Navesink Highlands
Encyclopedia
The Navesink Highlands, sometimes referred to as the Highlands of Navesink and also known as the Atlantic Highlands, are a range of low hills and upland areas located along the United States
Atlantic coast in New Jersey
. The hills of the Highlands reach over 350 feet (107 meters) in elevation, attaining a maximum elevation of 373 feet (114 meters) at Beacon Hill, which is the highest point in Monmouth County
. The seaward front of the Navesink Highlands constitute the highest headlands
along the United States east coast south of Maine, with the highest point of the headlands reaching an elevation of 266 feet (81 meters) at Mount Mitchill.
(part of New York Bay
), lie entirely within the boundaries of Monmouth County
. A thin barrier spit
known as Sandy Hook
fronts the ocean side of the Navesink Highlands, separated from the base of the most seaward hills by the narrow tidal channel of the Shrewsbury River
.
The western portions of the Highlands, which attain the highest elevations of the range, are sometimes referred to as the Mount Pleasant Hills. The hills of this area include Beacon Hill, Telegraph Hill, and Crawford Hill.
. The uplift of the Highlands is attributed to glacial rebound, although it is possible that other geologic processes are occurring. The current height of the hills is partly a consequence of their structure. The topmost geologic layer
of the Highlands, the Cohansey Formation, is composed of sand, gravel, and erosion resistant ironstone
. This layer forms a hard capstone along the highest summits of the Highlands, protecting more easily weathered underlying geologic layers such as the Navesink Formation
.
Parks, preserves, and historical sites from east to west:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Atlantic coast in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The hills of the Highlands reach over 350 feet (107 meters) in elevation, attaining a maximum elevation of 373 feet (114 meters) at Beacon Hill, which is the highest point in Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
. The seaward front of the Navesink Highlands constitute the highest headlands
Headland
A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water.Headland can also refer to:*Headlands and bays*headLand, an Australian television series...
along the United States east coast south of Maine, with the highest point of the headlands reaching an elevation of 266 feet (81 meters) at Mount Mitchill.
Geography
The Navesink Highlands, which stretch west to east along the south shore of Raritan BayRaritan Bay
Raritan Bay is a bay located at the southern portion of Lower New York Bay between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey and is part of the New York Bight. The bay is bounded on the northwest by New York's Staten Island, on the west by Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on the south by the Raritan...
(part of New York Bay
New York Bay
New York Bay is the collective term for the marine areas surrounding the entrance of the Hudson River into the Atlantic Ocean. Its two largest components are Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay, which are connected by The Narrows...
), lie entirely within the boundaries of Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
. A thin barrier spit
Spit (landform)
A spit or sandspit is a deposition landform found off coasts. At one end, spits connect to land, and extend into the sea. A spit is a type of bar or beach that develops where a re-entrant occurs, such as at cove's headlands, by the process of longshore drift...
known as Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit along the Atlantic coast of New JerseySandy Hook may also refer to:-Places:United States* Sandy Hook , a village in the town of Newtown, Connecticut* Sandy Hook, Kentucky, a city in Elliott County...
fronts the ocean side of the Navesink Highlands, separated from the base of the most seaward hills by the narrow tidal channel of the Shrewsbury River
Shrewsbury River
The Shrewsbury River is a short stream and navigable estuary, approximately 8 mi long, in central New Jersey in the United States....
.
The western portions of the Highlands, which attain the highest elevations of the range, are sometimes referred to as the Mount Pleasant Hills. The hills of this area include Beacon Hill, Telegraph Hill, and Crawford Hill.
Geology
The hills of the Navesink Highlands are composed of uplifted layers of hardened sands, mud, and gravel from the Atlantic Coastal PlainAtlantic Coastal Plain
The Atlantic coastal plain has both low elevation and low relief, but it is also a relatively flat landform extending from the New York Bight southward to a Georgia/Florida section of the Eastern Continental Divide, which demarcates the plain from the ACF River Basin in the Gulf Coastal Plain to...
. The uplift of the Highlands is attributed to glacial rebound, although it is possible that other geologic processes are occurring. The current height of the hills is partly a consequence of their structure. The topmost geologic layer
Stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
of the Highlands, the Cohansey Formation, is composed of sand, gravel, and erosion resistant ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
. This layer forms a hard capstone along the highest summits of the Highlands, protecting more easily weathered underlying geologic layers such as the Navesink Formation
Navesink Formation
The Navesink Formation is a 66 to 70 mya greensand glauconitic marl and sand geological formation in New Jersey. It is known for it its Cretaceous era fossil shell beds and dinosaur bones.-Description:...
.
Recreation
The Navesink Highlands offer a variety of recreational and educational opportunities to the region. These include hiking, fishing, historical venues, and even fossil collecting.Parks, preserves, and historical sites from east to west:
- Navesink Twin Lights Museum
- Hartshorne Woods ParkHartshorne Woods ParkHartshorne Woods Park is a county park located in Northern Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, in New Jersey's Bayshore Region. The park has of trails, several old military bunkers and a small beach with a fishing pier. It is roughly bordered to the north and west by Navesink Ave and...
- Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook County Park
- Huber Woods
- Poricy ParkPoricy ParkPoricy Park is a nature preserve and park in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. It is known for its Cretaceous era fossil shell beds along the Poricy Brook streambed, open to the public for limited collecting...
- Deep Cut Gardens
- Tatum Park
- Holmdel ParkHolmdel ParkHolmdel Park is located in Holmdel Township, New Jersey and is part of the MonmouthCounty Park System. The initial park land was established in 1962, with an additional section added in 2001....