The Raritan Bayshore is a region in central sections in the state of

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. It is the area around

Raritan Bay Raritan Bay is a bay located at the southern portion of Lower New York Bay between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey and is part of the New York Bight. The bay is bounded on the northwest by New York's Staten Island, on the west b ...

from The Amboys to Sandy Hook, in

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

and

Monmouth Monmouth ( or ; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated on where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. The population in the 2011 census was 10,508, rising from 8 ...

counties, including the towns of Perth Amboy, South Amboy, Sayreville, Old Bridge, Matawan,

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

, Keyport, Union Beach, Hazlet, Keansburg, Middletown, Atlantic Highlands, and Highlands. It is the northernmost part of the

Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore, commonly called the Shore by locals, is the coast, coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The term encompasses about of shore, oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Perth Amboy in the n ...

, located just south of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. At Keansburg is a traditional amusement park while at Sandy Hook are found ocean beaches. The Sadowski Parkway beach area in Perth Amboy, which lies at the mouth of the

Raritan River The Raritan River is a river of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its Drainage basin, watershed drains much of the mountainous areas in the North Jersey, northern and Central Jersey, central sections of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay near ...

, was deemed the " Riviera of New Jersey" by local government. In recent years many of the beaches on the Bayshore area have been rediscovered and upgraded. Wpdms usgs photo raritan bay

Henry Hudson and the ''Half Moon''

In September 1609, the ''

Halve Maen ''Halve Maen'' (; ) was a Dutch East India Company ''jacht'' (similar to a carrack) that sailed into what is now New York Harbor in September 1609. She had a length of 21 metres and was commissioned by the VOC Chamber of Amsterdam in the Dutch ...

'' (Dutch for Half Moon), anchored along the shores of the Raritan Bay, and remained for five days to explore the

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

and establish contact with local

Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...

people (who later become known as the Navesink and Raritan). Four his crew were sent up the Arthur Kill and to Newark Bay. Upon their return they were attacked and one of them, John Colman was fatally shot by arrow. Taken ashore to be buried, the spot was christened Coleman's Point. The location ''Keansburg'' still bears the name.

Popular attractions

Popular attractions in the Bayshore area include Keansburg Amusement Park and Runaway Rapids Waterpark in Keansburg, Mount Mitchill in Atlantic Highlands, and Longstreet Farm in Holmdel. There are also beaches and waterfronts in both of The Amboys, the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge, the Cliffwood Beach section of

, Keyport, Union Beach, Keansburg, and the East Keansburg, Port Monmouth, Belford, and Leonardo sections of Middletown. There are also non-commercial boardwalks in Perth Amboy and Keansburg. Because many of the towns date back to the 17th and 18th century, as well as the important naval history in the area, there are numerous historical locations throughout the Bayshore area. Historical attractions include Fort Hancock in Sandy Hook, the Twin Lights State Historic Site in Highlands, the Strauss Mansion in Atlantic Highlands, Portland Place and the Taylor-Butler House in Middletown, Longstreet Farm in Holmdel, the Burrowes Mansion in Matawan, the Thomas Warne Museum in Old Bridge, and the Kearny Cottage Museum, the Perth Amboy Ferry Slip, and Proprietary House in Perth Amboy. Additionally, there are various historical markers and sites from these early time periods, especially several from the Revolutionary War and the British retreat to Sandy Hook from the

Battle of Monmouth The Battle of Monmouth, also known as the Battle of Monmouth Court House, was fought near the Village of Monmouth Court House, New Jersey, Monmouth Court House in modern-day Freehold Borough, New Jersey and Manalapan, New Jersey, Manalapan, on J ...

Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan

Th
Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan
was an effort by nine municipalities in northern Monmouth County,

to reinvigorate the area's economy, especially along the Route 36 corridor along the Sandy Hook Bay. Municipalities participating in the effort were

, Atlantic Highlands, Hazlet, Highlands, Keansburg, Keyport, Matawan, Middletown and Union Beach. In August 2006 a report was released, and Monmouth County was asked to vote to have the county planning board approve the plan the Bayshore organization has created. This plan has since been replaced by th
2016 Monmouth County Master Plan
an effort to beautify, maintain, and revitalize Monmouth County. The new master plan combined four separate regional plans within the county to create one large master plan, fully taking into consideration what each plan had to offer. Leonardo piers zoom

Sandy Hook Bay

Sandy Hook Bay is a triangular arm of the

, along the coast of northern

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It is formed along the south side of the Lower New York Bay by Sandy Hook, a spit of land that protects the bay from the open

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

. The bay provides a sheltered

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : "related to the sea") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo ...

for pleasure craft, as well as a harbor for the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

. It is fed by the Shrewsbury River

. It is bounded on the west side by the Naval Weapons Station Earle pier.

