Floyd Bennett Field

Our favorite archery shooting place! The field is really great, not congested and most of all, FREE!!!
We enjoy shooting here because it is outdoor and you get to see greens. People who come here are mostly old and experienced men but they are all friendly and they talk to each other which makes it all fun.
The drive is around one hour from the city. I recommend this field for people who wants to get a feel of hunting around and knowing their different shooting ranges. I am stuck at 17yards but getting better at it :)

New York City’s hidden gem.
Go here during summer month during the day time!
Don’t go here or stay here after dark!

This place is huge. There is a Naval Station here, camping grounds, football fields, driving ranges, etc. I generally am here to follow the bike paths which follow the Belt Parkway.
I’ll have to come back to explore in more detail.
If you are coming here via car, it’s exit 11 I think off of the Belt Parkway.

I really like their campsite. There’s a couple drawbacks that you can generally avoid.
1. KEEP ALL YOUR NON-​CANNED /​BOTTLED FOOD IN YOUR CAR! that raccoon’s gonna get it otherwise.
2. Arrive before dark, and set up before dark. It’s pitch black when the sun sets — no street lamps or anything. Which is great! Unfortunately there’s enough light pollution residual from the city that you’re not going to have an optimal view of the stars, but it is a better view. I saw a meteor or two, which was sweet.
3. It says on various places on websites that it’s accessible by NYC public transit. This is kind-​of true. The campsite is about a mile walk from the nearest bus stop — and as mentioned by someone else, the signage is crappy, so you’re likely going to get lost. If you aren’t used to backpacking, don’t even think about it.
If you don’t have much stuff, I recommend taking a cab from the subway. It’s super worth it, about $ 25 or so, and will save you about half an hour of walking with gear.
Otherwise BRING A VEHICLE. This is not walking-​friendly, and if you have more than a small number of people in your party, you NEED a car. Our camp neighbors came via bike, but didn’t bring any food — they biked to a nearby restaurant for their meals. Also another neighbor kayaked to the site. But these were small parties of 1 or 2. If you have kids, I beg you, BRING A CAR.
4. Bring a gazebo or whatever if you care at all about shade. Many of the sites have ‘partial’ shade, aka Not Really Any Shade.
5. Maybe in 2012 there wasn’t accurate signage, but in 2015 there sure as heck is — THERE IS NO ALCOHOL PERMITTED ON THE PREMISES. However, lots and lots of people drink. I think if you keep it put away when the rangers come by, and/​or drink responsibly and keep the noise down, there’s not going to be any issues.
Also re: the police… the police in this park generally don’t come around unless someone calls and reports something, like noise or rambunctious behavior or whatever.
6. If you book near the water, in one of the Wiley outposts, it’s a really nice view. However! During the summer, there’s party boats that swing by at all hours (including 2am!) with their music blaring. And since sound carries over water… well, bring earplugs.
7. USE BUG SPRAY. Chiggers (red mites) love you and this is the place to get them.
More pro tips!
1. Want a nice shady overhang that you don’t need to bring? Book the sites T3, T5, or G20. Local Boy Scouts built some nice gazebos with benches beneath. Downsides of these: highly congested areas, lots of people.
2. The camp store opens later than expected. They say it opens at 9 but really closer to 10 because the person who runs it gets there late. However, the nice bathrooms (that are air-​conditioned!) and the showers are opened promptly at 8am and close at 6pm. (They’re also really nice for camp showers!!!)
3. All the nice amenities — including the camp store — close up shop in late October, so only thing that is open is the port-​a-​potties, which are disgusting but hey what do you expect from compost toilets. The store/​office and nice showers/​bathrooms are open from April through October.
Check in is at 12 noon, and check out is at 10am.
Camp store is open M-​Th from 9am to 4:30pm, and F-​Sun 9am to 8pm. Their phone # is 718 713 2501.
Park police # is 24hrs and their # is 718 338 3988.

I’m Confused if your charging 50 for a fishing permit, why is this place dirty and why is the trash next to the inlet. Someone needs to clean this place up. The other issue I had was when I walked into the welcome center the girls working the desk were not trying to help anyone. What the issue with government employees not earning their keep. Miss Yearwood try to seem interested in y our position.

great for kids ! wild bunnies and raccoons. different types of birds. restroom and showers available. great campsites.

