Mid Atlantic Beaches and Coastal Travel Destinations

The Mid Atlantic coast has a wide range of beaches, resort towns, and waterfront experiences, with most destinations offering year round activities.

Recreation along the Mid Atlantic coast includes swimming, surfing, walking, running, hiking, sea shell collecting, sports, flying kites, fishing, birdwatching, photography, painting, and other pastimes.

New Jersey

Waterfront experiences can be found all along the New Jersey coast. Public access to beaches is good in the state.

A few of the most popular beachfront destinations include Sandy Hook (Gateway National Recreation Area), Asbury Park Beach, Ocean Grove, Belmar, Manasaquan, Seaside Heights, Island Beach State Park, Atlantic City, Ocean City, 

On the southern tip of New Jersey, Cape May is a popular travel destination. The area is popular with birdwatchers, especially Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, and Cape May Point State Park.

Delaware

Delaware's Atlantic Coast extends from Lewes down to the Maryland state line. The area includes a mix of beaches and coastal communities.

Maryland

Ocean City, Maryland is primarily a tourist resort, with a population that swells from less than 10,000 winter residents to over 2 million in the summer months.

The Ocean City Inlet did not exist until 1933, when the Chesapeake Potomac Hurricane tore thru the narrow island, separating Ocean City from Assateague Island.

The inlet was eventually stabilized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, enabling the town to become a popular fishing port.

The access to productive fishing grounds brought not only commercial fishing but recreational fishing, mostly boats that fish offshore for tuna, sharks, billfish, and bottom fish.

Assateague Island is a pristine coastal island located south of Ocean City, Maryland. At Assateague National Sea Shore, visitors will find drive on access for oversand vehicles, beautiful sand, and shallow water suitable for swimming, surfing, skin boarding, and wading. Right behind the beach is a sheltered bay where visitors can explore, wade, fish, enjoy watersports, or go birdwatching.

Virginia

The coast of Virginia includes all the state's barrier islands as well as the shoreline from Virginia Beach to the North Carolina border. Assateague Island is known for its lighthouse, wild ponies, waterfowl, deer, sandy beaches, fishing, and hiking trails.

The Virginia portion of Assateague Island is occupied by Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague National Seashore. Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge covers over 14,000 acres of beach, dunes, marsh, and forest habitat. Explorers can tour the visitors center, then make the short drive to the seashore and hike the many trails.

The refuge and beaches of Assateague Island are very important the economy of Chincoteague Island and Virginia overall. Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most popular national wildlife refuges, according to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Farther south, across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, are the seven cities of Hampton Roads Virginia. Beach access is plentiful along Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

North Carolina

From the Outer Banks to the Crystal Coast, North Carolina has some of the nations most popular beaches.

Along the coast are some of the Mid Atlantic's most important estuaries, including Albemarle Sound and Pamlico Sound, fed by the Roanoke, Neuse, and Cape Fear rivers.

Passaic River Waterfront Park - Newark NJ

In Newark, New Jersey, public access along the Passaic River will be improved by a waterfront construction project.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District is restoring the Passaic River shoreline with a new bulkhead wall designed to prevent the shoreline from eroding.

The banks of the river had been largely abandoned because the shoreline was eroding and the river was filled with trash. The Passaic carried contaminates from one of the state’s largest toxic waste sites.

The community has shown interest in a riverfront park to revitalize the waterfront area and the work the Army Corps is doing is laying the foundation for their plans.

The Army Corps of Engineers in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the City of Newark is performing The Joseph G. Minish Passaic River Waterfront Park and Historic Area Project.

The project encompasses almost 2-miles and over 30-acres of land along the west bank of the Passaic River between Bridge and Brill Streets in New Jersey's largest city.

The Army Corps is overseeing the construction of 6,000 feet of new bulkhead along the river, which entails restoring 3,200 feet of riverbank, constructing a 9,200-foot waterfront walkway, and creating landscaping using native plants.

In addition, it’s also establishing park facilities, plazas, walking and biking paths, playgrounds, and baseball and soccer fields.

The project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2023.

source: New York District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

2020 Small Shipyard Grants - Mid Atlantic

In April, 2020, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced $19.6 million in discretionary grants to U.S. small shipyards through the Small Shipyard Grant Program.

MARAD’s Small Shipyard Grant Program provides funding to assist eligible shipyards modernize operations, improve efficiency, and increase productivity by investing in emerging technologies and a highly skilled workforce.

Projects under the program include capital and related improvement projects that foster efficiency, competitive operations, and quality ship construction, repair, and reconfiguration. In addition, the program can fund training projects that foster employee skills and enhance productivity.

The economic footprint of American shipyards is nearly 400,000 jobs, $25.1 billion of labor income, and $37.3 billion in GDP.

Small Shipyard Grant recipients in the Mid Atlantic region include:

MARYLAND

Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp. of Salisbury, MD, which designs and builds commercial ships up to 450 feet in length, will receive $830,622 to purchase a 130‐ton Rough Terrain Crane.

