2 Park visitors walking on the beach at Horseshoe Cove while the sun is setting
Bird watching on the bay
Two park visitors seining while the sun is setting
Osprey perched on a tree branch
Windsurfers at bayside beaches

About Camp Gateway - Sandy Hook

Welcome to Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook Unit! There are a variety of cultural and recreational opportunities available at the park including history tours, living history demonstrations, hiking, birding, kayaking, camping, swimming, and biking. Sandy Hook is known for its beautiful beaches, the Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook Proving Ground National Historic Landmark, and the country's oldest continuing working lighthouse.

Available sites

18 total sites

Activities & Attractions

Nearby

Birding

Birding

Year-round
Hiking

Hiking

Year-round
Kayaking

Kayaking

Spring Summer Fall
Swimming

Swimming

Summer

Seasonal information

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently closed

Campground Amenities

Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Potable Water
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

18 Sites Available

Site
Price
⛺ A01, Loop: Ajax Tent
Campfire · Yes shade
⛺ A02, Loop: Ajax Tent
Campfire
⛺ A03, Loop: Ajax Tent
Campfire · Yes shade
⛺ A04, Loop: Ajax Tent
Campfire
⛺ B06, Loop: Beach Plum Tent
Campfire
⛺ B07, Loop: Beach Plum Tent
Campfire · Yes shade
⛺ B08, Loop: Beach Plum Tent
Campfire
⛺ B09, Loop: Beach Plum Tent
Campfire
⛺ B10, Loop: Beach Plum Tent
Campfire
⛺ C11, Loop: Cannonball Tent
Campfire · Yes shade
⛺ D13, Loop: Dune Grass Tent
Campfire · Shade shade
⛺ D14, Loop: Dune Grass Tent
Campfire
⛺ D15, Loop: Dune Grass Tent
Campfire · Shade shade
⛺ D16, Loop: Dune Grass Tent
Campfire
⛺ E17, Loop: Endicott Tent
Campfire · Shade shade
⛺ E19, Loop: Endicott Tent
Campfire · Shade shade
⛺ E20, Loop: Endicott Tent
Campfire
⛺ N21, Loop: Nike Tent
Campfire

Reviews

271 reviews

Summary

AI generated

Camp Gateway at Sandy Hook offers a beautiful and well-maintained campground with various activities, including hiking, biking, and fishing. Visitors appreciate the helpful rangers, clean facilities, and proximity to the beach and bay. While some noted minor inconveniences like limited parking and a lack of showers, the overall experience is positive, with many eager to return.

Based on guest feedback

4.3

Overall rating

Based on 271 reviews

Write a review
5 stars 61.6% (167)
4 stars 17.7% (48)
3 stars 11.1% (30)
2 stars 4.1% (11)
1 star 5.5% (15)

Showing 271 reviews

Josh F

Verified

July 14, 2023 Stayed at: D15, Loop: Dune Grass

Nice big pavilion at this campsite. Every campsite should have a pavilion like this.

Helpful

Josh F

Verified

July 14, 2023 Stayed at: C11, Loop: Cannonball

Overall the NPS rangers are very patient, personable, friendly and helpful. The campsites are excellent and clean. The bathrooms need help just because they are getting old, and obviously showers of any sort, even a rustic outdoor shower, would be a proper addition. Too many raccoons, foxes, and deer, all of which interfere in the camping experience.

Helpful

Josh F

Verified

July 14, 2023 Stayed at: D15, Loop: Dune Grass

Nice big pavilion at this campsite. Every campsite should have a pavilion like this.

Helpful

Josh F

Verified

July 14, 2023 Stayed at: C11, Loop: Cannonball

Overall the NPS rangers are very patient, personable, friendly and helpful. The campsites are excellent and clean. The bathrooms need help just because they are getting old, and obviously showers of any sort, even a rustic outdoor shower, would be a proper addition. Too many raccoons, foxes, and deer, all of which interfere in the camping experience.

Helpful

Kathleen S

Verified

July 16, 2023 Stayed at: A01, Loop: Ajax

Gateway is a great place to camp. The campground is very because there are no cars allowed on the site. The deer, racoons, foxes and turtles are regular visitors. The sites are set up with ample space. The rangers are super nice and helpful. The only thing that would make the campsite perfect are some private showers.