I brought my 3 year old here on her first camping trip, and it was a great time. I was actually comforted by the reviews from partiers that said the rangers harassed them. I have nothing against partying, but as I was camping with a 3 year old, I was looking for a place that frowned on that, and I found it.
Make no mistake, you are not camping in the middle of the woods. But, you are camping in an area that appears to a 3 year old to be the middle of the woods, complete with wild bunnies running around, and a beach with seagulls a short walk over a parking lot.
Altogether and ideal place to bring little kids.

I recently camped here for the first time, and overall it could have been a pleasant experience except for the very aggressive raccoon that terrorized our campsite even after we put (most) of the food in the car. There were signs warning about the raccoon, but I think they need to remove this fearless predator! Really turned a great evening into a horror story.

Was hoping for more fun with the RC. But only allowed to run on track and not on open fields where there is nothing to hit. Very disappointing. RC people just go to a baseball field instead.

Housing the Brooklyn Color Run this year, Floyd Bennett Field has opened its grounds to allow those that aren’t too familiar with the establishment, that it serves its purpose.
Following the signs is half the battle when coming to Floyd Bennett Field. The grounds are vast, and the wrong turn can put you out of your way a ways. When all else fails, just follow the car in front of you, and you should fair just fine. The wildlife seems to be maintained well, and the grounds were incredibly flat to run on for this 5K; not a bad thing all and all.
Security? It was pretty sparse. That’s why if you are in utter doubt from following signs to get to where you want to be, then you can be in a pickle.

Love this place! Great location and perfect size! There is always something to do in any season. From skating to mud races. I love this park! I wonder if I should go camping out there one time to check that out. It is local. Always drove out. I’ll let you know soon!

This is only a review for the camp ground for the month of July and surrounding months. If you don’t want to read any more the issue is a SERIOUS MOSQUITO PROBLEM.
The staff were amazing and the grounds are nice and tidy, every thing seemed great, till we entered the wooded section of the camp ground and encountered in my opinion a serious mosquito problem. I’m no stranger to camping, bug spray and mosquitos, I regularly go camping in the catskill’s and Bear Mountain. Here the mosquitos were so bad we left after 10min. The second we set down our gear we were swarmed, we danced around and sprayed bug spray on each other but the mosquitos were relentless.
Maybe during spring and fall its not so bad but it was too much for us to handle this past weekend.

I camped at Floyd Bennet Field which is the closest campground to NYC. I ran into some issues with booking the site online, only to show up and have someone steal my site. There wasn’t much NPS Rangers could do since the half drunk camper and his extended family physically moved the camp site sign to another location and denied doing so. That was annoying. Despite the awesome location on a abandoned airfield, there is way too much dangerous car traffic here to make this a secluded camping spot. We walked in after a taxi ride from NYC and on-​site were almost hit by vehicles on multiple occasions. NPS Police were pulling people over however there is way too much car traffic in general here for the police to enforce.
There is too much car traffic, even at night, to make it a secluded spot. This is essentially an airport runway where cars drive around in numerous directions all night. I was surprised that cars had almost unlimited access to the park on every unmarked runway and road. When walking around the site, I saw cars traveling at least 50 MPH in a 15 MPH zone. People were practically drag racing, doing donuts, motorcycles speeding along here. The NPS could greatly improve the situation by limiting car traffic and reducing the amount of speeding where people walk.
There would be a good view to the water from some camp sites, however it is blocked by ugly large tall Winnebago motor homes all along the view. NPS should consider moving these large motor homes elsewhere to give everyone the chance of a beautiful water view. The place I saw looked like a giant trailer park.
The park does have it’s perks. There is a shower at the ranger station (near the camp site). The ranger station bathrooms are in practically new condition, just bring your own soap. The rangers themselves are very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. It’s one common things I have found with NPS staff. Contrary to the other reviewers below whom were busted for illegal drinking, I found the ranger staff to be very kind and helpful. You must have been doing something ridiculous to have that experience.
There is a bike rental place at Aviation Sports, which is walking distance from the camp site. You can rent a half day on a bike for $ 20. There are some cool biking paths all the way to Jacob Riis Park which then leads to Rockaway Beach. This is certainly worth it. NPS has a bunch of sea Kayaks which looked amazing. There are some amazing old airport hangers around here which could make a good photo shoot, unfortunately most of this is closed to the public. There are also a number of wooded areas also closed to the public.
We took the bike trail from the park to Rockaways. It was truly amazing. There is an abandoned Coast Guard station right over the Rockaway bridge. I really wish the federal government would turn this into a museum or something. The bike path is missing some crossing spots and gets dangerous near the Coast Guard Station, however otherwise is amazing all the way to near the Rockaways.
For camping this place is below average. It has so much potential and it’s hard to believe a place like this exists in Brooklyn. I hope NPS invests more in restoring the history parts of this park and reducing the amount of traffic (especially at night) moving in audible distance from the camping areas.

