SANDY HOOK — Sandy Hook /Highlands History: Originally discovered by the famous Sea Captain Henry Hudson in the early 1600’s, Sandy Hook remains a beautiful, 1,665-acre barrier peninsula within view of the Manhattan skyline. It is recommended that those who would like to spend some time in Sandy Hook stay in Highlands, which is located on the hill across the bay.
The Sandy Hook visitor center has been be relocated to the Sandy Hook Lighthouse Keeper’s Residence. The park reopened to the public on Wed., May 1 for the first time since Hurricane Sandy. By May 1 most, but not all, areas of the park will be open again for visitors to enjoy, with all lifeguarded beaches available by Memorial Day. The park will continue to work on areas that are not yet safe for visitors. The National Park Service values your safety above all other concerns. For your safety, please respect the closure of park areas until they are deemed safe to reopen.
Beach Info – The 7 mile stretch of spectacular ocean and bay beaches are excellent for surf casting, swimming, and relaxing on the sand. Nature lovers will revel in the 300 – plus species of migratory birds, as well as the pristine holly forest. Be Warned! Parking lots fill up early on weekends in the summer, causing the gates to close. 2013 Season – Memorial Day through Labor Day – Although there is no entrance fee to Sandy Hook, there is a $15 per car parking fee. A $75 Seasonal Beach Pass is also available. Golden Access and Golden Age Passport holders receive a 50 % discount. Gateway National Park at Sandy Hook is a ‘dog friendly’ beach on the Inlet side of the Hook but your dogs must be leashed at all times. Please note that there are no amenities (i.e. life guards, rest rooms, food or beverages) available on the Inlet side (western shore) of the Park. Dogs are not allowed at any time on the eastern or Atlantic shore of the Park.
NY Beach Ferry – Spend a day relaxing on the beach, swimming, sun tanning, bird watching, fishing (check with local laws), or sightseeing in Sandy Hook and Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. Ferries will depart from Pier 11, www.newyorkbeachferry.com.
SeaStreak Ferry – SeaStreak America, Inc. is a leader in revitalizing fast high-speed catamaran services in the New York metropolitan area. Visit their website at http://www.seastreak.com.
Big Mohawk Party Boat – The Big Mohawk NJ Party Boat, located in the Jersey Shore town of Belmar, Services also provided are Private Charters and Burials at Sea.
Sea Devil Party Boat – The Sea Devil NJ Party Boat, located in the Jersey Shore town of Point Pleasant Beach, offers New Jersey Blue Fishing and Offshore NJ Tuna Fishing trips. Other services also provided are Inland River Cruises and Burials at Sea.
Bike Trails – Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is an organization dedicated to assisting local communities in the acquisition of abandoned railroad corridors and the conversion of these corridors into trails that are used for biking, walking and running. Most trails are limited to a 3% incline because this is the default characteristic of a railroad track. The gentle slope of a railroad trail is ideally suited for various forms of exercise: rollerblading, biking, jogging and leisurely strolls all occur on these different trails. Henry Hudson Trail – Jersey Shore Location: Aberdeen to Atlantic Highlands Activities: Walking, Horseback Riding, Biking, Cross Country Skiing, In-line Skating, Wheelchair Accessible Length: 9 mi.
Sandy Hook All Women Lifeguard Tournament – The Sandy Hook All Women Lifeguard Tournament is held every July and include women’s teams from as far away as Cape Cod, MA and Nags Head, NC. The lifeguards of the sandy Hook All Women Lifeguard Tournament are competitors for the honor of the towns they represent and as a group are responsible for saving dozens of lives each summer.
Athleta Iron Girl – Sandy Hook Women’s Triathlon. Sunday, September 8, 2013 Location: Gateway National Recreation Area. Women’s Only Triathlon 1/2 mile swim/10 mile bike/3 mile run. Starts 7:00 a.m.
ONGOING EVENTS
Sandy Hook Lighthouse – Tours are given daily from 9 a.m. p.m. to 5 p.m. Sandy Hook Lighthouse Tours are first-come, first-served. Visitors must be at least 48 inches tall to climb the tower. Groups need reservations in advance for a Lighthouse tour. Contact the park Visitor Center at 732-872-5970.
