Jacob Riis Park

Jacob Riis Park is the National Park Service's ocean beach at the west end of the Rockaway peninsula, backed by a 1930s Art Deco bathhouse and a long boardwalk. Swimming is limited to the bays where lifeguards are posted, and erosion has kept some eastern bays closed in recent seasons. Check the Gateway beach page before you go, since the guarded bays shift during the summer.

Directions

Photo: Tdorante10 · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Latest reading · SwimScore 67/100 (Good swim) for a typical swimmer: air 19°C, wind 31 km/h, waves 2.2 m, UV 2. Updated 23 Sept, 22:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Best conditions: Only swim at lifeguarded bays during guard hours; NPS notes the guarded bays change through the season.
Getting in: Part of Gateway National Recreation Area; no entrance fee. The park is open daily 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Parking & transport: Beach parking is charged from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day and the park does not accept cash. In summer the Q35 bus stops at the bathhouse; the nearest subway is Rockaway Park-Beach 116th Street (A and S), and a free shuttle runs from the NYC Ferry at Beach 108th Street.
Lifeguards: NPS lifeguards are on duty 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day in designated bays (Bays 2, 3 and 5 in the current posting). Swimming is prohibited where and when lifeguards are not on duty; red flags mean no swimming or wading.
Season: Lifeguarded swimming from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
Watch for: Rip currents, lateral currents, undertow and sudden drop-offs noted by NPS
Erosion exposed old wooden groins and rockwork; Bays 1 and 4 closed to access and swimming
Facilities: Restrooms, including accessible restrooms · First aid · Food and drink concessions · Picnic area and playgrounds · Historic Art Deco bathhouse and boardwalk