Great Kills Park is part of the National Park Service's Gateway National Recreation Area, the first urban national park in the United States.
The park contains the Great Kills Harbor, which is a major site for recreational boating in New York City.
The landscape is home to sensitive ecological environments, including coastal scrub-shrub habitats and rare maritime grasslands.
During the winter, the park is a known location for spotting overwintering waterfowl such as brant and scaup.
The area is built upon a foundation of reclaimed marshlands, which have been managed by the federal government since the 1970s.
Great Kills Park is a 580-acre unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area located on the eastern shore of Staten Island. The park features a complex of tidal marshes, protected beaches, and a public marina. It functions as a significant stopover point for migratory bird species along the Atlantic Flyway. Visitors can access multiple trails that traverse salt marshes and woodland habitats. The area was historically developed from filled marshland and now serves as a buffer against coastal storm surges. Swimming is permitted only at designated beaches during the summer season when lifeguards are on duty. The park provides expansive views of the Lower New York Bay and the Raritan Bay.
The elevated paths overlooking the tidal marshes during golden hour.
Bring polarized sunglasses to better observe marine life in the shallow marsh waters.
Check local NPS alerts for seasonal swimming beach closures due to water quality or staffing.
Stay on designated paths to protect the fragile salt marsh vegetation and avoid tick habitats.
Walking into the salt marshes, as the terrain can be unstable and contains protected wildlife habitats.
Lifeguarded swimming is seasonal; beach access may be restricted during the off-season.
Stay on marked trails to protect the salt marsh ecosystem; dogs must be kept on a leash at all times.
