Barnegat Lighthouse Restoration

Barnegat Lighthouse | credit: USCG

Barnegat Lighthouse will be closed to visitors for approximately seven months for a $1.3 million restoration of the historic lighthouse, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

The lighthouse closure began Monday, March 14. Construction work through October will involve a complete exterior restoration of the lighthouse, masonry recoating and repairs to the brick facade, interior lantern steel platform repairs, roof repairs, and the installation of new windows. 

The lighthouse will remain dark for the duration of the project being done by Spartan Construction General Contracting, Inc. of South Amboy.

Scaffolding will also be erected for the entire height of the lighthouse. The restoration project is funded by the Corporate Business Tax.

As part of the restoration effort, the Friends of Barnegat Lighthouse will donate a new beacon light for the lighthouse as well as new security fencing. 

After being decommissioned in 1927, the Barnegat Lighthouse sat dark until January 1, 2009 when the Friends of Barnegat Lighthouse donated the current light.

Located on the northern tip of Long Beach Island, the Barnegat Lighthouse is one of the signature destinations along the Jersey shore and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Barnegat Lighthouse State Park will remain open during the renovation, including the park office, interpretive center, fisherman’s walkway, and trails. During the restoration, Americans with Disabilities Act access will not be available along the fisherman’s walkway.

Barnegat Lighthouse State Park is a popular destination for fishing, hiking, birding, picnicking, and other outdoor recreation.

Lighthouse enthusiasts can visit several historic navigational aids in New Jersey including Twin Lights Historic Site in Highlands, Absecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City, and Cape May Lighthouse in Cape May Point.

More information about New Jersey’s parks, forests, and historic sites can be found at www.njparksandforests.org.

source: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

Eco-Tourism in the Mid Atlantic

This article provides insights into eco-tourism opportunities in the Mid Atlantic region.

Wikipedia defines Eco-Tourism as "responsible travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strives to be low impact and (often) small scale."

Eco-Tourism is a very popular activity and a great way to spend recreational time while learning about nature.

Eco-tourism providers offer a variety of services which may include boat cruises, nature cruises, scenic cruises, sunset cruises, site-seeing, eco-tourism trips, kayaking adventures, and ocean charters. 

Some eco-tour providers offer several types of trips. Having a choice of eco-tourism packages means there is usually something for everyone.

Eco tours provide encounters with of wildlife and waterfowl including deer, ducks, geese, herons, egrets, plovers and other shorebirds, whales, porpoises, otters, seals and more.

Local guides usually know the best areas for viewing nature. Eco tour guides allow enthusiasts to enjoy experiences that cannot be accomplished otherwise.

In some areas, free or low-cost tours are another option. Eco-tours are often available at national wildlife refuges, state parks, and other public areas.

Although eco-tourism is a popular summer activity, it can be enjoyed year-round. In the Mid Atlantic, many of the most exciting eco-tours occur in the off season.

Related Information

Mid Atlantic Beaches

Things To Do - Mid Atlantic

Day Trips and Weekend Getaways - Mid Atlantic

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

A spectacular array of day trips, weekend getaways, and other travel opportunities can be found in the Mid Atlantic Region. This article provides travel ideas and examples of short trip destinations.

When planning a trip, travelers may want to consider a number of factors before choosing a destination.

Time affects virtually all travel in the Mid Atlantic Region. With some interests, timing will be a minor issue. For others, timing is critical.

Factors such as traffic, temperature, and availability of goods and services are all affected by time and season.

The following are trip ideas by state and region:

Jersey Shore

The Jersey Shore is one of the most popular getaway destinations in the northern part of the region. The Jersey Shore is known for its seaside towns, amusement parks, and other attractions.

Popular Jersey Shore 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, and others.

Cape May

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 Coast

Because of its strategic location, the Delaware Coast is one of the area's most popular destinations. The area is home to numerous beachfront communities. Near Lewes, Cape Henlopen State Park attracts beach enthusiasts, birdwatchers, fishermen, and others.

