Sandy Hook

Sandy Hook
Spit
Sandy Hook seen from an airplane (looking west) on its approach to JFK International Airport in New York City
Sandy Hook
Coordinates: 40°27′11″N 73°59′42″W / 40.4530°N 73.9950°W / 40.4530; -73.9950
Location	Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Offshore water bodies	Atlantic Ocean (to the east) Shrewsbury River (to the west)
Age	Last Glacial Maximum ("LGM"; ≈25,000 years old)
Formed by	Wisconsin glaciation period
Operator	National Park Service
Area
• Total	2,044 acres (827 ha)
Dimensions
• Length	6 miles (9.7 km)
• Width	0.1 to 1.0 mile (0.16 to 1.61 km)
• Depth	250 to 300 feet (76 to 91 m)[1]
Elevation	2 m (7 ft) [2]
Designation	Barrier spit

Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.^[3] The barrier spit, approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) in length and varying from 0.1 to 1.0 mile (0.16 to 1.61 km) wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern entrance of Lower New York Bay south of New York City, protecting it from the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

The Dutch called the area "Sant Hoek", with the English "Hook" deriving from the Dutch "Hoek" (corner, angle), meaning "spit of land".^[4] For over three centuries mariners tasked with guiding ships across the Sandy Hook bar have been known as Sandy Hook pilots.^[5]

Most of Sandy Hook is owned and managed by the National Park Service as the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area.