Fort Tilden (Gateway National Recreation Area)

Beautiful spot to take the dogs for a walk during the off-season. There were multiple people walking their dogs. There were quite a few people fishing. Large beach. Large parking lot with trash bins and a porta-potty during the govt shutdown.

Fort Tilden, part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, is a unique coastal destination offering a mix of natural beauty, history, and recreation. Visitors can explore scenic beaches, hiking trails, and historic military structures. The area is peaceful, clean, and less crowded than nearby beaches, making it perfect for walking, birdwatching, photography, or simply enjoying a relaxing day in nature. With its blend of history and outdoor activities, Fort Tilden is ideal for families, couples, and nature enthusiasts seeking a quiet getaway with stunning views of the Atlantic coastline.

It's a wonderful place for long quiet walks and bird watching.

One of the places where you will be blown through but at the same time your head will be cleared for a moment from the bustle of New York; recharging or clearing the battery of thoughts in your head. Yes, there is one but in the summer you will not feel it because of the number of visitors to these places in good weather.

My preferred time to visit Fort Tilden is in fall when annoying parking permit restrictions expire. Parking near athletic fields is good choice for hiking trail leading to batteries. Shore Road parking is closer if your goal is a beach walk. Decent size loop can be made doing beach hike to fishermen’s parking lot and returning back via batteries trail. Observation deck at Battery Harris East provides best 360 observation views, so not to be missed.

I have mixed feelings about this "National Park" which is located next to a gated town on an exclusive island off the east coast of Brooklyn. As a fan of National Parks who has visited many, I found this particular one to be un-welcoming in a number of ways. First and foremost, the lack of proper signage and parking makes finding a proper place to park extremely difficult. We followed what signs we saw and drove through 3 lots, all posted, no parking from March 15 through September something. What?? It's April and they also post no dogs. Again, what? Yet I seen folks with dogs. Some leashed, some not. The grounds itself and the bunkers are cool to explore and walk around. We did end up parking where it seemed to be posted, no parking, but the lot was virtually empty, and we didn't get ticketed. After our visit upon viewing Google maps, it appears I found a better parking lot, that was closer but again, we drove past that road twice and never seen signs for Ft Tilden or parking. Also, I found 3 ticks on myself after I got home, so be careful with that!

This is the walk/bike path to the old building. Well, it's been a few yrs that I've been this way. And I do recall that they where putting down gravel. I didn't think about that and went this way today and went down! I81 Yeah, the farthest bunch of marks on the gravel is all me! I didn't think about my tires, since I have city tires on with no off road grip, I paid the price!