The Jersey Shore is home to 11 unique lighthouses which will be in the spotlight this weekend during the Lighthouse Challenge of New Jersey.
From 8 am Saturday to 6 pm Sunday, the challenge encourages people to visit these beautiful, historical structures – 11 lighthouses, 4 lifesaving stations (where shipwrecked sailors were taken) and 1 museum, ranging from Sandy Hook to Cape May along the coast.
Here’s how it works: register and pay a $10 fee at your first site and continue on your route, grabbing a sticker at each location. Learn the history of each coastal gem, while climbing to the top for beautiful panoramic views. When you’re done, let the final site know, and you’ll be entered to win a prize basket and grand prize raffles.
Note: Sandy Hook and Finns Landing are not open due to the government shutdown.
Absecon Lighthouse
31 South Rhode Island Avenue, Atlantic City
609-449-1360
Absecon Lighthouse is New Jersey’s tallest lighthouse at 171 feet tall, and the country’s third tallest. It was established in 1850. Your family can climb the 228 steps of the tower and take a selfie using the selfie cam at the top. You can see the Atlantic City skyline as well as the Atlantic Ocean. Leashed dogs are welcome on the lawn and in the museum.
Check out a video of the Absecon Lighthouse here.
Cape May Lighthouse
215 Lighthouse Ave., Cape May Point
609-884-2159
The 157-foot-high lighthouse built in 1847 is still an aid to navigation. Visitors who climb the 199 steps to the top of the lighthouse are rewarded with a spectacular panoramic view of the scenic Cape May peninsula.
Check out our video of the Cape May Lighthouse here.
Barnegat Lighthouse
Barnegat Light
609-494-2016
The site of Barnegat Lighthouse on the northern tip of Long Beach Island was once regarded as one of the most crucial “change of course” points for coastal boats. Learn about its importance to the safety of sailors in the park’s Interpretive Center or walk through the Maritime Forest Trail. Go birdwatching and fishing in the shadow of Old Barney. A panoramic view of Barnegat Bay, Island Beach and Long Beach Island is waiting for you at the top of the lighthouse.
Twin Lights Lighthouse
Twin Lights Historic Site
2 Lighthouse Rd., Highlands
732-872-1814
Twin Lights in the Highlands of Navesink overlooks the entrance to New York Bay. Today, the thousands of visitors that come to see one of the country’s most unique lighthouses can climb the North Tower, where a sixth-order Fresnel lens was in use until 2007, for a spectacular panoramic view of the area from 200 feet up. It was once the brightest lighthouse in the U.S., with its beacon visible for 22 miles. Twin Lights was the nation’s first wireless telegraph station capable of sending and receiving messages on a regular commercial basis. At certain times you’re able to climb up the second tower, hence the name Twin Lights.
Sandy Hook Lighthouse
Sandy Hook State Park Entrance
2 Hudson Rd., Highlands
732-872-5970
The Sandy Hook Lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in the United States. It is located at the northern end of the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area in Highlands. Amazingly well-preserved, this unique octagonal tower dates back to the 18th century and has been in service since 1764. Except for being darkened during the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I and II, the beacon has been operating ever since. The lighthouse is on the grounds of Fort Hancock and is just one of the unbeatable tourist attractions at Sandy Hook. The peninsula also boasts a spectacular holly forest, excellent surf fishing, hiking, beaches, trails, salt marshes, more than 300 species of birds and other historical sites.
Sea Girt Lighthouse
9 Ocean Ave., Sea Girt
732-974-0514
The history of Sea Girt Lighthouse is a rich one, filled with numerous distinctions and achievements. The red brick structure with a tower rising 44 feet was the last live-in lighthouse built on the Atlantic Coast. Since its restoration, the lighthouse is in use some 200 days a year. Today, the Sea Girt Lighthouse preserves and proclaims its fascinating history through publications, special programs and guided tours of the building now filled with exhibits of rare photos and artifacts. Check ahead to schedule a guided tour.
Tucker’s Beach Lighthouse at the Tuckerton Seaport
120 West Main St., Tuckerton
609-296-8868
Although the original lighthouse was destroyed in 1927, in the 1980s, a group of southern Ocean County sportsmen expressed concern that the old ways of bay life were in danger of extinction. This group’s vision led to the eventual creation of Tuckerton Seaport, where the area’s rich maritime heritage is captured through displays and demonstrations of boat building, decoy carving, and basket weaving. One of the many buildings at the seaport is a re-creation of Tucker’s Island Lighthouse. Located some six miles west of its original location, the lighthouse should be quite safe from the sea. The replica lighthouse looks quite authentic and even houses a Fresnel lens, though not in the lantern room.
Hereford Inlet Lighthouse
North End of Five Mile Beach
111 N. Central Ave., North Wildwood
Hereford Inlet Lighthouse is a working lighthouse as well as a museum. It is open to the public for guided and self-guided tours. Visitors will learn about the history of Hereford and get a glimpse of the life of a lighthouse keeper in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Check out our video of the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse here.
East Point Lighthouse
10 Lighthouse Rd., Heislerville
856-785-9927
East Point Lighthouse is the second oldest lighthouse in New Jersey. Built in 1849, the lighthouse is located on the east bank of the mouth of the Maurice River. Its purpose is to guide fishermen, oystermen and other mariners into the river from the Delaware Bay. The light was extinguished at the beginning of WWII in 1941. The light was not re-lit after the war and was abandoned until 1971 when the Maurice River Historical Society was formed to protect and restore it. In 1980 the Coast Guard reinstalled a beacon and put the East Point Lighthouse back on the list of active navigational aids.
Finn’s Point Rear Range Lighthouse
Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
197 Lighthouse Rd., Pennsville
609-463-0994
Those visiting will be able to climb to the top of the lighthouse and view the surrounding wildlife refuge and Delaware River. The beacon in the 90-plus feet tall iron lighthouse was first lit in April 1877. A lighthouse keeper who lived in an adjacent house, tended to the light. The light was later automated and finally went dark in March 1950. In the late 1970s, a local group formed the “Save the Lighthouse Committee” which helped to save the lighthouse from destruction, enabled preservation work to be completed and got it placed on the National Register of Historic Sites.
Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse
70 2nd St., Paulsboro
856-423-0673
The Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse began operation on the evening of December 31, 1880. The lighthouse is a steel skeletal structure standing 85 feet tall with 112 steps leading from the neoclassical pavilion at the base of the tower to the lantern room. Today, only the lighthouse remains, although a few of the original bricks can still be found around the base of the tower. Special tours are available, and the lighthouse is available for weddings and other special occasions.
Check out videos of the Absecon Lighthouse, the Cape May Lighthouse and the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse in North Wildwood on our Instagram page.
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