Abandoned: Sandy Hook, NJ

Back in June, when I posted about my day spent exploring the abandoned parts of Fort Totten, Kate commented that I should check out Sandy Hook, NJ. She had lived near there and promised that the now-defunct US Army post at Fort Hancock was lousy with abandoned gems. We didn't wait too long before taking her advice—along with the ferry to Sandy Hook—a few Sundays ago.

Sandy Hook is technically a barrier split approximately 6 miles in length and is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. Sandy Hook is owned by the government, mostly controlled by the National Parks Service and has three public beaches (including one of the largest "clothing optional" beaches on the East Coast). Fort Hancock is home to the Sandy Hook Light, the oldest working lighthouse in the country; Battery Potter, the first disappearing gun battery in the US; and Battery Peck, a 6-inch disappearing gun battery.

My dude and I took bikes and the area is filled with nice paths for both walking and biking. It still very much feels like a military base, with rows of identical buildings—distinguishable from one another only by their varying levels of decay. The Officers' Club, completed in 1879, is one of the best crumbling mansions I've ever had the pleasure of seeing in person. I was intent to find a way to get inside of it until I overheard someone describe it as a "raccoon hotel," and I decided it was better left unexplored (for now).

We took a free NPS tour of Battery Peck—private, technically since we were the only ones on it—ate our lunch with a view of the Manhattan skyline and strung a hammock up on the lawn of the Officers' Club. The Sandy Hook ferry is a bit pricey and infrequent, but the ride was nice and it was a perfect day trip away from the city.