Place: Great Bed Lighthouse, South Amboy, New Jersey, United States

Description

For those of you headed to the Jersey Shore via New Jersey Transits' North Jersey Coastline, sit on the east side of the train for a treat (if you are fortunate enough to be on one of the new NJT double-decker cars, sit of the top level for a better view). As you approach and pass through South Amboy, New Jersey look in the middle of the Raritan Bay. In the middle you will see the Great Beds Lighthouse. Behind the lighthouse on the other shore is Staten Island.

Unfortunately, the tower is closed to the public as it is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard, warning boaters of shallow waters that at one time were home to abundant oyster beds. The light was originally built in 1880 to protect the beds of oysters that were protected by New Jersey law since the 1700s, banning the harvesting by boats other than those owned in New Jersey. Since the lighthouse is just over the border between New York and New Jersey, there had been numerous disputes over the actual location of the lighthouse. But, indeed, it rests in New Jersey waters.

The tower itself is 42 feet in height and made of cast iron. Keepers left the tower in the mid-1940s, replacing the light with a flashing red light.