NEW YORK

Smith Boys Marine Sales Inc. of North Tonowanda, NY, a family-owned boat service and repair company, will receive $317,641 for a transporter and CNC plasma cutter.

OHIO

The Great Lakes Towing Company of Cleveland, OH, a company with 120 years of service on the Great Lakes, will receive $1,400,000 for an 820‐ton Travelift.

PENNSYLVANIA

Philly Shipyard, Inc. of Philadelphia, PA, a U.S. commercial shipyard constructing vessels for operation in the U.S. Jones Act market, will receive $640,158 for a Messer system.

VIRGINIA

Colonna's Shipyard, Inc. Norfolk VA, which performs ship repair, machining and steel fabrication services to both the commercial and government markets, will receive $799,996 to purchase welding machines.

UMV Transit of Mid Atlantic Coast

ThayerMahan, Inc. will be conducting an unmanned maritime vehicle (Wave Glider-WG) transit from approximately 100 NM East of Port Canaveral, FL to about 100 NM East of Cape May, NJ.

The transit will commence on or about 7 Dec, 2019 and is expected to terminate on or about 6 Mar,
2020. 24/7 operations consist of scientific ocean data collection.

The Wave Glider carries no fuel, lubricants or hydrocarbons. It is wave powered and remotely attended from the ThayerMahan Operations Center, moving at speeds of about 1kt, and is designed to automatically give way if encountered by a vessel transmitting AIS.

It is approximately 6.5’ x 2’ (surfboard size), copper in color, with a contact plaque and mast extending 3’ above the water surface. Mariners are requested to transit the area with caution.

For more details, contact the ThayerMahan Operations center at 860-969-3171.


source: U.S. Coast Guard Local Notice To Mariners - 5th District

Nautical Christmas Events - Things To Do

Montauk Lighthouse | credit USCG

The Mid Atlantic Region is known for its nautical events. This post focuses on nautical theme Christmas and winter holiday things to do in the area.


New York

Christmas with Santa 2019 at the Montauk Lighthouse

Santa Claus himself will be at the Montauk Point Lighthouse on Sunday, December 1st, 2019 from - 11:00 AM - 03:00 PM. Families will enjoy caroling, pony rides, and more.


New Jersey

West Cape May (WCM) Community Christmas Parade

Always the first Saturday in December, The West Cape May (WCM) Community Christmas Parade sets the stage for the areas holiday season. Now in its 54th year, the parade steps off at 5:00pm sharp from the WCM Volunteer Firehouse and marches South on Broadway, winds East on Perry, and onto Carpenter Lane in the City of Cape May. The Parade reschedules to December 8th in the event of inclement weather.


Maryland

Baltimore Inner Harbor Boat Parade

An annual parade of lighted boats is scheduled to occur in the Northwest and Inner Harbors at Baltimore, MD on December 7, 2019, between 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The holiday season boat parade consists of 30 sail and power vessels (19-60 feet in length). Vessels will gather in the Northwest Harbor near Canton at Anchorage Marina, proceed to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, and conduct two counter-clockwise loops before returning to the starting area. Participants will be supported by sponsor-provided watercraft. Additional event information is available at www.anchoragemarina.com.

Middle River Boat Parade

An annual holiday season boat parade is scheduled to occur in the Middle River on November 30, 2019, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Approximately 100 sail and power vessels (15 to 60 feet in length) will operate along the Middle River and its tributaries, near Baltimore County, MD. Participants will be supported by sponsor-provided safety vessels.

Ocean City MD Winterfest of Lights

This year's Ocean City MD Winterfest of Lights runs November 21 - December 31, 2019. On display will be more than one million holiday lights and hundreds of animated light displays throughout Northside Park. Relax and sip hot chocolate in the heated Winterfest Village pavilion, take a photo with Santa, and board the Winterfest Express to tour fairy tale themed exhibits. The one-mile journey takes visitors through 58 acres of lights and features a 50-foot Christmas tree.

Christmas in St. Michaels

Christmas in St. Michaels is held annually the second weekend in December in historic St. Michaels, Maryland. Ticketed and free events include the Tour of Homes, Holiday Gala, Breakfast with Santa, and the Christmas Parade along Talbot Street, the largest holiday parade on the Eastern Shore.


Virginia

Holiday Parade at the Beach - Virginia Beach

On Saturday, December 7, at 5:30pm, the Cox Communications Holiday Parade at the Beach will include giant balloons, marching bands, lighted floats, equestrian units, fire trucks, performing dance groups, motorcycles, and Santa. The parade travels north on Atlantic Avenue from 15th Street to 25th Street. The reviewing stand is located at 25th Street and Atlantic Avenue.

Related Information

Christmas In New England

Baltimore Inner Harbor

Hampton Roads Christmas Holiday Events 2019

Things To Do In Ocean City MD