Gateway National Recreation Area

What’s the buzz? These bumblebees are busy drinking nectar and pollinating. Bees are essential pollinators that transfer pollen from flower to flower, which in turn supports the ecosystem. In this video, you get to witness a bumblebee do “buzz pollination”. They are one of the few bee species that vibrate flowers to release pollen. If you see a bee, there is no need to harm it, they won’t harm you. They are an important part of the pollination process. 🐝🌼

🌸May, you were beautiful

🌊From blooming trails to breezy shorelines, thank you for spending part of your spring with us.

🌞Summer’s right around the corner… are you ready?

Join the National Parks of New York Harbor and Gateway National Recreation Area on June 6, 2026, in celebrating National Trails Day with a birding trip! Join a ranger for a walk around West Pond in the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, all skill levels welcome! Binoculars provided, meet in the Visitor Center at 11 a.m.

In the 1970s, ospreys were on the brink of extinction, being placed on the Endangered Species List. Their decline was due to the pesticide DDT. Federal, state, and private agencies helped spur the raptor’s recovery by erecting artificial nest platforms and engaging in active reintroduction. In the early 1990s, here at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a nesting platform was introduced. It is still the same platform you can view from the trail nowadays. Thanks to the ban of DDT as well as the improvement of the estuary ecosystem, ospreys have thrived to the point that they are no longer on the Endangered Species list.

Are you ready for a FUN-filled weekend on the Hook?! 😎

🐟 Annual Ocean Fun Day!
🕑 Sunday, May 17: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
📍 NJ Sea Grant Consortium – Building #22

💡 Sandy Hook Lighthouse Tours
🕑 Every Fri, Sat, Sun, & Mon: 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
❗ Children must be 48 inches tall

🪖 Coastal Defense Day
🕑 Sunday, May 17: 11:00 pm – 4:00 pm
📍 Beach Plaza G – Battery Gunnison

🏠 Fort Hancock Museum
🕑 Sunday, May 17: 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
📍 Building #28

🏠 History House
🕑 Every Fri, Sat, Sun, & Mon: 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
📍 Officer’s Row House #1

🚀 Nike Missile Radar Site Tour
🕑 Sunday, May 17: 12:00 pm – 3:30 pm
📍 Parking Lot L – Horseshoe Cove

The Sandy Hook Visitor Center and Official Park Store will be open Fri, Sat, Sun, and Mon from 10 AM – 4 PM.

Visit the calendar page on our website: www.nps.gov/gate for more information. See you in the park!

Wildlife Wednesday Challenge!
Keep your eyes open…
Spring means wildlife is on the move! From shorebirds to butterflies, Gateway is full of life this time of year.
And speaking of wildlife…
Alright bird experts, this one’s for you.
We caught this feathered visitor in action…
but can YOU guess what kind of bird it is?
Drop your best guess below
Bonus points if you’ve spotted one in the park!
Have you seen something cool lately? Share it in the comments, we love to see what you see!

Join us this weekend as we celebrate Earth's "living fossil" at our 10th Annual Horseshoe Crab Festival!

Meet us and our partners down at Sunset Cove & American Ballfields Park in Broad Channel, Queens from 10AM-2PM for a chance to explore the shoreline and learn more about these amazing creatures up close!

We'll be joined by a bunch of our friends, including Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, American Littoral Society, NYC Bird Alliance, and NYC Plover Project.

Hope to see you there!

While walking around West Pond Trail at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, you might have noticed these webby tents on some trees. What are they? They are Eastern tent caterpillars that become Lappet moths. They hatch from their eggs in early spring and live inside their silk tent for weeks. They use heat from the sun to warm up and digest their meals. If you see these communal tents on the trail, do not knock them down, they are harmless to humans.

Please do not feed the animals at Gateway. While it may seem like a good idea, wild animals at Gateway are just that—wild. Leaving food out for the wildlife can significantly harm them. If you would like to help the wildlife at Gateway, you can do your part by respecting area closures for habitat restoration and staying at least 100 feet away from any wild animals you see.

NPS Photo/Danny Calabrese