Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge imagery

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

The best place for bird-watching in the city amid the islands of Jamaica Bay

THINGS TO DO

Bird-watching, hiking, fishing and interpretive tours. Information and trail guides are available at the Visitor Contact Station. Bring binoculars to get better views of the birds.

For all ages; the Visitor Center is handicapped-accessible, but not the trails.

The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge -- part of Gateway National Recreation Area -- is the only wildlife refuge in the National Park system and it's in Queens and Brooklyn. More than 325 bird species, nearly half of the species in the Northeast, have been sighted at the refuge over the last 25 years. It is the largest bird sanctuary in the Northeastern United States and the best place in New York City to observe migrating birds.

Encompassing 9,155 acres, the refuge's diverse habitats include salt marsh, upland field and woods, several fresh and brackish water ponds and an open expanse of bay. Home to opossum, bats, jackrabbit, muskrat and chipmunk, its territory also serves as a breeding ground for local turtle species. Trails include benches in prime viewing spots.

What Is a Salt Marsh?

The salt marsh is land and sea at the same time. The tide is the heartbeat of the salt marsh. It carries nutrients essential for the marsh plants and carries away organic material. The salt marsh is a harsh environment. Every plant and animal must cope with extremes -- to be submerged by flood tide, parched by the sun, doused with torrential rains -- in order to survive.