The Jersey Shore: Sandy Hook
Introduction
New Jersey has ten (10) areas under the direction of the National Park Service. While none are "national parks", they are National Scenic Trail, National Heritage Area, National Recreation Area, National Monument, National Historical Park, National Historic Trail and National Reserve. I will be writing about some but will start with Gateway National Recreation Area, aka Sandy Hook.
Sandy Hook - Gateway National Recreation Area
Sandy Hook is probably the busiest place on the shore and it is also one of my favorites. It is a very diverse place, too; being a peninsula means there are plenty of beaches for sunbathing and the fishing is some of the best of the East Coast. There are also miles of hiking trails, old bunkers and munitions batteries, the Lighthouse and Coast Guard Station. The header image shows the original Visitor Center as seen from the beach. The building was once used as housing for lifeguards before being turned into a Visitor Center. The building is now closed due to damage suffered during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and the center has been moved to the Light Keeper's Quarters. This image is from March 2012. I've been going to "the Hook" for as long as I can remember - I had an 8th grade class trip there and remember having a Boy Scout Jamboree back in the 70's. We camped on the beach, I remember rain.... This was also a place where we rode our bikes to a few times. I spent a lot of time surf fishing during the late 80's and early 90's and I can't tell you how many hours hiking along the beaches and trails, almost always with a camera in hand. I don't get up there too often anymore, it is now a 45 minute to an hour drive but I try to get there at least once a year. The summer months find the park filling up early so if you want to go for a day at the beach, rise with the sun and head out. That's why this is one of my off-season destinations. If sunbathing is your thing, there are several ocean beaches but chose wisely - one of them is the "Nude Beach". There are trails to hike that bring you thru wooded areas and beaches - on both sides of the peninsula. The Hook is one of the few places where you can come early for a sunrise over the ocean and stay late to witness a sunset over the bay. Both are equally beautiful and distinctly different.
Wildlife
If you are a bird watcher, prepare yourself for a long day; the Hook is located along the Atlantic Flyway and is visited by more than 325 species of birds. The red-winged blackbird and great white egret are but two of the many different birds you will find here - some of the more common being glossy ibis, green heron, black-crowned night heron, piping clover and willet. Horseshoe Cove is a great place to find herons, egrets, osprey, geese and ducks; in fact, I spotted the egret shown here because a chevron of Brant (aka Brent Goose) caught my eye and the egret was feeding about 10 yards away. Of course, sea gulls are the dominant bird here and found on both ocean and bay sides. There are large poles with platforms sticking up in a number of locations - those are for osprey to nest. In all of the years I have been going to the Hook, I have only been able to capture an osprey on "film" once - it was shortly after I got the image of the blackbird shown here. Unfortunately, it caught me by surprise and it isn't a very good image. Birds aren't the only wildlife you will find - if you are quiet and look real close, you may spot a red fox or two. You will also find Monarch butterfly and horseshoe crab, in addition to the aforementioned osprey. Muskrat can be found along the bay side but the real show-stopper might be the seals; you can find them playing in the surf or, between December and March, laying on the beach soaking up the rays. Though I've not seen any in my travels, I understand you may come across an occasional snake along the way. The overwhelming majority of snakes in New Jersey are non-venomous and none of the venomous snakes are native to this area.
Flora
Warning: Poison ivy is prevalent - learn to recognize the plant and keep your distance.
The warning aside, poison ivy does play an important role - it's roots help secure the sand in place during storms. Milkweed is abundant and is vital to the well-being of the Monarch butterfly. The flowers, trees and plants found on the peninsula are many - mushrooms, cacti, Maple trees, flowering dogwood, beachgrass, sunflower and bayberry, to name a few. The Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) shown here was found growing out of the wall surrounding Mortar Battery. For more information, check out the Sandy Hook Herbarium run by the Marine Academy of Science and Technology. I would like to thank Ms. Cheryl McDonald for helping me to identify the plant. I would also like to thank Ms. McDonald for letting me know of the Holly Forest at the park. I'm certain that I have been thru there because I have explored the entire park at some point but I had forgotten. The Holly Forest is the largest on the East Coast and has trees that have been there since the British occupied the area - some reaching 70 feet high! The forest is also believed to be the largest virgin holly forest in the country. There used to be a nice pathway thru the forest but my understanding is that it is now closed to the public - there was a problem with people damaging the trees by taking clippings for Christmas decorations. The Park Rangers were conducting walks thru the forest but it would seem that has ended as I cannot find any information.
