Barnegat Lighthouse

The barrier islands of this coast were long the seasonal fishing and shellfishing grounds of the Lenape people, whose descendants today include the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape of southern New Jersey. The name Barnegat comes from an early Dutch phrase describing the inlet's rough, breaking water.

The shoals off Barnegat Inlet wrecked so many ships that a lighthouse was built here in the 1830s, but the sea steadily ate away at the beach until the first tower toppled. George Meade designed a taller, stronger replacement set farther back, and its light first shined in 1859. For decades it was a crucial coastal marker, its beam warning ships away from the shoals, until it was retired from active service in the mid-1900s.

After years out of use the tower was restored as the centerpiece of a state park, its light symbolically relit and the grounds opened to visitors. Today Old Barney is one of the most recognizable landmarks on the Jersey Shore, a survivor that has watched the inlet shift around it for well over a century.

The tower stands within a compact state park that wraps the northern tip of the island. A short maritime forest trail winds through one of the last stands of old coastal woodland on Long Beach Island, a tangle of red cedar, holly, and wind-shaped trees that shows what the barrier islands looked like before development.

A long stone jetty runs out toward the inlet, a favorite of surf anglers and a fine place to watch fishing boats thread the channel. Beaches line both the ocean and the calmer bay side, and the point draws seals in winter and shorebirds through much of the year, making the small park far richer than its size suggests.

The climb up Old Barney is the main event, a spiral iron staircase winding up the inside of the tower to a gallery deck near the top. The steps are steep and numerous, but the reward is a commanding view: the inlet churning below, Island Beach State Park stretching north across the water, the bay dotted with boats, and the Atlantic running out to the horizon.

On a clear day you can trace the long thin line of Long Beach Island running south and watch the current rip through the inlet where bay and ocean meet. It is one of the best open vantage points on the whole New Jersey coast.

Summer is the busy season, when the beach towns of Long Beach Island fill and the jetty and beaches draw crowds, though the tip stays wilder than the developed stretches to the south. The warm months bring anglers to the jetty and swimmers to the calmer bay beaches.

Fall brings strong bird migrations and quieter beaches, and winter turns the point stark and windswept, with harbor seals sometimes hauling out on the sand near the inlet. Spring greens the maritime forest and returns the migrating shorebirds, and the tower reopens for the season as the weather warms.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Barnegat Lighthouse, at the northern tip of Long Beach Island on the New Jersey shore, is a historic and iconic red-and-white lighthouse affectionately known as Old Barney, one of the most beloved landmarks on the Jersey Shore. Standing tall at the entrance to Barnegat Inlet, this classic nineteenth-century lighthouse has long guided mariners along the coast, and today visitors can climb its many steps to the top for sweeping views of the ocean, bay, and island, within a lovely state park. Its striking form and history make it a cherished destination. A historic and picturesque lighthouse, it delights visitors. With its heights and history, Barnegat Lighthouse offers a compelling destination in New Jersey.

Yes, visitors can climb the many steps to the top of Barnegat Lighthouse, Old Barney, and be rewarded with sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, Barnegat Bay, and Long Beach Island from its lofty gallery. Because it is a tall climb up a spiral staircase, it requires some effort and good footing, so being prepared for the climb and taking your time are wise. The state park at its base adds trails and shoreline to explore. Climbing carefully and enjoying the view reward visitors at Barnegat Lighthouse in New Jersey.

You can climb the lighthouse for panoramic views, explore the surrounding state park with its trails, maritime forest, and shoreline, watch for birds and wildlife, fish along the inlet, and enjoy the beautiful setting at the tip of Long Beach Island. The lighthouse climb and views, the state park, the birdwatching, and the inlet setting are the draws, making it a rewarding stop combining history, scenery, and nature. The view from the top of Old Barney is the highlight. With its lighthouse and park, Barnegat offers a rewarding experience in New Jersey.

The mild months of spring through fall are the most pleasant for climbing the lighthouse and enjoying the state park, with clear days offering the best views from the top, while summer is popular alongside the Long Beach Island beaches. Because lighthouse climbing hours can be seasonal, checking current information before you go is wise. For the best views and pleasant weather, aim for spring through fall at Barnegat Lighthouse in New Jersey.

Barnegat Lighthouse is at the northern tip of Long Beach Island on the New Jersey shore, within reach of the Long Beach Island beaches, Beach Haven to the south, the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge on the mainland, and the central Jersey Shore. That makes Barnegat Lighthouse a compelling stop to combine with the Long Beach Island beaches and the other attractions of the central Jersey Shore on a visit to New Jersey.