Great Kills Park Park
Staten Island seaside park with trails and beaches
Part of Staten Island's waterfront parks, Great Kills offers beaches, marshes, a marina and trails; locals and visitors fish, picnic and watch migrating shorebirds.
Great Kills Park at a Glance#
Address: Great Kills Park, Staten Island, New York - part of the Gateway National Recreation Area
Website: https://www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/greatkills.htm
About Great Kills Park#
Great Kills Park is a coastal park on Staten Island that forms part of the Gateway National Recreation Area and is managed by the National Park Service. The park includes beaches, tidal marshes, wooded areas and a marina-facing harbor.
Facilities and features include shoreline access for fishing, a public marina at Great Kills Harbor, picnic areas and multi-use trails that traverse woodlands and marsh edges. The tidal marshes and beaches are notable for birdwatching, particularly during migration seasons.
Much of the park’s landscape is coastal - with protected harbor waters, marshes and beach frontage - and it is frequently used for boating, shoreline recreation and nature study. The park is one of several coastal units of Gateway NRA on Staten Island.
Great Kills Park lies on Staten Island’s South Shore, adjacent to Great Kills Harbor and facing Lower New York Bay. It is accessible from local roads and via the Staten Island Railway at Great Kills station.
- Park management: Managed by the U.S. National Park Service as part of the Staten Island unit of Gateway National Recreation Area.
- Birdwatching: Salt marshes and coastal edges are strong birdwatching areas, especially during spring and fall migration periods.
What to See#
- Great Kills Harbor: A protected harbor and marina area used for recreational boating and fishing, adjoining the park’s shoreline.
- Salt marshes and beaches: Tidal marshes and beachfront areas that support shorebirds and waterfowl, widely used for birdwatching and nature study.
How to Get to Great Kills Park#
Great Kills Park is on Staten Island’s south shore. By car, access is via Richmond Avenue or Hylan Boulevard with parking at various lots serving trails and beaches. Local buses (S78, S55, among others depending on route changes) connect from the Staten Island Ferry and the St. George terminal; check current MTA schedules.
Tips for Visiting Great Kills Park#
- Visit early to avoid peak weekend crowds, especially on summer weekends when city dwellers come to the shoreline.
- Combine a park walk with a ferry or Staten Island day trip if exploring New York Harbor views.
- Watch for tides-some shoreline paths and rock exposures are best viewed at low tide.
Best Time to Visit Great Kills Park#
Spring through autumn are best for visiting; summer draws local crowds while spring and fall offer bird migration and calmer paths.
Weather & Climate near Great Kills Park#
Temperate climate with warm summers (peaking in July) and freezing winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from -5°C to 29°C. Abundant rainfall (1209 mm/year), wettest in July, distributed fairly evenly throughout the year.
| Month | Comfort | Temp | Feels | Rain | Sky | Humidity | Wind | UV | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | - | -5° - 4° | -6° | 96 mm | - | - | 4.8 m/s | - | - |
| February | - | -4° - 5° | -4° | 78 mm | - | - | 4.9 m/s | - | - |
| March | - | 0° - 10° | 1° | 104 mm | - | - | 5.0 m/s | - | - |
| April | - | 5° - 16° | 11° | 102 mm | - | - | 4.8 m/s | - | - |
| May | - | 11° - 22° | 16° | 111 mm | - | - | 4.2 m/s | - | - |
| June | - | 16° - 26° | 21° | 92 mm | - | - | 4.0 m/s | - | - |
| July | - | 19° - 29° | 24° | 118 mm | - | - | 3.7 m/s | - | - |
| August | - | 18° - 28° | 23° | 113 mm | - | - | 3.5 m/s | - | - |
| September | - | 14° - 24° | 19° | 104 mm | - | - | 3.8 m/s | - | - |
| October | - | 7° - 18° | 13° | 92 mm | - | - | 4.0 m/s | - | - |
| November | - | 3° - 12° | 5° | 103 mm | - | - | 4.5 m/s | - | - |
| December | - | -2° - 7° | -2° | 96 mm | - | - | 4.6 m/s | - | - |
