersey: New Jersey Turnpike north to Exit 7A (Shore Points) onto I-195, East on I-195 to Garden State Parkway north, GSP north to Exit 105 (Eatontown). Then follow "From South Jersey" directions above.
For directions by bus or ferry please go to www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/directions.htm .
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Typical weather
Typical May night 54°F, day 71°F.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or moreOutside the published season
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
who answers for it
Who answers for this land
Camp Gateway - Sandy Hook is in New Jersey’s 6th congressional district. Its representative, Frank Pallone (D), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: A+. See every public-lands vote →