One of the few remaining large tracts of undeveloped barrier island in New Jersey is protected in the boundaries of Island Beach State Park. The park is an almost ten mile stretch of the southern end of the Barnegat Peninsula. The Barnegat Inlet is found at its terminal end, and on the other side can be seen the Barnegat Lighthouse.
The park is bisected by a central road that extends about two third of the way through the park. On the east, just over the ever present dunes that separate the beach from the rest of the island, is the Atlantic Ocean. To the west of the dunes are a number of habitats. These include freshwater ponds, maritime forest, and saltwater marsh. The western edge of the park is defined by the shores of Barnegat Bay.
Island Beach escaped intensive development in part because the original peninsula access, via a railroad, crossed the bay further north of the park entrance and from there headed north towards Point Pleasant NJ. Years later, an important development scheme for the property fell flat when the depression ruined the economy. Any chance to speculate on land schemes that involved selling seashore homes and land plots was simply not feasible. Today there are a few building in the park. This includes the Governor's mansion, public facilities for park visitors, and some private maintenance buildings. There are also some old houses that still exist from the days prior to the park's creation.
The park gets more than a million visitors a year. One large chunk of these people arrives in the summer, heading to the swimming beach that is about midway through the park. The lifeguard protected beach is quite popular. Another large segment of the visitors is made up of fishermen and fisherwomen. They come to fish in the surf from the beach. With a beach buggy permit and a four wheel drive vehicle, fisherman can drive on the beach and even stay in the park after the gate closes at 9 PM.
Other recreational activities in Island Beach State Park include wildlife watching (lots of birdwatchers!), kayaking, hiking, and folks that come for some of the planned park activities. Probably the biggest events held in the park are the Beach Plum Festival and the Annual Surf Fishing Tournament. School groups and other educational parties also use the park.
The relatively pristine nature of the park means it is a haven for wildlife and plants that should do well in the barrier island environment but have been pushed out of many of the developed beach areas. All in all the park is real gem, in terms of showing off what the beaches of New Jersey would all look like if they were not covered up with the lodgings, homes and other places we enjoy when we are at the shore.
No comments:
Post a Comment