Barnegat Light House

Barnegat Light House At A Glance...

• The tower is 169 feet tall with 217 steps to the top, and the climb ends in a lantern room with a view of the bay, the inlet, the ocean and Island Beach State Park.
• On January 1, 2009, its 150th birthday, the lighthouse was relit as an official navigational aid with 8,000 people watching. Its light still flashes once every ten seconds.
• Meade, the engineer who built Old Barney, went on to command the Union army that won at Gettysburg.
• A 1,033 foot concrete walkway with handrails runs along the top of the south jetty, and it is accessible for people with disabilities.
• The Maritime Forest Trail is a 0.2 mile loop through one of the last pieces of maritime forest on Long Beach Island.
• The original First Order Fresnel lens is on display in the Barnegat Light Museum, in a former one-room schoolhouse in town.
• Todays Sunrise: 7:17 am,   Sunset: 6:03 pm  
• New Jersey Shore Region Ocean County

• Activities:

  • Fishing
  • Picnicking
  • Walking

  Amenities:

  • Restrooms/Bathrooms
    May be closed over the colder months.
  • Parking Lot(s)
  • Picnic / Sitting Area
  • Benches
  • Grills / Firering
  • Picnic tables
  • Lighthouse

  Trails:

  • Boardwalks
  • Flat / Easy

  Park Type:

  • State Parks
  • Historic Area
  • Scenic Areas (overlooks/waterfalls)
    Can't beat the view from the top of the lighthouse

  Attractions:

  • Lighthouse

  Rules/Regulations:

  • Must be Leashed
  • Swimming Not Permitted

Contact / Location

A Brief History

The first Barnegat Lighthouse was built in 1834. It was only 40 feet tall and could be seen from about 10 miles away. It fell into the water in 1856, and a temporary wooden tower stood until the current lighthouse was ready.

The current tower was built in 1857 and 1858 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under Lt. George Gordon Meade, who four years later commanded the Union army at Gettysburg. It cost $60,000 (about $2.4 million today). It was lit on January 1, 1859 with a First Order Fresnel lens and 200 people watching. A keeper's house for the keeper, two assistants and their families was added in 1889. It was one of the most important turning points on the coast for ships heading to and from New York.

In 1927 the Fresnel lens was removed and a lightship anchored 8 miles offshore replaced the lighthouse. The Fresnel lens is now on display in the Barnegat Light Museum in town. The lighthouse was a lookout tower for enemy ships in World War II, was decommissioned in 1944 and became a state park in 1957. It was closed from 1988 to 1991 for work on a new south jetty and renovations.

The Interpretive Center opened on Labor Day weekend in 2004. In 2022 the lighthouse had a $1.3 million restoration of its brick facade, lantern room platform, roof and windows.

Trail & Path Info

The Maritime Forest Trail is a 0.2 mile loop through one of the last remnants of maritime forest on Long Beach Island, mostly black cherry, sassafras, eastern red cedar and American holly.

A concrete walkway 1,033 feet long, with handrails, runs along the top of the south jetty. It is accessible for people with disabilities and gives fishing access.

Special / Seasonal Events

Lighthouse Challenge of New Jersey, Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18, 2026: Barnegat is a stop, listed 8 am to 6 pm both days. The Challenge's registration is $10, and there is no pre-registration.

Fall Night Climb with a beach campfire: Saturday, October 24, 2026, 6:30 to 9 pm, free, sponsored by Ocean County Parks. Live music is to be announced.

The Friends post more fall events on their Events page and on Facebook and Instagram.

Tips and Tricks

The lighthouse and the gift shop take cash only. There are ATMs at Andy's, Kelly's and Viking Village.

Dogs must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet. They are not allowed on the jetty walkway or the Maritime Forest Trail, and from April 1 to September 15 they are not allowed on the beach, which protects nesting endangered birds.

Fires, propane stoves and cooking are not permitted.

Admission & Guidelines

There is no entrance or parking fee, and the Interpretive Center is free (donations are welcome).

Climbing the lighthouse costs $3 for ages 12 and up and $1 for ages 6 to 11 between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Children under 6 are free. Children climbing must be with an adult.

Hours / Season of Operation

Lighthouse climbing: 9 am to 3 pm, open daily.

Park gate and parking lot: 8 am to 8 pm in summer. Starting October 1 the gate closes at 6 pm. The Friends' 2026 notice gives that change.

Interpretive Center: 10 am to 4 pm. The Friends' home page says weekends only through October; their Hours page lists it as daily. The state park page lists weekends.

Park office: 8 am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday. Phone 609-494-2016.

Parking

A free parking lot is at the park gate. The gate is open 8 am to 8 pm in summer and closes at 6 pm starting October 1.

Below are a few groups that we have connected to Barnegat Light House. If we are missing any, please let us know

• New Jersey State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites

Across Barnegat Inlet to the north is Island Beach State Park, in view from the top of the tower.

In Barnegat Light's town center, the Barnegat Light Museum (East 5th Street and Central Avenue, 609-494-8578) is in a one-room schoolhouse that was a school from 1903 to 1951. Its centerpiece is the First Order Fresnel lens removed from this lighthouse in 1927 and returned to the town in 1957. It is also a Lighthouse Challenge stop.

Here are 10 places near Barnegat Light House