Beaches & Boardwalks · Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook Beaches (Gateway National Recreation Area)
Bayside and oceanside beaches on the Sandy Hook peninsula in Gateway NRA, with seasonal per-vehicle parking fees and seasonal dog rules.
Parks & Trails · Locust
Hartshorne Woods Park
An 831-acre Monmouth County park above the Navesink River with about 16 miles of hilly trails, a WWII gun battery and historic Portland Place.
Hartshorne Woods is a hilly, forested 831-acre Monmouth County park overlooking the Navesink River. The county calls its roughly 16 miles of trails the most extensive and challenging in the park system, open to walkers, hikers, bikers and horseback riders. Other uses include fishing in the Navesink, cross-country skiing and group cabin camping by reservation.
At the Rocky Point section, Battery Lewis is a World War II coastal defense site where a 68-foot, 120-ton naval gun barrel from the Battleship New Jersey is on display. Free guided tours run late May through mid-October and have concluded for this season. Tours of Historic Portland Place run Wednesday through Sunday, May 2 to November 15.
The park opens at 7 a.m. daily and closes at 7:30 p.m. through October 31. It will close to all outdoor activities for antlerless deer hunting on several dates this season, including November 24 until noon and December 8, 10, 16 and 18, 2026. Entrances are on Portland Road, Navesink Avenue, Locust Avenue and Hartshorne Road.
Good for
- History
- Waterfront
Last checked 2026-10-24. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit
Nearby in Middletown
Parks & Trails · Locust
Huber Woods Park
A 390-acre Monmouth County park with 8.5 miles of multi-use trails, meadows, river views, an environmental center and a reptile house.
History & Lighthouses · Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook Lighthouse
Completed in 1764, the oldest operating lighthouse in the United States, with ranger-led tower tours at Gateway National Recreation Area.