Great chill place to be especially during Halloween with the haunted house and garden of good and evil but mostly evil lol. However beware I heard they do kkk meetings there in the past , not sure if true or not but good to know in case. read more

About 20 years ago a friend of mine was an electrician for the National Park Service at Breezy Point. I had on many occasions been inside the concrete military bunkers that are scattered around on the property (the park's dept workers used to have parties in them). I have also been inside the Nike missile launch site. We drove down one of those back roads in there that led to a flat open concrete area. My buddy unlocked a hatch in the ground and we climbed down a ladder into the launch site. The rooms down there are all sound proofed. Very cool stuff. I live in NJ now and am dying to go back there. I guess in 2010 they are not open to the public? read more

Got there by 11:00am on one of the hottest weekend. Park outside the Fort and walked in with my portable small cooler and 2 towels. Settled closer side to Riis Park with only very few people, mostly young & urban crowd. Most search & use drift wood to setup their serenity heaven, very bohemian. Sand is soft, very little man made pollution and the wave is medium. As the hour grew, more are crowding the once quiet spot! Once serenity, now with freebie, volleyball & music! A great place for some quality quiet time, but go during weekday!!! read more

If you don't approach from the big empty unkempt fields on the approach from the street, hit the boardwalk at Jacob Riis beach, go all the way to the end--then keep going, on the sand, around the dune to this NPS-controlled property (go all the way to the end if you'd like to remove your clothing). read more

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Attended a large picnic event. The space was clean and large. There are two sides, so arrive early to get a good spot near the parking lot. If not, you will have to walk the distance. read more

My family and I have been biking to this little (yet large) beach spot for years. It was quiet and very peaceful when we first started coming here, but as time progressed, more people have begun showing up. Nonetheless, it's a great place for some serenity and peace at mind. read more

Hipsters Stay Away! You are Ruining Ft Tilden! It is natural, you are not! Ft Tilden is a great haven for those of us living in Brooklyn and Queens. It was a great secret for a long time. Beautiful, secluded, natural. Unfortunately, now it has become unnatural, mostly on the weekends, due to the ridiculous invasion of hipsters who "now" think this is a "cool" place. It is very unfortunate for this very special place. It hurts(terribly) to see this invasion. For many years, many before the first hipster ever touched foot in Brooklyn, I have loved and found solace in this beautiful beach. Once an oasis, now a post apocalyptic fantasy hangout for people trying so hard to be weird and creepy and clones of each other. I can't figure out why. The stars are for the place I love Monday thru Friday and off season, and for the years of non-hipster beach on the weekends through my life. If you must go take your garbage with you when you leave. This is a National Park with a limited budget that keeps getting smaller. Oh and you , drunk, dancing naked on the dunes, not cool! read more

As a once, virtually lawless, secluded beach retreat for the hipster-minded young adults of New York (in particular, transplant Brooklyn), it was at a time taboo to spread the good word about Fort Tilden to the general public. But let's be real here - the secret's out. And it has been for a few years now. Heck, they ship 'em in by the busload from Williamsburg, Bushwick, Downtown BK, and God knows where else. Hell, they even made a movie about this place. This has certainly turned Fort Tilden into more of a beach party than the aforementioned beach retreat, especially on the weekends. While I do recall the quieter, more unkempt, pre-party shuttle, pre-Sandy days here at Fort Tilden, I never claimed this place as my own private sanctuary to get all salty about its current popularity. These days, the beach serves a slightly different purpose to a somewhat broader demographic, but it can be a perfect, full summer's day with friends if you know what to expect - which is, not gonna lie, mostly half-naked hipsters having a good-ass time with little more than a beach towel and a cooler full of cheap beer. Let's just call a spade a spade. Yes, Fort Tilden had somewhat of a nude beach reputation at one point in time. Today, topless women still very much reign supreme (a destination in itself for the #freethenipple crowd, it's impossible to find a plot of land without ladies taking advantage of the liberal situation), but anything beyond that isn't exactly tolerated. I'd gone on a quiet, nearly empty weekday (the closest you'll get to reclaiming the old Fort Tilden vibe) when a park ranger made two stark naked women, with about a 50 yard radius of beach to themselves, cover up. If you travel far enough West, where rangers may not want to trudge through the sand and hot sun in head-to-toe, pants-and-long-sleeves, government attire, you may encounter a small squad of naturists (read: old dudes), but for the most part, it appears those days are over. Fort Tilden is by no means the fully naked free-for-all some people make it out to be. Titties, totally, but naughty bits, not so much. By definition, Fort Tilden is an abandoned military base. If you've brought your sneakers and wish to do a bit of adventuring, seek out the back road bike trails that lead to Battery Harris East and West, structures that used to house nuclear missiles during the Cold War, now covered in street art. (Or is it beach art?) Note, they're basically shrouded by heavy brush and barely visible from the beach, meaning you've got your work cut out for you when trying to find them, but that just makes it that much more rewarding when uncovering such a unique, historical, how-is-this-still-New York City artifact. Scattered across the park are other, smaller, dilapidated buildings, also covered in graffiti, some of which have inevitably played host to art installations recently given Fort Tilden's surge in popularity. Speaking of adventures, it can be a trek to get out here in the first place, even with a car. And even if you do have a car, it can't hurt to bring a bike too, especially if you want to take advantage of exploring the military ruins. The closest parking is at Jacob Riis, and from there, you still have to walk a bit West to get to Fort Tilden proper. The easy way out is probably those group shuttles that allow you to drink en route and then basically dump you off at the dunes. Otherwise, there is always the good ol' MTA, where a subway ride will get you halfway there and then it's a bus transfer for the final leg. Choose wisely. Given Fort Tilden's near-primal landscape, its liberal, unsupervised crowds (meaning no lifeguards and minimal presence from rangers, who are really there to keep the beach devoid of litter and bottomless bathers), and its unusual back story as a bona fide, secret Army base, it's all very post-apocalyptic, if you're into that nuclear-fallout, last-man-on-Earth kind of thing. And getting there can certainly feel like you're at the end of the world, but that's part of the appeal, and worth the extra time and effort. Certainly carve out a full day for yourself, preferably one with a perfectly sunny forecast. There's simply no other beach like this in the city - it's no wonder people wanted to keep it to themselves. read more

