Picnic pavilion at Fort Hancock’s Guardian Park in the Sandy Hook unit of Gateway National Recreation Area
GUARDIAN PARK PICNIC AREA
Guardian Park is located at the entrance to Fort Hancock in the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. Here you will find three covered pavilions with four to six picnic tables and two grills at each. This is the only picnic area at Sandy Hook where you can grill food.
There are two adjacent parking lots that hold approximately three dozen cars each. This may sound like a lot, but on the weekends they will fill up by 10 AM. There is no fee to park here.
Guardian Park picnic area at Fort Hancock, Gateway National Recreation Area
All pavilions at Guardian Park are taken on a first come, first served basis. However, you can always set up your own tent, tables, and chairs on the open field. You can also walk over to the bayside beach on the other side of the road and have a picnic there.
Picnicking on the bayside beach near Guardian Park at Fort Hancock, Gateway National Recreation Area
Also at Guardian Park is a memorial to ten men killed on May 22, 1958, when eight Ajax missiles exploded at the Leonardo, New Jersey, Nike Missile Site.
Missile display at Fort Hancock’s Guardian Park, Gateway National Recreation Area
Memorial at Fort Hancock’s Guardian Park for Nike Missile site accident victims, Gateway National Recreation Area
NORTH BEACH
While many of the beaches at the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area have a few picnic tables, it is only at North Beach where you will find enough of them to call it a “picnic area.” There are a eight tables on the upper deck of the concession stand building and three tables on the ground level. Like all beach picnic areas, there are no grills. All tables are taken on a first come, first served basis. The upper deck picnic area offers a nice view of New York Harbor.
View of New York Harbor from the North Beach picnic area in the Sandy Hook unit of Gateway National Recreation Area
Some tables appear to be under a covered pavilion, but the roofs of these are made of wooden slats with gaps between them, so while they block some sun, they won’t provide complete shelter from the heat, and they won’t keep the rain off your head.
Picnic tables on the upper deck of Sandy Hook’s North Beach concession stand, Gateway National Recreation Area
North Beach is served by Parking Lots I and J. Be aware that there is a charge to park in these lots between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
OTHER BEACHES
Some of the other swimming beaches have a few picnic tables located at the concession area, all of which are taken on a first come, first served basis. There are no grills at any of the beaches.
Beach B: No tables
Beach C: 2 tables
Beach D: 4 tables
Beach E: 3 tables
Gunnison Beach: No tables
Picnic tables at Sandy Hook’s Beach E, Gateway National Recreation Area
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Last updated on December 30, 2024
