Fort Tilden
Breezy Point, NY

Battery Harris -- Photo by Ken Quartarone

Three campers on the beach -- Photo by Ken Quartarone

View of the ocean from atop Battery Harris -- Photo by Ken Quartarone

You can't camp here, but most of this old military base is returning to its natural state. There are still some fortifications, such as the bunker called Battery Harris, but it's mostly beach, thicket, marsh and forest. A path from Field 5 leads west to Battery Harris.

Other attractions:

• The Visitor's Center (building 1) has neat historical information.
• The Rockaway Artists Alliance, Inc. also uses building T-149 as a gallery space. It is usually open during the afternoon on weekends.
• Ball fields.
• The beach.

Public transportation: Take the A train to Broad Channel, B116th Shuttle to B116th St. Walk one block south to the corner and take the Q22 bus west to Fort Tilden.

Driving directions: Take the Belt Parkway to Flatbush Avenue south. Drive south on Flatbush Ave., pass Floyd Bennett Field, and cross the Marine Parkway Bridge to the Rockaways. Exit the bridge to the right, following the signs to Fort Tilden and Breezy Point. After the bridge, you will be on Rockaway Point Boulevard. Make the first left into Fort Tilden.

Meeting point: Drive into Fort Tilden until you come to a T. Turn right and go to Field 5 (the Rockaway Artist Alliance's building will be on your left). Turn right and park by Field 5. The trail to Battery Harris starts just west of Field 5.

Phone: 718-318-4300 (but when I called this number, the answering machine was full)
Floyd Bennett Field phone number: 718-338-3799 (the ranger was a bit uppity until I explained that Fort Tilden's answering machine was not accepting more messages--then he apologized and was helpful)