This plan has since been replaced by the 2016 Monmouth County Master Plan, an effort to beautify, maintain, and revitalize Monmouth County. Sandy Hook Bay Sandy Hook Bay is a triangular arm of the Raritan Bay, along the coast of northern New Jersey in the United States. It is formed along the south side of the Lower New York Bay by Sandy Hook, a spit of land that protects the bay from the open Atlantic Ocean. The bay provides a sheltered marina for pleasure craft, as well as a harbor for the United States Coast Guard. It is fed by the Shrewsbury River estuary. It is bounded on the west side by the Naval Weapons Station Earle pier. Nature, tourism, and recreation The Henry Hudson Trail is a bicycling and hiking trail which runs parallel to the southern shore of Raritan Bay and connects the bayshore communities to inland sections of Monmouth County. The trail starts in Freehold Borough and ends at Highlands. The Bayshore area is mostly flat areas of beach, with the exception of the hills between the Navesink River and the Sandy Hook Bay. Mount Mitchill, a hill in Atlantic Highlands, is the highest. To the east of Mount Mitchill are the Twin Lights Lighthouse of Highlands, with unobstructed views of Sandy Hook and the New York City skyline. Hartshorne Woods Park is also located in the Monmouth Hills to the south on the banks of the Navesink River. The Gateway National Recreation Area Sandy Hook Unit on the barrier peninsula includes two park sites: Fort Hancock served as part of the harbor's coastal defense system from 1895 until 1974 and contains 100 historic buildings and fortifications. Sandy Hook contains seven beaches, including Gunnison Beach, a "nude beach" by custom, as well as salt marshes and a maritime holly forest. Fishing and using hand-launched vessels are popular here. The New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route and Cheesequake State Park are also here. Lighthouses Chapel Hill Rear Range Light, Sandy Hook Bay (deactivated 1957) Conover Beacon, (located in the Leonardo section of Middletown) Great Beds Light, South Amboy Navesink Twin Lights, Highlands Sandy Hook Lighthouse, Sandy Hook. Transportation Ferry service Ferries to New York City and Exchange Place travel across the Lower New York Bay and enter the harbor at The Narrows, a trip that take approximately 40 minutes. SeaStreak routes connect the towns of Atlantic Highlands and