Attractions
IconicConey Island
FreeStroll a 2.7-mile oceanfront boardwalk, ride the Cyclone and Wonder Wheel, and eat a hot dog at the original Nathan's.
Photo: Szeremeta, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFamily FavoriteFree
Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook is an outdoor activity in Highlands, NJ, part of the New York City guide. Cost: free. Beach parking fee charged from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
128 South Hartshorne Dr · Highlands, NJ
Why you should go…
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit about six miles long at the southern entrance of Lower New York Bay, run by the National Park Service as part of Gateway National Recreation Area. You can spend the day on oceanside or bayside beaches, then head to Fort Hancock, a former Army post open to visitors. The Sandy Hook Lighthouse, built in 1764, is the oldest working lighthouse in the United States and offers tours. There is no entrance fee, though beach parking carries a daily charge in summer.
- #beach
- #lighthouse
- #national recreation area
- #historic fort
What's around here?
The closest stops to Sandy Hook, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
7.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions
- AttractionsIconic
Luna Park
$25–$50Ride the landmark Cyclone wooden coaster, the Thunderbolt and other rides and games beside the Coney Island boardwalk.
7.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions
- AttractionsFamily Favorite
New York Aquarium
$25–$50Walk through a 14-acre Coney Island aquarium with a shark exhibit, the Aquatheater and an invertebrate gallery called Spineless.
7.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions
- Sport & OutdoorFree
Prospect Park
FreeRoam Olmsted and Vaux's Brooklyn park, from the 90-acre Long Meadow to a wooded ravine and the 60-acre Prospect Lake.
14 mi awayMore like this
- Sport & OutdoorFamily Favorite
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Under $25Stroll 52 acres of themed gardens, from a Japanese hill-and-pond garden to a bonsai museum and conservatory.
14 mi awayMore like this
- Sport & OutdoorOutdoor Adventure
Governors Island
Under $25Ride a short ferry to a car-free harbor island with two old forts, lawns, hammocks, public art and skyline views.
16 mi awayMore like this