Baltimore

One of America's oldest cities, Baltimore is a favorite city to explore. Access to Baltimore is possible by auto, bus, rail, air, or sea. The Inner Harbor is a must-see starting point. From there, visitors can spend time exploring museums, shopping, boat tours, historic neighborhoods, or take walks along the harbor.

Western Maryland

Western includes scores of destinations for day trips and getaway excursions. Popular attractions in Deep Creek Lake, Historic Cumberland, and others.

West Virginia

In West Virginia, Harpers Ferry is one of the best kept secrets in the Mid Atlantic region. The appeal of this historic town is due mostly to its geographic location. Harpers Ferry is located at the junction of two of America's most famous rivers; the Potomac and Shenandoah.

Ocean City MD

Ocean City, Maryland (OCMD) is Maryland's most popular coastal beach resort. Each year, Ocean City experiences a dramatic change as its population swells from less than 10,000 winter residents to over 2 million in the summer months.

Chincoteague Island - Assateague Island

Located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Chincoteague Island is a favorite weekend getaway destination for beach lovers, birders, and anglers. Once a small fishing village, the town is a mix of shops, restaurants, motels, and vacation cottages. A few minutes away is Assateague Island, home to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, sandy beaches, and the world-famous wild Chincoteague ponies.

Hampton Roads Virginia

The Hampton Roads - Tidewater region is known for its waterfront activities. Travelers can explore the seven cities of Hampton Roads and other areas.

Coastal North Carolina

North Carolina is home to some of America's most popular beaches from the Outer Banks to the Crystal Coast.

Along the coast are important estuaries, including Albemarle Sound and Pamlico Sound, fed by the Roanoke, Neuse, and Cape Fear rivers.

Related Information

Mid Atlantic Beaches and Coastal Travel Destinations

Things To Do in Harpers Ferry West Virginia

Winter Recreation Ideas

Mid-Atlantic Saltwater Fishing

The Mid-Atlantic region offers some of the best saltwater fishing on North America's Atlantic coast.

New York and New Jersey both offer a variety of saltwater fishing opportunities. Inshore fishing is the popular, with anglers catching scup (porgy) black sea bass, tautog, weakfish, fluke (summer flounder), winter flounder, and other species.

Anglers that venture into the open sea catch tuna, billfish, sharks, and other pelagic species. Groundfish are also caught off the coasts of New York and New Jersey, including cod, haddock, pollock, hake, and whiting. Along the edges of the canyons, bottom fishermen catch tilefish and other deepwater species.

Striped Bass

Separating New Jersey from Delaware is the Delaware River and Delaware Bay. From Philadelphia to Cape May New Jersey, this estuary is home to striped bass, weakfish, flounder, tautog, and other species. A few miles south is Indian River Inlet, which provides access for deep sea fishing.

In Maryland, an incredible variety of saltwater fishing occurs in Chesapeake Bay and its rivers. Popular fishing ports include Baltimore, Annapolis, Deale, Solomons Island, Cambridge, Tilghman Island, and Crisfield.

Along the Atlantic Coast, anglers fish out of Ocean City, Md. This famous resort town offers inshore fishing for flounder and other species as well as deep sea fishing charters for sharks, tuna, billfish, and other species.

Virginia offers some of the top saltwater fishing opportunities in the Mid Atlantic region. Along with Maryland, Virginia has scores of ports that provide access to the Chesapeake Bay. To the south, the Hampton Roads - Tidewater area is nationally recognized for its winter striped bass fishery, outstanding cobia fishing, and other local fisheries.

In North Carolina's Outer Banks region, inshore fishing occurs in the Pamlico Sound and other local estuaries. The area is also known for its surf fishing with its fall runs of red drum and monster bluefish.

Despite frequent hold ups due to horrific weather, offshore fishing off the North Carolina coast can be incredible.

In summer, offshore fishing often includes fishing for mahi mahi, wahoo, and billfish.

During the winter season, deep sea anglers catch yellowfin tuna and occasionally, giant bluefins. Closer to shore, anglers catch king mackerel, cobia, and bottom fish including snapper and grouper.

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.