[Journal entry for January 26, 2010]. The last week has been exceptionally warm for January, with temperatures in the fifties, Fahrenheit. Today is warm and also rather windy.

The National Seashore occupies the northern end of a barrier island that runs along the New Jersey coast and extends into New York Harbor. We traverse the Atlantic Highlands, a set of tall hills along the shore of the NJ mainland, cross a lagoon via a substantial highway bridge, and park in the first lot inside the park border, which is on the sea side of the island. We walk over to the shore, crossing a line of dunes and stroll northward. The dunes are mostly grass-covered, but behind the dunes are patches of more diverse vegetation, including bayberry and prickly pear cactus. The waves are fairly small, three or four The waves are fairly small, three or four feet high, but the wind is really whipping up spray making them look fairly impressive. We examine debris thrown up by the waves. This jetsum is fairly diverse: substantial tree trunks, some of which seem to have originated in more tropical climes, large clams and horseshoe crabs. Birds are plentiful. Most are gulls, but I spot one loon. We pass a big break-water, made of large limestone blocks. I presume that it predates the park, for there would appear to be no need to try to control the flow of sand on a stretch of uninhabited beach.

We return to the car for lunch via the bicycle path. I walk over to the bay side of the island. The chop is pretty heavy today; nevertheless, I sight Canada Geese and Mallard Ducks in this more protected area. The tide is low, revealing ripple marks in some of the sandier areas.

We then drive up to the north end of the spit and park near the lighthouse. This area once had a big military presence and many vestiges are left. We pass several substantial concrete structures, built in the late 1800's and early 1900's that once contained artillery, but which now are deserted and crumbling. We walk from the lighthouse to the beach, and are treated to a nice view of the Verrazzano Bridge and of Brooklyn, NY. We walk back along a road that cuts through a little holly forest nestled landward of the dunes. Some of the trees are quite tall - twenty to thirty feet. Such forests are quite common in the barrier islands of eastern US.