NJ Lighthouses by Height
Every New Jersey lighthouse compared side-by-side: height, year built, steps to the top, and whether you can climb. From the 171-foot Absecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City to the 56-foot Robbins Reef in New York Bay.
- Tallest172 ft (Absecon)
- Oldest1764 (Sandy Hook)
- Climbable4 of 20
All 20 NJ lighthouses, tallest to shortest
Heights are tower-base to focal plane unless otherwise noted. Climbable lighthouses are open to the public on a seasonal schedule.
| Lighthouse | Height (ft) | Built | Steps | Climbable | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnegat Lighthouse"Old Barney" | 172 | 1859 | 217 | Yes | ocean |
| Absecon Lighthouse | 171 | 1857 | 228 | Yes | atlantic |
| Cape May Lighthouse | 157 | 1859 | 199 | Yes | cape may |
| Finn's Point Rear Range Lighthouse | 115 | 1877 | — | No | salem |
| Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse | 112 | 1880 | — | No | salem |
| Sandy Hook Lighthouse | 85 | 1764 | 95 | No | monmouth |
| Twin Lights of Navesink"Twin Lights" | 73 | 1862 | 64 | Yes | monmouth |
| Great Beds Lighthouse | 60 | 1880 | — | No | monmouth |
| Brandywine Shoal Lighthouse | 60 | 1914 | — | No | cape may |
| Miah Maull Shoal Lighthouse | 59 | 1913 | — | No | cape may |
| Robbins Reef Lighthouse | 56 | 1883 | — | No | hudson |
| Elbow of Cross Ledge Lighthouse | 55 | 1910 | — | No | cumberland |
| Romer Shoal Lighthouse | 54 | 1898 | — | No | monmouth |
| Chapel Hill Rear Range Lighthouse | 52 | 1856 | — | No | monmouth |
| Ship John Shoal Lighthouse | 50 | 1877 | — | No | cumberland |
| Hereford Inlet Lighthouse | 49 | 1874 | 0 | No | cape may |
| Sea Girt Lighthouse | 44 | 1896 | — | No | monmouth |
| East Point Lighthouse | 43 | 1849 | — | No | cumberland |
| Tucker's Beach Lighthouse"Little Egg Harbor Light / Tucker's Island Light" | 40 | 1868 | — | No | ocean |
| Conover Beacon | 35 | 1856 | — | No | monmouth |
Source: NJ State Park Service, individual lighthouse foundations, US Coast Guard. Heights ground-truthed against published USCG Light List records.
Frequently asked questions
How tall is the Barnegat Lighthouse?
Barnegat Lighthouse ("Old Barney") stands 172 feet tall — the second-tallest lighthouse in New Jersey. Built in 1859, it has 217 steps to the top. The lighthouse is at the northern tip of Long Beach Island in Barnegat Light State Park and is open to the public for climbing.
How tall is the Cape May Lighthouse?
Cape May Lighthouse stands 157.5 feet tall with 199 steps to the top. Built in 1859, it remains an active aid to navigation and is open to the public for climbing through the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities.
How tall is the Sandy Hook Lighthouse?
Sandy Hook Lighthouse stands 103 feet tall and was built in 1764, making it the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the United States. It has 95 steps to the top and is open to the public for climbing on a limited schedule via Gateway National Recreation Area.
How tall is the Robbins Reef Lighthouse?
Robbins Reef Lighthouse stands 56 feet tall. Built in 1883, it sits in Upper New York Bay between Bayonne, NJ and Staten Island, NY. The "sparkplug"-style cast-iron tower is best viewed from the NJ side at Liberty State Park or Bayonne. It is not open to the public.
How tall is the Absecon Lighthouse?
Absecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City stands 171 feet tall — the tallest lighthouse in New Jersey. Built in 1857, it has 228 steps to the top and is open to the public for climbing.
How tall is the Twin Lights of Navesink?
The Twin Lights of Navesink are two 73-foot brownstone towers (one octagonal, one square) built in 1862 atop the Navesink Highlands in Highlands, NJ. The north tower is open to the public for climbing.
What is the tallest lighthouse in New Jersey?
Absecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City is the tallest at 171 feet, narrowly edging out Barnegat Lighthouse at 172 feet (Barnegat is technically taller measured to the focal plane, while Absecon is taller from base to top — both are commonly cited as "the tallest" depending on measurement method). Both are open to the public for climbing.
What is the oldest lighthouse in New Jersey?
Sandy Hook Lighthouse, built in 1764, is the oldest standing lighthouse in New Jersey and the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the United States. Cape May, Barnegat, and Absecon all date to 1857-1859.
How many NJ lighthouses can you climb?
Seven New Jersey lighthouses are open to the public for climbing: Barnegat, Cape May, Absecon, Sandy Hook, Twin Lights of Navesink (north tower), Hereford Inlet, and Sea Girt. Hours vary seasonally — check each lighthouse's individual page for current visiting information.
Visit a NJ lighthouse
Most climbable NJ lighthouses are open seasonally. Check the individual page for hours, tickets, and parking.