Ideas for a day out
Four historic lighthouses from Sandy Hook Bay to Cape May, most of them open to climb.
Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
New Jersey's coast was once one of the most dangerous on the East Coast for ships, and the lighthouses that guarded it are now some of the shore's best day trips. A lighthouse tour from Sandy Hook Bay down to Cape May makes a fine weekend; most towers are open to climb in season, but hours and age or height rules vary.
1State Historic Site · Highlands Borough, Monmouth County
Two brownstone towers on the bluff above Sandy Hook Bay, more castle than lighthouse, with a museum and one of the best views of the New York harbor approaches.
Photo: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
2State Park · Barnegat Light Borough, Ocean County
Old Barney, as the lighthouse is known, stands at the northern tip of Long Beach Island. Climb to the top, then walk the jetty below, where fishermen and birders share the rocks.
Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
3State Historic Site · Atlantic City, Atlantic County
New Jersey's tallest lighthouse, now surrounded by Atlantic City. The climb is long but the view over the city and the ocean repays it.
Photo: Harriet Duncan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
4State Park · Lower Township, Cape May County
The Cape May Lighthouse rises over the marshes and beach at the southern tip of the state. Combine the climb with the trails and the hawk-watch platform.
Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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