the beach today
Gateway National Recreation Area

Jacob Riis Park
Gateway NRA

Hidden Gem

Jacob Riis Park is the most underrated beach in New York -- a 1930s Art Deco bathhouse and clock tower, a mile of uncrowded Atlantic sand, part of Gateway National Recreation Area.

Today on the Sand

loading live data…

Water Temp

84°

warm · gentle surf

UV Index

9

very high · 10am–4pm

Beach Crowd

Busy

holiday weekend

Beach Toolkit

Beach Conditions

Surf, tides & water temp

Parking Finder

Garages, lots & meters

Sunset

Sunset countdown & live cam

Dining

Where to eat after the sand

Things to Do

Cruises, sails & tours

Events

What's on this week

Beach Rules

Dogs, drinks, fires, drones

Pick Your Sand

north to south

Bay 1

Main family section, near the bathhouse; currently closed to access (NPS, Sep 2026)

Families · lifeguards

Bay 9

LGBTQ+ historically welcoming section

Inclusive · accepting

Fort Tilden

West end, decommissioned fort, dune walks

Wild · historic

Breezy Point

Western tip, private gated community

Private · gated

Rockaway Beach

East along the peninsula, surf breaks

Surf · NYC

Manhattan Beach

East of Rockaway, quieter residential

Quiet · residential

Dolphin Cruises

Open →

Compare daily sails from the marina — wild dolphins on nearly every trip.

Beyond the Beach

day trips

Howard Beach

20 min north

Italian-American restaurants -- red sauce and seafood

Breezy Point

2 mi west

Private beachside community at the western tip of the peninsula

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

20 min

Best birding in NYC -- over 330 species recorded in the refuge

Queens

30-45 min

Howard Beach subway and the full range of Queens dining and neighborhoods

see you on the sand

Water temp, surf and UV are live from NOAA & Open-Meteo; sunset is computed locally for Jacob Riis Park. Crowd level is a weekday/weekend estimate.

Right now at Jacob Riis Park, the water is 60°F, surf is running 1–2 ft and the air is 61°F but feels like 55°F. Wind is 12 mph from the S and the UV index peaks at 3 (moderate) today. Unprotected fair skin burns in about 161 minutes right now. Today’s tides: High 1:57 AM, Low 8:09 AM, High 2:13 PM, Low 9:01 PM. Dogs are allowed right now, on a leash. Allowed until March 15.