Sandy Hook Lighthouse | Highlands, New Jersey

It is a barrier spit extending out into the Atlantic Ocean. 

On one side is Sandy Hook Bay, and on the other side is the Atlantic Ocean. 

New York City is visible in the distance.

Sandy Hook Lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in the United States. It was first lighted in 1764.

The lighthouse was outfitted with a Fresnel lens in the 1800’s.

There are splendid views in every direction from the top of the lighthouse. 

On one side is Fort Hancock, a former United States Army Fort which was decommissioned in 1974. 

You can see the row of officers’ houses in the background. 

Behind them is Sandy Hook Bay. 

On the Atlantic Ocean side, you can see New York City in the distance. 

That’s Brooklyn in the forefront and the towers of the famous Manhattan skyline in the background. 

You can see the currently-in-construction “Freedom Tower” (replacing the World Trade Center) rising above the rest, and The Empire State Building in the middle. 

For fascinating stories about the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, read here and here.

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Fort Hancock at Sandy Hook