Sandy Hook Lighthouse Keepers Quarters – The Lighthouse Keepers Quarters has exhibits on New Jersey Lighthouses. Weekdays Apr. through Oct – 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Weekends 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. History House – This 1898 lieutenant’s residence along “Officers Row” is furnished to the 1940’s. Open Weekends 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Step back in time to the 1940’s at History House, where visitors can help make WWII recipes, cultivate the Victory Garden, and spend time with living historians learning about the era.
Battery Potter – Tour Sandy Hook’s oldest gun battery. Opens on weekends in 2012 starting May through August from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visit the nation’s oldest concrete gun emplacement, and decide for yourself whether it was a technological marvel or military mistake.
Battery Gunnison – May thru October – Weekends 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Visit and chat with living historians from the Army Ground Forces Association to find out why the 6” guns here were fired six times between the fall of 1943 and spring of 1944.
Fort Hancock Museum – The former post guardhouse contains exhibits on Fort Hancock. Currently closed for renovations. Did you know that Fort Hancock had an integrated unit in World War II? The 1225th Army Service Unit had African-American soldiers and in 1943 received a group from the Women’s Army Corps.
End of Summer Party – Friday, Sep. 6, 2013.
Sandy Hook Reopens, News Release 4/24/2013
Gateway National Recreation Area will opened Sandy Hook Unit to the public for the first time since Hurricane Sandy on Wednesday, May 1. The gates opened at 5 A.M. to accommodate fishing. Maps of fishing areas are posted on Gateway’s website. Beach F, a favorite spot for fishers, will be accessible by walking up the coast from Beach E. Beach parking will again cost $15 per day. The park opened all parking areas on May 1st.. Beach parking permits will go on sale beginning May 1 at 9 A.M. at the front gate. Beach parking permits cost $75 for the season, the same as last year. Beaches B, Gunnison and North will be open to the public. North and Gunnison are lifeguard-protected beaches from Memorial Day through Labor Day during the hours of 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. Beach B is not lifeguard protected. Beaches C, D, and E will also be guarded during the summer season. While the sewage system undergoes repair, beach centers will use portable toilets.
Like the rest of the New Jersey coast, the recovery of Sandy Hook is still a work in progress. Electric, telephone, water and sewage services were all incapacitated by the storm. These services are largely but not entirely restored. Throughout the summer, the park will continue to rehabilitate damaged beach centers, sections of the multi-use path and other affected areas. Details are still being worked out for food service but it will be limited for the summer. Ray’s Bike Rentals will be returning to Sandy Hook again this summer, however bikes will only be available for rent at Fort Hancock. The Visitor Center at Spermaceti Cove was one of several building damaged by the hurricane and will remain closed at this time.
For more info call Daphene Yun 718-354-4602
Sandy Hook Opens and Birders Rejoice: News Release 5/1/2013
Six long months have passed since that gal named Sandy added a new chapter to life at the Jersey Shore. Now following the protracted pause, birders are anxiously awaiting that opportunity to bird their beloved Sandy Hook. The Hook was devastated by the storm and will be open today May 1, with limited access to many locations in the park. The National Park Service is hopeful to have the beaches open for month’s end. Everyone’s first experience out there will sure be eye-opening. Sandy Hook is truly one of the best year-round birding hotspots in the state and was sorely missed by birders this winter. Piping Plover and Least Tern, both NJ endangered species rely on the Hook for nesting. There are an estimated 8,000 Piping Plover left in existence, yet last year the Hook produced 50 pair nesting that fledged over 100 young. This is a testament to the importance of this location.
We now have it back, let’s hope it continues to live up to billing. Sandy Hook is a wonderful migrant trap and is one of the two places you want to be in May for warblers, the other Garret Mountain Reservation in Woodland Park. If you’re having a poor migrant day, the benefit of the Hook has always been that there are shorebirds, raptors and lots of terns, herons and egrets to see. The changes out there will take a while to get used too as for instance in one felt swoop Sandy completely removed the much loved Spermaceti boardwalk where you could wait for birds to come to you. We must bed patient and to be happy we have our Hook back. The lighthouse on Sandy Hook is the oldest working lighthouse in the United States built in 1764.