Helpful

Kathleen S

Verified

July 16, 2023 Stayed at: A01, Loop: Ajax

Gateway is a great place to camp. The campground is very because there are no cars allowed on the site. The deer, racoons, foxes and turtles are regular visitors. The sites are set up with ample space. The rangers are super nice and helpful. The only thing that would make the campsite perfect are some private showers.

Helpful

Jessica E

Verified

July 17, 2023 Stayed at: A01, Loop: Ajax

Camp Gateway was fantastic! Our campsite was right across from the bay, so both the location and the campsite itself were wonderful. The rangers were helpful and the site was clean and well managed. Thanks for a great stay!

Helpful

Jessica E

Verified

July 17, 2023 Stayed at: A01, Loop: Ajax

Camp Gateway was fantastic! Our campsite was right across from the bay, so both the location and the campsite itself were wonderful. The rangers were helpful and the site was clean and well managed. Thanks for a great stay!

Helpful

Josh F

Verified

July 18, 2023 Stayed at: D13, Loop: Dune Grass

The campsites are pretty good and well situated. Each site should have its own stand-alone pavilion. Even outdoor showers will go a long way toward making it a better camping experience. There are way too many raccoons moving around where humans eat and prepare food, including on top of the picnic tables, which is a dangerous situation begging for your campers to ingest a roundworm or other parasite that raccoons carry around on their feet. I spoke about this to a young man wearing a park police unform, gun, and badge who was walking around the campsites. His response to my concern about the overpopulated raccoons was outrageous: He actually said there are too many humans and that killing the raccoons would not be "humane." I don't know where you hire your staff from, but that guy should be fired and replaced with an intelligent person who cares about the park visitors. Sandy Hook is becoming a biological danger zone from these artificially overabundant pests that spread disease. Some of your staff are not willing to take the necessary steps to fix the situation, and in fact they are blaming the human visitors for being there as the problem. Unreal. My tax dollars are NOT fully at work here. I expect the National Park Service to operate far more professionally than this.

Helpful

Allison M

Verified

July 18, 2023 Stayed at: D13, Loop: Dune Grass

My son and I had an excellent experience. Everyone there was nice, rangers and campers. The raccoons truly have no fear of humans and even being being extremely aware of where we were eating and not dropping food, they were still in abundance at night.

The bathrooms were very clean, it would be awesome if they installed some type of shower (even outdoor one!), instead of relying on the ones by the beach.

The sunsets are amazing. If you can, bring bikes as sandy hook is extremely bike friendly.

Helpful

Location & Directions for Camp Gateway - Sandy Hook

Camp Gateway Sandy Hook, Highlands, NJ 07732 United States

Elevation: 4 ft

Getting There

From North Jersey and New York: South on the New Jersey Turnpike, Exit 11 onto the Garden State Parkway (South), Exit 117 (Keyport/Hazlet). After toll, bear left and follow Route 36 East 12 mi to park entrance (after crossing the Highlands Bridge...

Nearest town

Highlands, NJ - 5.1 mi

About 11 min to downtown

Policies & Rules

Arrival & departure

Check in time

12PM

Check out time

10AM

  • For late arrivals, obtain your parking pass before 9:00 p.m. to avoid ticketing.
  • Visit the provided website for more information about the area.

Wildlife & food storage

  • Expect to see Tawny Field Cockroaches between July and October, but they are harmless.
  • Keep food and scented items stored in provided lockers to avoid raccoon encounters.

Pets

  • Alcohol, smoking, and pets are not allowed in the campground.

Site types & loops

  • Only tent camping is allowed; RVs and car camping are not permitted.

Amenities

  • Restrooms with flushable toilets and sinks are available, but no showers.

Cancellation policy

  • You must be at least 18 years old to reserve a campsite and have at least one adult per site.

Safety & rules

  • Overnight camping only; day-use is not allowed.
  • There are no electric hookups and generators are not allowed.

Vehicles & parking

  • One vehicle per campsite is allowed, with limited parking available.

Fires & fuel

  • Buy firewood at check-in; outside wood and collecting wood in the park are not allowed.

Fees & deposits

  • Parking fees apply from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day; fees are required in designated lots.

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: October 23, 2026

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Explore Highlands, NJ

Population: 4,518

Nearby city: Perth Amboy, NJ

Approx. 15 mi away (straight-line distance)

Elevation: 7 ft

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