Our family lives on Long Beach Island year round and we never get tired of visiting Barnegat Lighthouse especially on a beautiful warm spring day. We got in the car and drove to Barnegat Light (it is much too far for our 4 and 5 year old to bike to but that is also a lot of fun). We pulled into the parking lot, parked the car, unloaded the kids, camera, and water.
“What should we do first”, chant the little ones. Should we climb the lighthouse, walk on the rocks, or walk the forest trail. Well, after a little back-and-forth, we hit the trail.
The forest trail starts off sandy with a stunning view of Barnegat Inlet and the Lighthouse. After a couple of stops to empty the sand from the kids’ shoes we are off again.
There is a staircase to enter the middle of the trail. This is the part where you enter the forest. It is shady and the trail is dirt packed. I recommend shoes or sandals in this part because the ground is usually covered in holly leaves and they are prickly. If you want to make it educational, read and learn about the natural vegetation along the way.
As we continued on our trail, which is a big circle, the kids ran ahead and mom and dad followed. As we went up the steps to the sandy walkway we got a gorgeous view of the lighthouse. As we approached our starting position, the kids started around again and then again. By the third time, we caught up to the little explorers and we convinced them that it was time to do something else…the lighthouse climb! We ate a quick snack at the picnic tables to energize ourselves for the 217 steps.
We entered Barnegat Lighthouse and started to climb. A nice slow climb would have been nice with rest stops in-between. Most visitors take breaks on the landings and read the history mounted on the walls. Not us! Our 4 and 5 year old were on a mission…to get to the top! We were climbing fast with no rest stops, not even a slowdown and they are so small they don’t even have to slow down on the stairs as other visitors pass. What a workout!
When we got to the top, we took pictures and enjoyed the view. Luckily, there was another circle that the boys could run around. They ran around and around on top of the lighthouse viewing circle giggling the entire time. A fishing boat was going out the Inlet and for a moment, it seemed like summer. Our way down the narrow spiral staircase was just another race. It’s much easier to climb down without a break.
Our race continued down the jetty walkway to the end and then a walk along the rocks. While walking along the rocks, we kept our eyes open for birds and sea life. We almost made it to the end but we thought if we kept going we might be making the trip back with an extra 40 pounds on our backs.
As we walked back to our car, we passed the forest trail so it was one more time around and we called it a day. Happy Spring!
What do you do when you go to Barnegat Lighthouse State Park on Long Beach Island?