Nature, tourism, and recreation

The Henry Hudson Trail is a bicycling and hiking

rail trail A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...

which runs parallel to the southern shore of

and connects the Bayshore communities to inland sections of Monmouth County. The trail starts in Freehold Borough and ends at Highlands, with missing links in Atlantic Highlands, Aberdeen/Matawan, and

Marlboro Marlboro (, ) is an American brand of cigarettes owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the United States and by Philip Morris International (PMI, now separate from Altria) in most global territories outside the ...

. The Bayshore area is mostly flat areas of beach, with the exception of the hills between the Navesink River and the Sandy Hook Bay. Mount Mitchill, a hill in Atlantic Highlands, is the highest. Great Blue Hill at and Todt Hill on nearby

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

at are higher than Mitchill To the east of Mount Mitchill are the Twin Lights Lighthouse of Highlands, with unobstructed views of Sandy Hook and the

skyline. Hartshorne Woods Park is also located in the Monmouth Hills to the south on the banks of the Navesink River. The

Gateway National Recreation Area Gateway National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area in New York City and Monmouth County, New Jersey. It provides recreational opportunities that are not commonly found in a dense urban environment, including ocean swimming, b ...

Sandy Hook Unit on the barrier peninsula includes two park sites: :* Fort Hancock served as part of the harbor's coastal defense system from 1895 until 1974 and contains 100 historic buildings and fortifications. :* Sandy Hook contains seven beaches, including Gunnison Beach, a "

nude beach A nude beach, sometimes called a clothing-optional or free beach, is a beach where users are at liberty to be nude. Nude beaches usually have mixed bathing. Such beaches are usually on public lands, and any member of the public is allowed to us ...

" by custom, as well as salt marshes and a maritime holly forest.

Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

and using hand-launched vessels are popular here. The New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route and Cheesequake State Park are also here.

Lighthouses

* Chapel Hill Rear Range Light, Sandy Hook Bay (deactivated 1957) * Conover Beacon, (located in the Leonardo section of Middletown) * Great Beds Light, South Amboy * Navesink Twin Lights, Highlands * Sandy Hook Lighthouse, Sandy Hook.

Transportation

Ferry service

Ferries A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus. ...

and Exchange Place travel across the Lower New York Bay and enter the harbor at The Narrows, a trip that take approximately 40 minutes. SeaStreak routes connect the towns of Atlantic Highlands and Highlands to the

East River The East River is a saltwater Estuary, tidal estuary or strait in New York City. The waterway, which is not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island, ...

at Pier 11 at Wall Street and East 34th Street Ferry Landing in

. The Belford ferry slip Raritan Bayshore terminal with service to Paulus Hook Ferry Terminal in

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

and

Wall Street Wall Street is a street in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs eight city blocks between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway in the west and South Street (Manhattan), South Str ...

-Pier 11 and West Midtown Ferry Terminal in

. From

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...

weekend through

Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...

weekend, service is also provided to the public beaches in Sandy Hook a few times each day by SeaStreak.

North Jersey Coast Line

NJ Transit's

North Jersey Coast Line The North Jersey Coast Line is a Commuter rail in North America, commuter rail line running from Rahway, New Jersey, Rahway to Bay Head, New Jersey, traversing through the Jersey Shore region. Operated by New Jersey Transit, the line is electr ...

crosses the

on River Draw between Perth Amboy and South Amboy continuing south to Aberdeen-Matawan, Hazlet, and Middletown.

Bus

* NJ Transit bus 48 travels to Elizabeth from Perth Amboy, with stops in Woodbridge, Carteret, and Rahway. * NJ Transit bus 116 travels to New York City from Perth Amboy with stops in Woodbridge and Carteret. * NJ Transit bus 131 travels to New York City with stops in Sayreville. * NJ Transit bus 133 travels to New York City with stops in Old Bridge, Matawan, and Aberdeen. * NJ Transit bus 135 travels to New York City from Freehold with stops in Matawan and Old Bridge. * NJ Transit bus 815 travels between

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

and Woodbridge Center Mall with stops in various towns including Perth Amboy and South Amboy. * NJ Transit bus 817 travels between Middletown and Perth Amboy, with stops in Keansburg, Hazlet, Union Beach, Keyport, Aberdeen, Old Bridge, and South Amboy. * NJ Transit bus 834 travels to the Red Bank bus terminal with stops in Middletown, Atlantic Highlands, and Highlands. * Academy Bus runs regular service in to points in

and

Footnotes

External links

Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan

Henry Hudson Trail

Henry Hudson Regional Alumni Association

Hartshorne Woods Park

Sandy Hook Bay Catamaran Club
{{Coord, 40.441199, N, 74.044418, W, display=title Bays of New Jersey Estuaries of New Jersey Landforms of Monmouth County, New Jersey Port of New York and New Jersey