Raritan Bayshore

The Raritan Bayshore is a region in

Henry Hudson and the Half Moon

In September 1609, the

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 Aberdeen, 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.

Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan

The Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan was an effort by nine municipalities in northern

Municipalities participating in the effort were Aberdeen, Atlantic Highlands, Hazlet, Highlands, Keansburg, Keyport, Matawan, Middletown and Union Beach.^[4]

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.^[5]

This plan has since been replaced by the 2016 Monmouth County Master Plan, an effort to beautify, maintain, and revitalize Monmouth County.^[6] The new master plan combined four separate regional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.^[4]

Sandy Hook Bay

Sandy Hook Bay is a triangular arm of the

The Henry Hudson Trail is a bicycling and hiking rail trail which runs parallel to the southern shore of Raritan Bay 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.

The Bayshore area is mostly flat areas of beach, with the exception of the hills between the

The Gateway National Recreation Area 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.^[8]
• Sandy Hook contains seven beaches, including Gunnison Beach, a "nude beach" by custom, as well as salt marshes and a maritime holly forest. Fishing
  and using hand-launched vessels are popular here.

The New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route^[9] 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
  .

Transportation

Ferry service

• NJ Transit bus 48 travels to Elizabeth from Perth Amboy, with stops in Woodbridge, Carteret, and Rahway.^[11]
• NJ Transit bus 116 travels to New York City from Perth Amboy with stops in Woodbridge and Carteret.^[11]
• NJ Transit bus 131 travels to New York City with stops in Sayreville.^[11]
• NJ Transit bus 133 travels to New York City with stops in Old Bridge, Matawan, and Aberdeen.^[11]
• NJ Transit bus 135 travels to New York City from Freehold with stops in Matawan and Old Bridge.^[11]
• NJ Transit bus 815 travels between New Brunswick and Woodbridge Center Mall with stops in various towns including Perth Amboy and South Amboy.^[11]
• 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.^[11]
• Academy Bus runs regular service in to points in New Jersey and New York City
  .

• Regions of New Jersey
• Jersey Shore
• Raritan Bay
• Raritan River
• Navesink River
• Shrewsbury River
• Manasquan River
• Barnegat Bay

Footnotes