Editing Sandy Hook (section)

==Description==
[[File:Sandy hook from north tower crop.jpg|thumb|left|Sandy Hook as seen from the top of [[Navesink Twin Lights]], [[Highlands, New Jersey]]]]
[[Geology|Geologically]], Sandy Hook is a large sand spit or barrier spit, the extension of a [[barrier island|barrier peninsula]] along the coast of New Jersey, separated from the mainland by the [[estuary]] of the [[Shrewsbury River]]. On its western side, the peninsula encloses [[Sandy Hook Bay]], a triangular arm of [[Raritan Bay]]. The {{convert|2,044|acre|km2|adj=on}} peninsula was discovered by [[Henry Hudson]],<ref name="KateRounds">{{cite journal|editor1-last=Rounds|editor1-first=Kate|title=The Shore Next Door|journal=Palisade - Hoboken & Beyond|date=2010|volume=4|issue=3|pages=38–39|url=https://issuu.com/hudsonreporter/docs/v4n3_pmag_web_reduced|access-date=4 September 2016|publisher=Hudson Reporter Assoc., LP}}</ref> and, historically, Sandy Hook has been a convenient anchorage for ships before proceeding into [[Upper New York Harbor]].

Sandy Hook is part of Middletown Township, although not contiguous with the rest of the Township. Because the peninsula is also federal enclave, Middletown and the federal government have a [[Concurrent jurisdiction]]. The community of [[Highlands, New Jersey|Highlands]] overlooks the southern part of the hook.

Sandy Hook is owned by the federal government. Most of it is managed by the [[National Park Service]] and U.S. [[National Park Service ranger]]s as the Sandy Hook Unit of [[Gateway National Recreation Area]]. The eastern shoreline consists of public beaches: North Beach, [[Gunnison Beach]], and South Beach. The southern part of the spit consists of public beaches and fishing areas. The peninsula's ocean-facing beaches are considered among the finest in New Jersey and are a popular destination for recreation in summer when seasonal ferries<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seastreak.com/sandyhook.aspx |title=Sea Streak |publisher=Sea Streak |access-date=2012-12-17}}</ref> bring beachgoers from its various docking points including NYC. Gunnison Beach is one of the largest [[clothing optional]] beaches on the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]].<ref>{{cite news |first= Guy|last= Trebay|title= All Undressed and So Many Places to Go |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DE6D91030F931A3575AC0A9679C8B63|work=New York Times |date=September 2, 2001 |access-date=2007-08-21 }}</ref><ref>[[Faye Flam|Flam, Faye]]. [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=112F14F51E4A74A0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "Clothing optional may not be way of historical human"], [[The Philadelphia Inquirer]], July 17, 2006. Accessed June 17, 2007. "Sandy Hook boasts the biggest nude beach along the Atlantic. The clothing-optional part is called Gunnison Beach ...."</ref>

[[Sandy Hook Lighthouse]] is located within the fort grounds, as is the [[Marine Academy of Science and Technology]] (MAST), a magnet high school, part of the [[Monmouth County Vocational School District]]. At the entrance to Fort Hancock is Guardian Park, a plaza dominated by two Nike missiles. Some of the buildings of Fort Hancock are closed to the public because their structural integrity in decay, and to preserve its profile for future visitors. A proposal was recently accepted to allow [[adaptive reuse]] of some of the buildings in Fort Hancock for private use. This partnership will hopefully help these historic structures to be maintained more effectively.