High ground is rare on the Jersey Shore, which is what makes Highlands special. The little town sits where the Shrewsbury River meets Sandy Hook Bay, at the foot of a steep wooded bluff, the Navesink Highlands, which rises abruptly from the water in one of the few real hills along the Atlantic coast south of New England. Down below are marinas, clam bars and a bridge over to the barrier beach; up above are old houses and the twin brownstone towers of the Navesink lighthouse.
The Twin Lights are worth the short, steep climb. They were built in the 1860s on a site where lights had warned ships off this coast long before, and they were pioneers: the first Fresnel lens used in the United States was installed here, and in 1899 Guglielmo Marconi demonstrated wireless telegraphy from the spot, reporting on a yacht race offshore. Today the lighthouse is a museum, and the view from the top across the bay to Sandy Hook and the Manhattan skyline is excellent on a clear day.
Highlands has always lived from the water. Clamming and fishing built the town, and the clam shacks and seafood bars by the river are part of its identity. Hurricane Sandy in 2012 hit hard here too, flooding much of the low-lying town, and many homes have been rebuilt or raised on stilts since. Ferries run from the area across the bay to Manhattan, and on a calm evening the city lights across the water are surprisingly close.
The riding nearby is short but not dull. Route 36 swings over the high bridge to Sandy Hook and Sea Bright, with views up and down the river, and the lanes up on the hill wind past old homes and trees, with a few steep climbs and tight bends. In summer the beach traffic can make the bridge and the approach slow, so an early start helps. The longer rides that begin here, to Montauk at the tip of Long Island or up to the Catskills, involve long stretches of highway and city traffic before the good roads begin, so this is a place to start fresh.
Highlands has small shops and places to eat, and fuel is available along Route 36 and in nearby Rumson and Atlantic Highlands. Before you leave, look back from the top of the hill: the long curve of Sandy Hook, the lighthouse and the open ocean beyond make a fine send-off.