Battery Harris East — Attraction in New York

The east most of the two gun batteries are easily accessed from a short walk along Ranger Road. One can park less than a mile east of here and walk in to explore the gun batteries. These are similar to those found at Fort Hancock on Sandy Hook. A military presence has existed here since the War of 1812. The 16 inch guns were installed in 1921. Battery Harris was named for an Army officer Henry Leavenworth Harris. The fort in which they are located is named for Samuel Tilden, governor of New York and presidential candidate in 1876. In 1941 the giant concrete casements were constructed to protect the guns. By 1970 the fort was decommissioned and joined the national park system. Today one can visit and explore these sites. There is a series of wooden steps up the side of battery east leading to a raised wooden platform on top. From here one has fantastic views of the...

Nice view from the top but the grounds are awful. Graffiti all over, even on the wood steps going up. When I went in a Saturday afternoon, there was a large group on the viewing platform smoking blunts and drinking and blocking the platform so no one else could enter. There seems to be no park ranger or police presence at Ft. Tilden. I cannot accept the NPS allows graffiti and disorder all over this...

Be careful! There are local Trumpies who stalk this area at night. Kids mainly, mostly harmless. Though they will ask you about your political affiliations which is a bit jarring. Then there are the wannabe gangsters from Brooklyn, selfish hipsters who stomp around and urinate in protected wildlife areas and a small colony of homeless people who live...