Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook | |
|---|---|
Sandy Hook seen from an airplane (looking west) on its approach to JFK International Airport in Queens, New York City | |
| Coordinates: 40°27′11″N 73°59′42″W / 40.4530°N 73.9950°W | |
| Location | Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States |
| Offshore water bodies | Atlantic Ocean (to the east) Shrewsbury River (to the west) |
| Age | Last Glacial Maximum ("LGM"; ≈25,000 years old) |
| Formed by | Wisconsin glaciation period |
| Operator | National Park Service |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,044 acres (827 ha) |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 6 miles (9.7 km) |
| • Width | 0.1 to 1.0 mile (0.16 to 1.61 km) |
| • Depth | 250 to 300 feet (76 to 91 m) |
| Elevation | 2 m (7 ft) |
| Designation | Barrier spit |
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. 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". For over three centuries mariners tasked with guiding ships across the Sandy Hook bar have been known as Sandy Hook pilots.
Most of Sandy Hook is owned and managed by the National Park Service as the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area.