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SANDY HOOK: GATEWAY NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, SANDY HOOK UNIT SANDY HOOK VISITOR'S CENTER SANDY HOOK LIGHTHOUSE FORT HANCOCK HISTORIC DISTRICT Off Route 36, Highlands (732) 872-5970 www.nps.gov/gate The Sandy Hook region of the Gateway National Recreation Area features seven miles of beaches (with lifeguards in summer), evening beach concerts, hiking trails, salt marshes, and over three hundred species of birds. Ranger (and self-guided) tours are available year-round. The park is open daily, sunrise to sunset. The Sandy Hook Visitor's Center at Spermaceti Cove is an 1894 U.S. Life-Saving Station that features exhibits on the peninsula's natural environment. It is open daily 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Located near the tip of this seven-mile barrier peninsula, is the historic Sandy Hook Lighthouse. Built at the request of New York merchants wanting to protect their ships entering the harbor, it was lighted for the first time on June 11, 1764. The octagonal tower was the fifth lighthouse in the colonies and remains the oldest operating lighthouse in the U.S. today. The Lighthouse was occupied by British soldiers during the American Revolution and was bombarded by cannons served by Patriot troops. It was also the sanctuary to local refugees who were sympathizers of the King. The grounds around the Lighthouse are open daily, and a video program can also be viewed. The Lighthouse itself is open to climb on Saturdays and Sundays from April through midDecember. Volunteers from the N.J. Lighthouse Society offer tours inside and are limited on a first-come, first-served basis. While there, also visit the Fort Hancock Historic District. Built in 1898, Fort Hancock includes gun batteries and over one hundred buildings. Start your visit at the Fort Hancock Museum; then visit History House, a 1890s officers' home. (History House is open weekends 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM.) Special use fees for beach parking are charged, while entry to the historic district is free. SEVEN PRESIDENTS OCEANFRONT PARK 221 Ocean Avenue North Long Branch, (732) 229-7025 or (732) 842-4000 www.monmouthcountyparks.com This thirty-eight-acre park was named to honor seven presidents who vacationed in the immediate area. In the summer, its guarded beach is a great place to swim, sun, and surf. During the off-season, it is a nice place for a quiet walk. Park features include an activity center, access to launch personal watercraft, fishing, a playground, swimming, sand volleyball, pavilion with snack bar, and restrooms. New improvements include a regulation in-line skating rink, a skate park, a shelter, and parking area. The park is open every day from 8:00 AM to dusk. SHENANDOAH COUNTY FIELD SPORTS COMPLEX Route 88 East, Lakewood 1-877-OC PARKS Six soccer and two softball fields on 84 acres await the visitor to this field sports complex, where any spring or fall afternoon will find fields busy with local teams and excited onlookers. Basketball, bike trail, playground, soccer, softball. See also "Lake Shenandoah County Park." TATUM PARK 144 Holland Road and 251 Red Hill Road, Middletown, (732) 842-4000 www.monmouthcountyparks.com "A little piece of paradise where you can find peace of mind." That's one description of the 366 acres of rolling hills, open fields, and 6.5 miles of winding trails through red and chestnut oaks and tulip trees. Visit the park each season to see the beautiful changes in color. Picnic tables offer a relaxing place to lunch. Near the Red Hill Activity Center, you'll find a playground at the edge of the woods. TURKEY SWAMP PARK 200 Georgia Road Freehold Township, (732) 842-4000 www.monmouthcountyparks.com Turkey Swamp features 2,111 acres including a 17 acre lake for fishing, boating, and skating. Fish for bass, catfish, or bluegills either from the shore or from canoes and paddleboats that you can rent in summer. The lake offers winter ice-skating when the ice is thick enough, nine miles of multiuse and fitness trails traverse the park which is located at the northern end of the Pine Barrens; Turkey Swamp's terrain is relatively level and the lake adds scenic interest. There is also an archery range and playgrounds. Get back to nature by spending the night at the family campground or reserve a picnic shelter for your next big group picnic. The family campground offers campsites, electrical service, water service (3-15 - 11-15), drinking water, modern restroom with hot showers and laundry, a self serve sanitary dump station for campers with holding tanks, fire rings for charcoal cooking and campfires, picnic tables, and a children's playground. Continued on page 38 37