The Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area is located in New Jersey. It has six miles of beaches that are accessed from various parking lots. There are also many historical sites, including Fort Hancock, the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, a Nike Missile site, and various other military artillery batteries.

Park Maps

Visitor Center

Beaches

Biking

Camping

Canoe Launches

Fishing

Hiking Trails

Military Sites

Picnic Areas

Sandy Hook Lighthouse

Directions and Contact Information

Sandy Hook is an odd land formation, for while it appears to be a barrier island, it is actually a peninsula with one end connected to the New Jersey mainland far to the south at Monmouth Beach. However, most visitors coming by vehicle access it from Middletown, New Jersey, via the Highway 36 Bridge.

From Memorial Day through late September the Seastreak Ferry services the park, with departure points at East 35th Street and Wall Street in Manhattan. It lands at the Fort Hancock ferry dock. Once in the park, the Seastreak company offers shuttle service between the Ferry Dock and North Beach, Gunnison Beach, and Parking Lots D and E. During the week there is one bus that drives the entire route, while on the weekends one bus covers the Ferry-to-North-Beach-to-Gunnison-Beach route and a second bus runs between the Ferry and Parking Lots D and E. See the Seastreak web page for more information.

New Jersey Transit Bus 834 can get you to Highlands, New Jersey, but it is still seven miles to the park entrance. It is possible to take a taxi from the bus stop to anywhere within the park. If coming by train, take the New Jersey Transit New Jersey Coast Line to Red Bank, then Bus 834 to Highlands.

Park Grounds

• Open year-round
• April 1 – October 31: 6 AM to 9 PM
• November 1 – March 31: 6 AM to 8 PM
• Those with a camping or overnight fishing permit can remain in the park after hours.

Sandy Hook Visitor Center / Lightkeeper’s Quarters

• Daily
• May 1 – October 31: 9 AM to 5 PM
• November 1 – April 30: 10 AM to 4 PM

Sandy Hook Lighthouse Tours

• Daily
• May 1 – October 31: 1 PM to 4:30 PM
• November 1 – April 30: 1 PM to 3:30 PM
• Tours leave every half hour

All facilities and grounds are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Times can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to check the National Park Service’s official Sandy Hook web page for the latest schedule.

There is a fee to park at any of the beach parking lots from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day between the hours of 7 AM and 5 PM. This is for vehicles only, not for those riding a bike, walking, or getting dropped off. The only other fees associated with Sandy Hook are those for camping.

If you don’t plan to use the beach parking lots, there is no fee to enter the park. Thus, you can visit Fort Hancock or go hiking for no charge as long as you park in the appropriate lots. If you use a beach parking lot you must post a pass on your vehicle dashboard or rear view mirror.

You have a choice to purchase a yearly pass or a daily pass. The pass is only good for the Sandy Hook beaches, not the beach at Jacob Riis Park in the Jamaica Bay Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. This is the only other beach that charges a fee for parking. Furthermore, National Park Annual Passes are not valid. However, Interagency Military Passes and Fourth Grade Family passes do get you in for free. An InterAgency Access Pass and Senior Pass gets you 50% off.

For the latest prices, visit the National Park Service’s official Fees and Passes web page for Gateway National Recreation Area.

Back to the Top