Sandy Hook

This article is about a geographical landform in New Jersey. For the place in Connecticut, see Sandy Hook, Connecticut. For other uses, see Sandy Hook (disambiguation).

Sandy Hook
Spit
Sandy Hook seen from an airplane (looking west) on its approach to JFK International Airport in Queens, New York City
Sandy Hook seen from an airplane (looking west) on its approach to JFK International Airport in Queens, New York City
Sandy Hook is located in Monmouth County, New Jersey
Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook
Coordinates: 40°27′11″N 73°59′42″W / 40.4530°N 73.9950°W / 40.4530; -73.9950
LocationMiddletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Offshore water bodiesAtlantic Ocean (to the east)
Shrewsbury River (to the west)
AgeLast Glacial Maximum ("LGM"; ≈25,000 years old)
Formed byWisconsin glaciation period
OperatorNational Park Service
Area
 • Total2,044 acres (827 ha)
Dimensions
 • Length6 miles (9.7 km)
 • Width0.1 to 1.0 mile (0.16 to 1.61 km)
 • Depth250 to 300 feet (76 to 91 m)[1]
Elevation2 m (7 ft)
[2]
DesignationBarrier spit
Sandy Hook, part of the Gateway National Recreation Area

Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.[3] The barrier spit, approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) in length and varying from 0.1 to 1.0 mile (0.16 to 1.61 km) wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern entrance of Lower New York Bay south of New York City, protecting it from the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

The Dutch called the area "Sant Hoek", with the English "Hook" deriving from the Dutch "Hoek" (corner, angle), meaning "spit of land".[4] For over three centuries mariners tasked with guiding ships across the Sandy Hook bar have been known as Sandy Hook pilots.[5]

Most of Sandy Hook is owned and managed by the National Park Service as the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area.

  1. ^ "Coreholes Reveal Glacial and Postglacial History at Sandy Hook" (PDF). Unearthing New Jersey. 11 (1). Trenton, NJ: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: 3. 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  2. ^ "Sandy Hook". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. ^ Greenfield, Beth (August 5, 2005). "Sandy Hook, So Close to Manhattan, So Far Away in Spirit". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  4. ^ "The Atlantic World: Dutch Place Names / De Atlantische Wereld: Plaatsnamen". Dutch Place Names. Library of Congress. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  5. ^ Rueb, Emily (November 17, 2016). "The Channel Masters of New York Harbor". New York Times. Retrieved January 29, 2020.