Please let go of power tripping interns or employees !!! Very disrespectful!!!

This place is cool and historical.
Apparently you can camp there. There is a sports complex (Brooklyn briefly had a small time hockey team there) and the old airfield is super cool.
It’s really a step back in time. I came here for the Color Run, and although that stunk, I liked the venue.

All’s this place needs is for the hipsters to come and ruin it.

Located in brooklyn, off the belt parkway youmay miss it if you dont follow the signs or your gps. A very long time ago this was used as an airport base. They have dozens of picnic areas that can hold a family of five, maybe six.
You can aslo go camping here with all its nature around including bugs, insects and whatever lurks around. They set up fire pits so you can have camp fires and roast marshmallows and smores. Being on a camp ground, there are no toilets or power outlets, remeber your suppose to be in the woods.
At the entrance you can stop at the visitor center and pick up maps so you know where your going. If you venture further down you will find a nature area filled with birds and other wetland animals. Walk some more and your in reality with the aviator sports complex, which is reviewed under such name.
Despite some of the negative reviews, give it a try, remember your in brooklyn, in nyc, not upstate in a suberb, so dont compare it with a real camp ground.

DO NOT CAMP HERE unless you wanted to get mercilessly harassed by park police. They came to our campsite three times, disregarded the written rules for the campsite and were rude, imposing and combative. You can read this story for the full story:
, but suffice it to say, i would never recommend anyone go here, and I have made a complaint to the national park police.

Good, but could be so much better!
So much wasted park land here… that Aviation place is alright for some people. But what about the non athletic individuals. Turn this place into another Prospect Park like area. Maybe a restaurant or two and since it is located close to the belt parkway, it would be easy for visitors. I just look at this place and think «eh»

The last of the Forest Prime Evil in Kings Count; Flatbush! Floyd Bennett is a great getaway located at the end of Flatbush Avenue. Right next to the Gil Hodges/​Marine Parkway Bridge that feeds into the Rockaways. Floyd Bennett was NYC’s first airport and was turned over to the Navy during WW2. In 1971 the USN gave it to the National Parks Department, which in turn, converted it into the present recreational park. At around 700 acres (I believe), it’s as big as LaGuardia Airport.
I bike down to Bennett Field whenever time allows during the summer, via the Belt Parkway E. bike path, to get in my exercise and do some major old school ‘illin & chillin’. In between the 6,000 ft + runways and the nature paths, there is plenty to do. Boat launches are set up by the inlets (end of the runways) and access by car is very easy. Great if you’re towing major Evirnudes or some kayaks or just fishing for blues or stripers when they’re in season. There is also a camp ground, available by appointment with the Park Service.
Recently, a sports complex, much like the one at the Chelsea Piers, was built. I haven’t been inside, however, in front of the complex is a British Airways Concorde and a snack stand. They set up tables underneath the wings.
Speaking of planes, inside the hangars are plenty of WW2 vintage aircraft being restored. You can also take a seat on the bleachers where the local RC Aircraft run their models. Be advised that these guys are primadonnas and will yell at you if you even think of crossing their «boundary» lines. You can also spot airline traffic landing at JFK since you’re at the beginning of the Canarsie Approach, or watch the NYPD helicopters practice touch and goes.
My only warnings are to bring food and water in case the snack stand is closed. Especially if you’re biking. The closest place serving food is Nick’s Lobster Bar (about a mile or so up Flatbush Ave.) and they charge an arm and a leg for average food. You should also bring insect repellent. In between the mosquitoes, gnats and chiggers, you’re lucky if you don’t get half your blood sucked out during the summer.
Bring a Metro Card and a cell phone. A Metro Card in case you have to hoof it. You can take the Q35 to Kings Plaza and transfer to the B41 and transfer to the IRT at the Junction. You bring a cell in case you forget your Metro and need a cab.
PS There is a Native American Festival held every June. I haven’t been but it’s supposed to be fun.