Sandy Hook Lighthouse NJ
Trenton, NJ—Lighthouses have always evoked images of romance and adventure, and intrepid explorers can experience both at the 10th Annual New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge®, October 20 & 21. Organized by the New Jersey Lighthouse Society and supported in part by the New Jersey Division of Travel & Tourism, the challenge invites you to lighthouse-hop among 11 of the state’s land-based lighthouses while enjoying a getaway weekend by the sea. At each lighthouse, participants will receive a souvenir token of that lighthouse, and if all 11 are collected, visitors will receive a completion token to celebrate the accomplishment.
Back by popular demand this year are “night climbs” at five of the lighthouses – Sandy Hook, Tucker’s Island, Absecon, Cape May and Tinicum – and participants who partake of the night climbs will receive a special “Night Climb” commemorative token. For challenge participants who might find climbing all those steps a bit daunting, no stop on the challenge route – including the night climbs – actually requires climbing the lighthouse. Simply stop by and check in with the volunteers at each lighthouse to receive your token; climbing is optional, but you’ll want to consider “stepping up” to the challenge, as the views of New Jersey’s shore and bays are spectacular from that elevation.
“Poets, artists and photographers have always been fascinated with the inherent beauty and romance of lighthouses, and the New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge – the first in the country – is a terrific way to combine that sense of adventure with a stirring weekend getaway here in the Garden State,” notes Nancy Byrne, Executive Director of The New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism. “No matter where you begin the challenge, you’ll find lodging from luxurious to laid-back, and dining options from elegant cuisine to simply the freshest seafood – and after all of that invigorating fresh air, you’ll be ready for a comfortable bed and a great meal!”
New Jersey’s historic lighthouses stand watch, from North to South and East to West, over towns and regions that differ as much in personality as the lighthouses themselves. The Sandy Hook Lighthouse presides on the hook of land that juts out into Atlantic towards New York City, on the northern end of the Sandy Hook Unit of the Gateway National Recreation area. This natural wonderland is a great location for beachgoing, hiking, trail walking, and surf fishing. Barnegat Lighthouse, on Long Beach Island, holds court over a peninsula filled with family-friendly beaches and attractions – a classic “Jersey Shore” getaway destination. Visitors will find inviting beaches, amusements, water sports, fishing charters and more. Absecon Lighthouse is Atlantic City’s lighthouse – presiding over this seaside gaming mecca that has grown into a destination unto itself with the explosion of world-class dining, shopping and entertainment. Cape May Lighthouse adds a maritime feel to Cape May’s stately Victorian B&B’s and a quaint town straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
Other New Jersey lighthouses featured in the challenge include Hereford Inlet, East Point, Finn’s Point, Tinicum, Twin Lights of Navesink, Sea Girt, and Tucker’s Island. The lighthouse challenge requires no sign-up or registration, and there is no fee to participate; individual lighthouses may charge or suggest donations for climbing.
The New Jersey Lighthouse Society is a non-profit association dedicated to preserving and educating the public about lighthouses in the United States. For more information visit www.njlhs.org.
For more information and assistance when planning a trip to the Garden State – including additional itinerary ideas, finding accommodations, and ordering brochures – go to www.visitnj.org.
The source for this article is the New Jersey Department of Travel and Tourism. It has been slightly altered to update the dates of the challenge.
*Notes: The image at the top was created by John Stringfellow. The image is published with a Creative Commons license which means:
“you can download the image (at full resolution!), reinterpret the image and display it under the condition that you give credit to the original artist (me, John Stringfellow) AND allow any other artist to manipulate and distribute your version under the same agreement.”
I would really like it if you could link your page back to Bestofnj.com, but that is not required.
