Hell Gate

Hell Gate is a narrow, tidal strait in the East River of New York City, located between the boroughs of Queens and Manhattan/Bronx near Randall’s and Ward’s Islands. It has long been notable for strong currents and for the railroad crossing of the Hell Gate Bridge.

The channel has been a natural waterway since before European settlement and was a notorious hazard for sailing and steam navigation in the 18th and 19th centuries. Late 19th- and early 20th-century engineering projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and rail builders altered underwater rocks and currents and culminated in construction of the Hell Gate Bridge and associated works.

Hell Gate sits in the upper East River corridor of New York City, between the Queens neighborhood of Astoria and the islands adjacent to Manhattan and the Bronx, within the city’s river network connecting Long Island Sound and New York Harbor.

• Viewing points: Good views of the strait and the bridge are available from Astoria Park in Queens and from walking routes on Randall's Island.
• Navigation: Tidal currents through the channel are strong and historically made navigation hazardous, which led to major 19th-century dredging and rock-removal works.

What to See #

• Hell Gate Bridge: A steel-arch railroad bridge spanning the East River at Hell Gate, opened in 1916 and carrying the Amtrak Northeast Corridor and other rail traffic.