Discovering New York City’s National Parks

As everyone knows, there’s plenty to do in New York City: dining, shopping, sightseeing, concerts, museums, sporting events—and camping.

That’s right—real camping in a tent, with a campfire, in a wooded area off a former airport runway in Brooklyn.

The public campground at Floyd Bennett Field, part of Gateway National Recreation Area, is just one of the unexpected delights to be found in New York City’s national parks. As the National Park Service gets set to celebrate its centennial in 2016, New York metro area residents can say “happy anniversary” by experiencing the history, culture, and natural resources preserved in New York City’s national parks, and others just a few miles away. Hiking, photography, cycling, birding, kayaking, camping, horseback riding, swimming, fishing—there’s more to New York than bagels and Broadway shows.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act that created the Park Service (NPS), “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” We’re one of those future generations, and more will come along after us. Here’s a sampling of the recreational opportunities at New York City’s national parks and, as an incentive, the NPS has kicked off a program called “Every Kid in a Park.” During the 2015-2016 school year, every 4th grader and their family get free access to hundreds of parks, lands, and waters (check out the link below for details on this awesome program!).

1. Gateway National Recreation Area

New York’s section of the 26,000-acre Gateway rings the shoreline of Jamaica Bay and parts of New York Harbor (the recreation area also encompasses Sandy Hook, in New Jersey.) It includes grasslands, woodlands, sand dunes, beaches, ponds, salt marshes, and forests, along with man-made attractions including Floyd Bennett Field (New York’s first municipal airport), Forts Tilden and Wadsworth, and the sandy beaches of Jacob Riis Park and Great Kills Park. Jamaica Bay is especially popular with birders: more than 325 species can be seen there during the spring and fall migrations. Ranger-led kayaking programs are offered at Great Kills Park on Staten Island; Canarsie Pier and Floyd Bennett Field, in Brooklyn; and Jacob Riis Park, in Queens. Equestrians can indulge their passion at Jamaica Bay Riding Academy. The public campground at Floyd Bennett Field includes 32 tent sites and eight RV sites. Each site has a picnic table, charcoal grill, and fire ring, and restrooms and showers are nearby, as is a camp store where you can purchase firewood, snacks, and other necessities.

2. Federal Hall National Memorial

Washington, D.C., has been the nation’s capital for most of the world’s memory, but George Washington took the oath of office on Wall Street, in New York. The first Congress met on the same site, and the Supreme Court and the executive branch offices were located there, too. Today, the stately Customs House building on the site, a classic example of the Greco-Roman style in New York, is a museum dedicated to President Washington and the birth of American government.

3. Castle Clinton National Monument

A remarkable structure with a remarkable history, at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, Castle Clinton began as one of four forts built to defend the city from the British during the War of 1812. The fortifications deterred the British from New York, and the South West Battery, as Castle Clinton was originally called, never fired any of its 28 cannons in anger. Its name was changed, in 1817, to honor former Mayor and New York State Governor Dewitt Clinton. The unique round structure was deeded to the city in 1823 and became Castle Garden, an entertainment venue. In 1855, it was repurposed again, as the country’s first immigrant processing center. From 1896 to 1941, the Castle housed the New York Aquarium (since relocated to Coney Island). Saved from demolition in 1946 and completely restored to its original design by the NPS, it now receives 3 million visitors a year (making it one of the most-visited NPS sites in the country) and includes the ticket office for the Statue of Liberty ferry.

4. Fire Island National Seashore

Imagine backpacking along a barrier island and setting up camp amid the dunes, awaking to the sound of the Atlantic Ocean surf. You’re in the company of deer and red foxes, surrounded by salt marshes, coastal shrubs, and globally rare maritime forests. In the fall, monarch butterflies and thousands of birds linger during their migration. Now imagine getting there without using a car—you can take the Long Island Rail Road and a ferry to this (mostly) no-vehicle paradise, about 60 miles east of Manhattan. Established in 1964, Fire Island National Seashore includes the Sunken Forest, New York State’s only federal wilderness area—but it’s not all wilderness. There are 17 charming communities that pre-date the Seashore’s establishment. “It can be tranquil, you can do family things, there’s a wilderness section, and there’s some spectacular scenery there,” says David Hensen, president of Friends of the Fire Island National Seashore. “In its own way, it’s every bit as magnificent and beautiful as some of the western national parks, and it’s right in our backyard.” Fires are not permitted in the wilderness area, so you may want to bring a camp stove. You’ll need to pack in your own water, too.

5. Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island

"The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World," or simply “Lady Liberty” as she’s more often called, has loomed over New York Harbor since 1886, visible to vessels great and small, as well as residents of Brooklyn, lower Manhattan, and Jersey City, New Jersey. You can visit Liberty Island, the Liberty Island Museum, and the statue’s pedestal (half as high as the statue itself), or go all the way up to the Lady’s crown—provided you can make it up the 162-step spiral staircase. Access to the island is by ferry from Battery Park, at the southern tip of Manhattan or from Liberty State Park, in Jersey City. The Park Service strongly recommends advance ticket reservations. The scenery and architecture of the statue, the pedestal and star-shaped Fort Wood, on which the pedestal stands, are striking; the views, naturally, are panoramic, so bring a binocular or monocular. But the sightseeing is probably secondary to the excitement of having what is arguably the world’s most famous statue as your vantage point. If you’d like to relive your moments with Lady Liberty or refresh the reasons you love NYC, there is a series of webcams located on the torch that offer live unobstructed panoramic views of New York City skyline, the Hudson River, and ships in New York Harbor, plus two other cameras that point back at the Statue: one provides an ultra wide-angle interactive view of the gleaming golden torch and the other looks downward at the crown, tablet, and feet.

The Statue of Liberty National Monument also includes Ellis Island, the immigration processing facility that has come to embody the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” More than 12 million people began their pursuit of the American Dream at Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924; one in three Americans has an ancestor who waited in line in its Great Hall. Today, the facility is the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Some of its artifacts have been in storage since Hurricane Sandy inundated the island, in October, 2012, but there’s still a great deal to see and learn. Access is via the same ferries that run to Liberty Island.

6. General Grant National Memorial

More commonly known as “Grant’s Tomb,” the largest mausoleum in North America is the final resting place of the man who helped to defeat the Confederacy and then led the nation in the years after its deadliest war (and who, by the way, signed the act that established Yellowstone as the nation’s—and the world’s—first national park.) Twelve years after Ulysses S. Grant’s death in 1885, some 90,000 people from around the world contributed the money to build his memorial, the largest public fund-raising effort ever at the time.

Opened in 1897, the granite and marble memorial is a much-photographed example of neoclassical architecture, in Riverside Park, on New York’s Upper West Side, a couple of blocks from Columbia University. Inside, sarcophagi holding the remains of Grant and his wife, Julia Dent Grant, are accessible for viewing. Visitors show themselves around, but rangers are on duty to answer questions. There’s also a visitors’ center with exhibits, information, and a gift shop. Riverside Park, while not part of the NPS (it’s a New York City park) is aptly named, because it is situated adjacent to the Hudson River. This four-mile long strip of green stretches from 72nd to 158th streets and is one of only eight officially designated scenic landmarks in the City of New York. Recreational facilities include a range of sports courts and fields, a skate park, a large portion of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway (for bicycles), and the 110-slip public marina, at 79th street. It is also an important part of New York State's Water Trail.

7. Governors Island National Monument

The site of another fortification—two of them—Fort Jay and Castle Williams, which were built to guard New York Harbor in the early years of the Republic, Governor’s Island is best known today for FIGMENT NYC, the fanciful and welcoming participatory art festival held one weekend each June. Jointly administered by the Park Service and the Trust for Governor’s Island, the 172-acre former Army and Coast Guard installation (active until 1996) is being transformed into public space, including manmade hills with panoramic views, scheduled to open in 2016. Thirty acres of new parkland opened in 2014, including Hammock Grove with its 50 hammocks, ideal for a weary national park visitor to rest a bit. The Trust calls Governor’s Island New York City’s “Playground for the Arts,” hosting food festivals, performances, and cultural events from May through the September. Access is by ferry from the Battery Maritime Building, in lower Manhattan, and Brooklyn Bridge Park’s East River Pier 6, in Brooklyn. Bicycles are encouraged and cyclists may bring their own or rent one on the island. Castle Williams, a circular sandstone fort built in 1811, was completely rehabilitated in 2011 and is now open to the public for the first time in its 200-plus year history. Access to the exterior and ground floor are free and open to all, with guided tours to the upper levels—the tours are free also, but you need to take the tour if you want to experience the upper levels.

The Wrap-up

With modest (and sometimes free) admission fees, knowledgeable staff, access to public transportation, worldwide historical significance, and world-class natural beauty, national parks in and around New York City offer much to residents and visitors alike. As the National Park Service’s second century unfolds, treat yourself to the experiences imagined back in 1916 for “the enjoyment of future generations”—including your own.

Additional Reading and Resources:

Every Kid in a Park
National Park Foundation
Gateway National Recreation Area
Federal Hall National Monument
Castle Clinton National Monument
Fire Island National Seashore
Statue of Liberty National Monument
Ellis Island
General Grant National Monument
Hudson River Greenway Water Trail
Governor’s Island National Monumen