History
There is no way I can write about Sandy Hook and not talk about it's rich history and it's role in our military history, particularly the American Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and the Civil War. You will find bunkers, ammunition batteries, and the lighthouse. The Sandy Hook Lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in the United States, built in 1764 it was lit for the first time on 11 June 1764 - at the time it stood 500 feet from the tip of the hook, today is is nearly 1½ miles from the tip. The lighthouse was nearly destroyed in March 1776 by the Monmouth County Militia for fear it was aiding the British. They took most of the items essential for the lighthouse to function and broke the glass lens. The British ultimately took over the hook, repaired the lighthouse and remained there until the end of the war. A wooden fort was constructed during the War of 1812 and named, Fort Gates. As an additional line of defense, a cannon was installed in the lighthouse. After the war, it was decided that a permanent structure should be built but it didn't start until 1859 when the Army began construction of Fort at Sandy Hook. The fort was never finished and was knocked down in the 1950's. The gun batteries didn't come into being until the end of the 19th Century. This is around the same time Fort Hancock came into being; designed to protect New York Harbor from invasion. World War II saw a proliferation of aircraft being used for warfare and by the end of the war anti-aircraft guns played a key role in defending the fort, only to be replaced by Nike missiles during the Cold War. The fort was decommissioned at the end of 1974 and became part of the National Park Service. The U.S. Coast Guard now occupies much of the land on the bay side, close to the tip.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Ms. Cheryl McDonald for identifying the plants shown here. I would also like to thank my daughter, Katie, for allowing me to use her sunset image. It's hard to believe I have never shot a sunrise or sunset at Sandy Hook, I'm glad she has. You can check out more of her work at her Facebook page - Katie Valencia Photography.
Links to websites and other information
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Download a "Multi-Use Pathway map" (PDF) - here
Download a "Trail map" (PDF) - here
Map of Sandy Hook (JPEG) - here
Fort Hancock Historic Walking Tour (brochure/map) - here
Birds of Gateway National Recreation Area (PDF) - here
Mammals of Gateway National Recreation Area (PDF) - here
How to get there
For GPS, use the following address: 128 South Hartshorne Drive, Highlands, NJ 07732General directions (from the National Park Service website): https://www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/sandyhookdirections.htm
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From North Jersey and New York: - South on the New Jersey Turnpike - Exit 11 onto the Garden State Parkway (South) - Exit 117 (Keyport/Hazlet) - After toll, bear left and follow Route 36 East - 12 miles to park entrance (after crossing the Highlands Bridge)-Stay right to enter the park.
From South Jersey: - North on Garden State Parkway - Exit 105 (Eatontown), bear left for Route 36 East - Continue on Route 36 East, pass Monmouth Mall and across Route 35 through Eatontown and Long Branch (Route 36 is called Joline Avenue here). - Continue on Route 36, which turns left and follows north along ocean. (Route 36 is called Ocean Blvd. here) - North for six miles through the towns of Long Branch, Monmouth Beach and Sea Bright to park.
From Philadelphia & Camden, New Jersey: - New Jersey Turnpike north to Exit 7A (Shore Points) onto I-195 - East on I-195, to Garden State Parkway north. - GSP north to Exit 105 (Eatontown). - Then follow "From South Jersey" directions above.
"Sunset on the Bay" is copyright Katherine E. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at k.e.v.photographynj@gmail.com
All other photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com