If you are into urban exploration, then this is the place for you ;-) And if you like beaches minus the crowds, then this is also the place for you. This beach is located in the Rockaways, Queens. We read a NYT article about an abandoned military base here. Wow! Really? Very exciting! OK...so we get to the Rockaways and we park by Jacob Riis beach ($5) and we walk west. We weren't really sure where we were going, but luckily we ran into a guy who was fixing the fence behind the beach. He was very helpful and a native ;-) The 2 military buildings we were looking for are a bit secluded, but there is a small path leading to them, which gets good traffic. There were at least 5 other people also exploring the buildings. At the second building, there are stairs which lead to a landing and the view is amazing! You can see Gotham and Coney Island in the same view! Wonderful!! This was definitely a fun outing, but if you're going during mosquito season, please bring bug repellant. I was eaten alive ;-( read more

I think that Ft Tilden get way too much credit then what it really is. First, you will not find parking. And if you will not resist the temptation of parking against what clearly written over the signs, you will find a ticket when return to the car. Your other option is to park far, and start walking. Does the place worth the walk and to spend a day that can be spent in much better places in New York? Not on my book. read more

Cars parked on state road that disobey the posted signs will be ticketed and towed. About 70 cars were ticketed and towed today 7/5/14

PICK UP YOUR TRASH WHEN YOU LEAVE! ITS NOT COOL TO LEAVE YOUR TRASH EVERYWHERE. HAVE SOME RESPECT. I don't care where you are from or what you look like but be respectful of nature and others. read more

I woke up this morning and felt like it would be a great day to get to the beach. I normally go to Long Beach, but thought I would switch it up. I took a few wrong trains/buses so it took me a long time to get there from Manhattan, but I'm glad I did? The beach was empty. I wandered off pretty far west and didn't really venture out into the dunes. I just laid myself down on my sheet and enjoyed a day of relaxing and reading while the waves came in. Being the middle of the week, all my friends were working so I made the trip alone. There were quite a few people who were walking around but i felt kind of secluded where I was. There was plenty of space that you could feel comfortable and nobody was very close to you. I saw several people enjoying the day in the nude, but most people were fairly modest. Oh yeah, Note to self: if an 80 year old man approaches you and asks you to rub some sunscreen on his back, that really means that he wants to try and give you a nice rub n' tug and accidentally graze your nips and flash his penis in your face when you lay back down, etc. Being a 29 year old guy, it was pretty awkward to say the least. Future reference: politely decline applying stranger's sunscreen, even if it appears they have no other option. Other than that, the beach itself was beautiful. It took me about 2 hours to get back to the Upper West Side. read more

Only place to take the kids. Period. Clean beach. Clean water ( don't expect this everywhere in NY- Coney Island is a prime example). The food is pricey but there are healthy options. The waves are a bit more aggressive here but the beauty of the beach... enjoy! read more

We like this beach because of all the cool abandoned houses you can check out ..We had a little adventure and climbed to the top for a beautiful view of the city. The beach itself is nice and clean but there are no lifeguards and the waves can get really intense. read more

