Sandy Hook is a 1,665 acre barrier beach peninsula at the northern tip of the New Jersey shore.   To enter New York harbor, ships had to pass thru the Sandy Hook channel.  The waters were treacherous off of "the hook" and many ships went down.  The losses were severe and in 1761, forty-three New York merchants petitioned the Colonial Assembly of New York to build a lighthouse on Sandy Hook to guide ships safely into the harbor.  The petition passed and a small portion of land at the tip of Sandy Hook was purchased  and in 1764 Sandy Hook Lighthouse was built.  Sandy Hook Lighthouse still stands today and is still in operation by the US Coast Guard.  Sandy Hook is the oldest continuously operated lighthouse in the United States.  On June 11, 1964, the 200th anniversary of its lighting, Sandy Hook Lighthouse was declared a National Historic Landmark.

Sandy Hook is located in the Gateway National Recreation Area and on the grounds of Historic Fort Hancock.  

Information  from  brochures received at the park from the National Park Service.   More information can be obtained from http://www.nps.gov/gate