Sandy Hook, NJ! One of THE best family beaches around. With a short (and extremely scenic) ferry ride from Manhattan, you are welcomed to a quiet little town with tons of history! Sandy Hook is the type of beach where you pack your cooler and just lay out for the entire day. With just one restaurant on the almost non-existent boardwalk you are pretty much forced to bring something along with you. Sandy Hook is NOT a party beach. The drinks at the local Pub are DISGUSTING! They have a gift shop and a burger and fry stand and that's just about it. The water is very clean as well as the beach. The ferry ride to Sandy Hook is about 45 mins long and they provide you with complimentary bagels, muffins etc. You may purchase alcoholic beverages on board as well. The ferry has both indoor and outdoor seating and is equipped with 2 stories to provide ample space. My suggestion is to sit inside on the way to the beach. There are luxury seating areas which consist of windows that overlook the ocean. On the way back, you should grab a seat outside and catch all the pictures you can.
Arrive: The ferry departs from East 35th street in Manhattan and Pier 11 at the South Street Sea Port. For better chances in available seating I would suggest taking the ferry from the first stop which is East 35th street. Round-trip tickets are $40 bucks and the schedule varies. Check out seastreak.com for full schedule and information.
Play: The ferry will make 2 stops in the Highlands. The first stop is more for cyclist wanting to take a ride around the nature trail. The other stop is where the beaches are. Once you leave the boat there is two lines. One line goes to New Jersey's ONLY nude beach in the Highlands, the other goes to the family beach. I've never been to the nude beach and I must admit, I have absolutely NO intentions on going but if you happen to have been, I would love to hear your story. Being that there are several passengers there are about 3-4 buses that are in constant rotation. One going to the nude beach, the other going to the family beaches. Along the way to the family beaches the bus will make a short stop at a local kiddie beach. The water is rather shallow and there is a small playground as well. From there, we wait in agonizing one lane traffic until we finally reach the beach. It's a short walk to the sand!
Depart: The bus operator will advise you on what time the buses will begin to leave. Granted they do not run as often as we would like them too but if you are not feeling the beach you are at, a bus will take you to another one. Once the day is over and the sun starts to go down the buses begin to depart back to the ferry! Don't let the line that is wrapped around the block fool you!! It moves fast! I promise!
Total Price: $40 round trip
Total Travel Time: 45 mins each way
