Rocky Point Downhill Section – Sandy Hook Lighthouse loop from Highlands

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United States

New Jersey

Monmouth County

Rocky Point Downhill Section – Sandy Hook Lighthouse loop from Highlands

Hard

2.8

(13)

runners

Rocky Point Downhill Section – Sandy Hook Lighthouse loop from Highlands

03:49

35.3km

170m

Running

Hard run. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: September 10, 2026

Tips

Temporary access restrictions

Includes segments with temporary access restrictions.

After 26.0 km for 70 m

Customers only

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

3.01 km

Rocky Point Downhill Section

Highlight • Trail

Let 'er rip for a downhill section of trail! Well, maybe only a little bit — this is a shared-use trail, so you do need to stay in control and watch out for slower users, even if the singletrack looks inviting.

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3.18 km

Sunset View in Hartshorne Woods at Rocky Point Park Entrance

Highlight • Viewpoint

7.36 km

Beach C

Highlight • Beach

Beach C sits in the Gateway National Recreation Area on a narrow peninsula with a long sand bank. It’s at a point where the peninsula is very narrow, so you can have easy access to the beach and to the Shrewsbury River. The Shore Tour North Trail runs along the beach, offering an enjoyable run along the coast.

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8.48 km

Beach D, Gateway National Recreation Area

Highlight • Beach

Beach D is part of the sequence of beaches in Gateway Area, sitting along the path that runs along the coast. The nice sandy beach offers some facilities, like a grocery store and public toilets. The Park is the gateway from the ocean into New York Harbor, offering green spaces historic structures, and cultural landscapes alongside the beaches.

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9.57 km

Nike Missile Launch Site NY-56

Highlight • Historical Site

Nike Missile Launch Site NY-56 is also known as the Sandy Hook Nike Launch Site or Fort Hancock. During the Cold War, this was one of the most highly classified launch sites in the country. Now a public park, in the last 50 or so years the park would have looked very different; heavily armed patrols were given permission to release attack dogs and shoot trespassers.

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13.3 km

Sandy Hook Lighthouse

Highlight • Monument

This lighthouse is the oldest working one in the US. It was built in 1764. You can get one of the free tours of the lighthouse given by National Park rangers and enjoy the view from the top, which spans the Sandy Hook Bay, NYC and the ocean.

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22.2 km

Sandy Hook Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

Sandy Hook Trail is a scenic path that winds through dunes and maritime forests, providing breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and the historic Sandy Hook Lighthouse.

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