Great place to relax, suntan, very solitary beach. You're going to need a bike to fully explore the trails. You can walk to the top of battery harris east for a 360 view. read more

I still love this beach, but why is it always so (relatively) crowded now? Still an interesting and beautiful destination, but not exactly the magical escape from other people it once was. read more

Growing up in NYC we have limited number of good public beaches. This place is a definite plus! Its clean & less crowded than Rockaway or Coney Island. I loved the fact that I could dip my feet in the water without it being covered in seaweed. I suggest getting here early to avoid the "hipster" crowd if that bothers you but if you don't care just go enjoy yourself & relax. Police do patrol the area, at least we saw two on horses and NYPD helicopters every 2 hours or so, no one bothers you so feel free to bring alcohol just keep it concealed and preferably in plastic containers or at least out of sight from the police. I could understand why some local residents hate on the hipster crowd coming in and "invading" their beach but its PUBLIC so get over it. I'll be back here again for sure. read more

This place is nothing but amazing. It literally reminds me of Jurassic Park. It's so cool, definitely worth every minute. Prepare to walk a lot because this place is very big, especially if you don't wanna miss anything.The view from the top of Battery Harris is breathtaking. You can even see the Manhattan skyline. And you can seriously just stay up there for hours. There's Battery Harris East and West, so yes there are two of them! Follow the same road all the way down to see the second one. I missed it when I first went. You can also take that same road down to the beach which will lead you to the hidden bunkers I heard/seen pictures that are a little further down on the beach. I didn't find it but this place is so cool it makes you want to go back many many more times to explore. It's a beautiful beach as well which is now my go to beach anytime I wanna enjoy a nice view. The graffiti art in the abandoned houses are really unique. Definitely something I have never seen before. If you live in New York or just a tourist, make it your duty to go to this park. I guarantee you won't regret it!!!! Enjoy!! read more

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Inconvenient to get to, though not as bad if you are the weird type of New Yorker with a car. Despite its inconvenience, it was pretty crowded. And am I going to be the person who complains that I didn't have cell phone reception? Yup, I am. Because a beach loses its desolate charms when it's that crowded. read more

I had heard this was a great beach. If you like a long commute, a crowded and dirty beach, I guess so. Not worth the time or the trip. Many other beaches around are more able to absorb the crowds and are easier to get to. Cleaner too. read more

Another one of my favorite places to get away. It's an excellent bike ride out to this former military installation now a park welcoming bikes but not cars. Love it. I love that all these former military installations are all becoming parks too. Talk about swords into plowshares. Plus they are really well preserved with great nature to explore because they were off limits to development. The beach scene here is great. Not a crazy place like coney island and not with the city right on top of you like the rest of Rockaway. Here you can let the city melt away and just listen to the ocean with a reasonable number of your fellow New Yorkers. read more

One of my favorite biking destinations. It's only about a 30 minute bike ride for me and coming here just makes you feel like you're so far away from the city. It's very relaxing and you can check out some side trails, climb the dunes, and just explore! Near one of the bunker's is a staircase that you can climb for an amazing view (it's pretty high up). There's also a nice beach in here so that you can swim or just chill at. Meet up with some of your biking partners and head down over here for a day of relaxation! read more

Checked it out for the first time yesterday and had a total blast. It wasn't the best beach weather but the waves were awesome. Not sure what it's like most of the time but there was a fairly strong undertow in the water so you'll want to be careful about that. There was a fairly good crowd on the beach but it wasn't hard to find a chill spot if you walk further down. Younger beach crowd as to be expected and there were some topless ladies walking around so if that's an issue for you maybe consider that. All in all great spot, it's a pain to get there but once you are there it's like your 100 miles away from the city. Parking is $10 but it was free when we showed up, not sure what the deal is with that but it was a nice little surprise. Drinking on the beach isn't allowed but during the day I only saw two rangers come on down through and they did stop and ask that open cans\bottles be put away, however if you were playing it chill with a cup and play it low key I can't see it being a real issue that they would bust your balls over or even bother you. There are no life guards or anything just simple pure beach and low slung dunes, very nice. Totally recommend it and I'll be back to check out the paths and the fort and all the other stuff that's out there. read more

Well this is a beach for those that know how to swim because there is no lifeguards and you swim at your own risk other wish its nice at the end of everything and less crowd read more

STOP WALKING ON THE DUNES! The are really fragile and I cringe every time some idiot walks up there to get cell phone reception. Use the cross walks.. read more

