Recreation area

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Gateway National Recreation Area · Broad Channel · New York — managed by National Park Service

Open recreation area — no reservation needed

About this campground

The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is the gateway to this 900-acre preserve, home to salt marshes, uplands, open bay and beach areas, and two man-made ponds, all supporting hundreds of species of plant and wildlife. The one story, flat-roofed building contains a ranger desk, colorful exhibits on the eco-system of the surrounding area, a classroom, a bookstore, wheelchair accessible bathrooms, water fountains, and tactile, hands-on nature exhibits. Restrooms are open when the visitor center is

Getting there

Off of Cross Bay Boulevard. From the North, East, and West the Visitor Contact Station is approximately 1.5 miles past the bridge on the right. From the South (and alternate route from other directions): Beach Channel Drive to the Cross Bay - Veterans Memorial Bridge. Cross the bridge toward Broad Channel. Follow Cross Bay Boulevard through Broad Channel, about 1 mile. Turn left at traffic light into the Visitor Contact Station parking lot.

Contact
(718) 318-4340

Nearby federal campgrounds

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Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center doesn't take campsite reservations — but plenty of nearby New York campgrounds do, and we'll alert you the moment a sold-out site opens up.

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Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.