Highlands occupies the gateway position at the northern tip of the Jersey Shore, sitting where the Shrewsbury River and Sandy Hook Bay meet the Atlantic. You come here for three things: Twin Lights Historic Site—the twin brownstone lighthouse towers that have guided ships since 1862—the legendary clam bars along the working waterfront, and access to Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreation Area just across the bridge. This isn't a beach town in the traditional sense; it's something more interesting.
Twin Lights deserves the trip alone. Built in 1862, the lighthouse became the first in America to use electric lights in 1898, with an arc lamp visible 22 miles at sea. In 1899, Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless message in America here—yacht race results transmitted from a ship at sea. Climb the north tower for panoramic views that stretch from Sandy Hook to the Manhattan skyline on clear days. The museum is free. This is genuine maritime history, not recreated nostalgia.
The waterfront dining scene makes Highlands a destination for seafood lovers who don't need an ocean view. Bahrs Landing has served fresh clams, oysters, and lobster since 1917—three floors of dining with bay views and a raw bar that sources from local waters. The Clam Hut offers walk-up window service with picnic tables for quick, authentic clam bar fare. These aren't tourist-trap seafood restaurants; they're working waterfront establishments that happen to welcome visitors. Expect $25-50/person at Bahrs, $10-20 at the casual spots.
Sandy Hook's seven miles of Atlantic beaches are a 5-minute drive across the bridge. The Gateway National Recreation Area charges $20 parking on summer weekends (free beach access), offering surf breaks, Fort Hancock history, and nature trails through beach plum and holly forests. The bay beaches in Highlands proper are free and calm—good for young children and picnics, not ocean swimming.
Highlands works best for lighthouse enthusiasts, seafood lovers seeking working-waterfront authenticity, cyclists using the Henry Hudson Trail, and anyone accessing Sandy Hook from the north. The Seastreak ferry in adjacent Atlantic Highlands provides direct service to Manhattan—combine a Highland's clam bar lunch with an afternoon in the city. Skip Highlands if you want traditional ocean beaches or shore town entertainment; that's Sea Bright and Long Branch territory to the south. But for the gateway to Sandy Hook with Twin Lights history and clam bar excellence, Highlands delivers an experience no other shore town can match.