Dan R.'s lengthy review makes no mention that Ft. Tilden is a "fishing beach". I've been going there my whole life, and natives have no interest in naked hipsters, "beach art" or unwelcome visitors swimming where we are casting. No lifeguards because it has never been a swimming beach. I thought we lost this beach last year, and with great apprehension, I went today, Sun 8/7. I was pleased to see the place swarming with fishermen, families and park police ticketing illegally parked hipster cars. Native NY'ers should not have to adjust to these outsiders who have no respect because of their shear numbers. The parks dept. is cracking down, and thank God. read more

such a beautiful place. less crowded than other beaches i've been to around nyc. perhaps this is because it is accessible only via bike. it was a beautiful bike ride over and we were awarded with an amazing experience by the water. love this place! very serene and quiet. read more

Listen, you gotta hate me by now, but I do have a great deal of respect for you, as I grew up in a similar situation. I am very defensive about my city, and if you read some of the anti-native NYer posts, you might understand. In retrospect, I'd like to opolgize to you, Melanie. Welcome to Bklyn, and I wish you good fortune. read more

After reading Janelle F's post we had to come check out Fort Tilden for ourselves. True to her write up, we saw idiots walking around in their underwear, lots of skin, lots of bikes and and some ink. The place should be renamed "B-cup" Beach. We couldn't sit up from our towel without getting an eyeful but we're not complaining. Funny thing is from a distance a lot of the long haired young men in their underwear looked a lot like the young topless women. Our favorite was a girl in a one piece who just pulled down her top enough so her stomach was still covered, like she just wanted to fit in with everyone else. We also saw lots of families and fully clothed beach patrons as well. But that is the beauty of a NY beach - a whole lotta everything. There aren't that many beaches so what do you expect? Out of the NY beaches we have visited, so far, Fort Tilden is the nicest. We loved the more relaxed atmosphere, ALL of the surrounding beach patrons, the cool water, surrounding bike/walking paths, deserted buildings and everything Fort Tilden has and doesn't have to offer. What it lacks is bathrooms, food, and surfing. But you can find those three things down the road at Rockaway Beach. The farther you walk or bike away from the parking area at Riis park ($10 for the day and also where the bus will drop you) the more secluded you will be. So it is all up to you how far away you want to be from the groups of people. It was nice to be able to have an adult beverage (we packed a cooler with snacks and drinks) on a beach without the fear of getting a ticket. Though I am pretty sure it is illegal to drink on the beach and not sure what the clothing rules are, but if you really care the nyc parks website has rules you can download. We did see some security patrols but as long as you are quiet, respectful, and don't throw your garbage on the beach you should be fine. So come out and enjoy Fort Tilden but please don't bring glass bottles and cig butts count as garbage so don't leave them on the beach! Oh and we found some amazing graffiti telling 'hipster douchebags' to go home which gave us a good laugh. We'll be going back all summer. Hope to see you out there Janelle. read more

It says Im a fan, but just of the park, not of the recent influx of hipster doofuses. The ones who leave their trash (yes, cigarettes are trash) are the problem, mostly. But yeah, after spending the last 32 yrs from bay 14 to the silver gull, i have to say Im highly disappointed. These people bring bottles onto the beach, wander the dunes that were partially washed away in last years hurricanes yell at the fishermen...what the fuck, its a fishing beach, not a swimming beach. Therefore you schucks (do you think they know that word) and I, for I do swim there, are responsible for getting OUR asses out of THEIR way. Plain and simple. Dont like it? Dont come back. Please. We're tired of your garbage and your rudeness and for the guys who actually CHANGE ON THE FUCKIN BEACH, enough already. Be a man. And what kind of an idiot brings bottles onto the beach? Just because you dont respect yourself is no reason to not respect an absolutely gorgeous place. Please grow up if you're coming to the beach and treat it well. Thats really all thats ever been asked yet some wont listen. What happened to politeness? I love that so many of these folks act superior and just too cool and they talk about being part of a solution but dont they realize they arent doing anyone any good by disrespecting everything they see.Go back where you came from if you cant be decent. A wpman was yelling at a fisherman today, and me being a fool tried to explain to her that she was wrong , but this angry sea cow just didnt understand any but her own view, like I'm here and I can do as I wish and if something happens it must be somone elses fault. Im never wrong. I was yelled at for calmy and nicely pointing out her stupidity and got yelled at for it. Then there were the asshole in the dunes...we need those dunes, stay off.Maybe we who have loved this park for years need to be a little more militant in our efforts to keep it a nice place. Remember, bay 14-17 was covered with people years ago and if you brought bottles onto the beach the USPP locked you in a silver van in the sun for two hours. That sounds like a good retrun to the past to me. After one time locked in a silver van in 95 degree heat you learn to listen. Stop dumping on our beach. Its a one of kind place and the hipsters are (not all, obviously) destroying it. read more