Ellis Island Anchorage

Ellis Island – anchorage

Ellis Island is located in the Upper Bay of New York, between Manhattan and New Jersey, just north of Liberty Island. For recreational boaters, the area offers an interesting anchorage, notably because there is no vessel traffic directly around the boat. You can still feel the swell from port traffic, but from farther away. It rolls, especially when traffic is heavy, but less than behind the Statue of Liberty. You must, however, respect the authorized anchoring zones as well as the 150-yard security zone around Ellis Island.

The location is particularly attractive for enjoying views of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan and the Jersey City skyline. The island is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and houses the National Museum of Immigration. Private boats cannot dock directly at Ellis Island; access to shore is via authorized ferry services.

To land with a dinghy, Liberty Landing Marina, at Liberty State Park, is a convenient option. The fee we paid was $50 for the day. Another option is Surf City, located in Liberty Harbor Marina, open from 4 p.m. on weekdays and from noon on weekends. The rate for leaving a dinghy there should be checked on site.

Once ashore, the ferry to Manhattan is particularly convenient with a dog, as it allows you to reach Lower Manhattan without having to deal with PATH restrictions. PATH remains another option to get to Manhattan, with a short walk to the station, but dogs are not admitted as ordinary passengers.

The anchorage at Ellis Island is therefore an interesting compromise: close enough to the action to fully enjoy New York, but with a bit more calm on the water than behind the Statue.

https://libertylandingmarina.com/
https://www.libertylandingcityferry.com/
https://surfcitybar.com/