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Sandy Hook, New Jersey
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Sandy Hook is a barrier peninsula, approximately 9.7 kilometers (between 6 and 7 miles) in length and 800 meters (0.5 miles) (varying between 0.10 and 1 miles) wide, in Middletown Township in Monmouth County, along the Atlantic Ocean coast of eastern New Jersey in the United States. The barrier spit encloses the southern entrance of Lower New York Bay south of New York City. The Dutch called the area "Sant Hoek;" with the English "Hook" deriving from the Dutch "Hoek," meaning "spit of land".
HistoryGeologically, it is a large sand spit or barrier spit, the extension of a barrier peninsula along the coast of New Jersey separated from the mainland by the estuary of the Shrewsbury River. On its western side, the peninsula encloses Sandy Hook Bay, a triangular arm of Raritan Bay. The community of Highlands overlooks the southern part of the hook.
Sandy Hook is owned by the federal government. Most of it is managed by the National Park Service as the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. The eastern shoreline consists of public beaches North Beach, Gunnison Beach, and South Beach. The southern part of the spit consists of public beaches, fishing areas, and the SeaGull's Nest, a seafood restaurant operated by a concessionaire. The peninsula's ocean-facing beaches are considered among the finest in New Jersey and are a popular destination for recreation in summer when seasonal ferries bring beachgoers. Gunnison Beach is one of the largest clothing optional (by custom) beaches on the East Coast.
Throughout history, it has formed a convenient anchorage for ships before proceeding into Upper New York Harbor. The now-defunct Fort Hancock is located at the north end of the peninsula. It is now open to the public. The Sandy Hook Proving Ground was a proving ground used by the United States Army for many years (post-Civil War to 1919, when the facility was moved to Aberdeen, Maryland) and was later the site of a Nike missile defense installation. The Sandy Hook Nike station is one of a very few stations that are still intact. Almost all of the fort's gun batteries are off limits to the public due to their hazardous condition. The exception to this is Battery Gunnison which is being restored by volunteers and also has two M-1900 six-inch cannon installed; the weapons were placed there in 1976. Guided tours give visitors a look at an actual Nike missile, the missile firing platforms, and a radar station (complete with 60's-era computers).
Sandy Hook Lighthouse is located within the fort grounds, as is the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST), a magnet high school, part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District. At the entrance to Fort Hancock is Guardian Park, a plaza dominated by two Nike missiles. Some of the buildings of Fort Hancock are off-limits because their structural integrity is dubious.
A controversial proposal was recently accepted to allow adaptive reuse of some of the buildings in Fort Hancock for private profit.
Beyond (north of) Fort Hancock is an outpost of the United States Coast Guard. This area is administered by the Department of Homeland Security and is off-limits to the general public.
The "hook" is open year-round, but there is a parking fee during the summer months.
Transportation
The only road that connects to Sandy Hook is Route 36; a road through the peninsula branches from Route 36 at the northern end of Sea Bright. Route 36 is accessible from the Garden State Parkway at Exits 105 in Tinton Falls and 117 in Hazlet Township (near Keyport). Exit 117 is closer, and will be more direct from the north. Another possibility is to take the Garden State Parkway to Exit 109, in Middletown Township, for County Route 520, and take 520 through Red Bank to its eastern terminus at Route 36 in Sea Bright. Another alternative is to take the New Jersey Turnpike to Exit 8A (in Monroe Township) to Route 32 east, to County Route 612 east, which then becomes County Route 520 east. Take CR 520 to its end in Sea Bright.
A bicycle road parallels the motor road, and ferries serve Sandy Hook from Manhattan in summertime.
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