Satellite view of Fort Wadsworth (border outlined in yellow)
Located at the mouth of Upper New York Bay, Fort Wadsworth is the northernmost section of the Staten Island Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. This is where you will find most of the military history in the unit, as well as the visitor center and campground.
The masonry forts and concrete artillery batteries of Fort Wadsworth protected the Narrows, the entranceway of the Hudson River, until after World War II, when modern military tactics and weapons made stationary forts obsolete for defensive purposes. It became home to the 52nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade from 1955 to 1960. The unit was in charge of the Nike Missile program on Staten Island until it was moved to Sandy Hook. The fort later served as the U. S. Army Chaplain School from 1974 to 1979. When the Army left in 1979, the Navy took over the post and used it for the headquarters of Navel Station New York. In 1994 the fort was decommissioned and turned over to the National Park Service for inclusion in Gateway National Recreation Area.
See the following web pages for more information on activities at Fort Wadsworth:
Visitor Center and Camp Office
Directions and Contact Information
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Last updated on December 17, 2021
