Silence, sand, and seagulls: Why Holgate might be the Shore’s best-kept secret

My wife and I are big Philadelphia Eagles fans — we don’t miss a game.

So, with this week being an Eagles bye week, it felt like the perfect excuse for a Jersey Journey! After writing recently about New Jersey bucket-list adventures and some lesser-known Garden State gems, I wanted to dig a little deeper for something fun to do on a beautiful November weekend.

A night of music and lore: The Jersey Devil Show in Waretown

Saturday night, we caught the Jersey Devil Show at Albert Music Hall in Waretown. Since we were already in the area, we decided to stay overnight on Long Beach Island and enjoy a peaceful beach walk on Sunday.

Discovering Holgate: Long Beach Island’s quiet southern tip

We took the short eight-mile drive down to the southern tip of LBI — Holgate and the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge — for our walk.
If you’re looking for a peaceful reset, this spot is absolutely worth the drive, and this time of year is ideal. The refuge is an important nesting area for endangered shorebirds like the piping plover, black skimmer, least tern, and American oystercatcher, which means it’s closed to the public from April through August.

A peaceful beach hike with ocean views and rare birds

But right now, through the winter, it’s open to pedestrians and vehicles. During our four-mile beach hike, we saw 4x4s loaded with fishing gear, a few photographers, and even one woman doing yoga on the sand. Just a heads-up — dogs aren’t allowed here.
The weather couldn’t have been better — calm ocean, clear skies, and hardly another soul in sight. For long stretches, it was just us, the sound of waves, seabirds, a few distant boat engines, and an occasional plane flying overhead. Peaceful doesn’t even begin to cover it.

How to visit Holgate and the Clamming Trail this fall and winter

If you go, drive south on LBI until Long Beach Boulevard ends — you’ll hit a parking lot where your walk begins. As you head south along the beach, you’ll spot the Atlantic City skyline in the distance. About two miles in, look for the Clamming Trail on the bayside. It’s a short detour that leads you to the bay, where you might spot more shorebirds (we heard a brant!) — and maybe even dig up a few clams.
You can keep walking another mile to reach the very end of the island for a six-mile trek, or turn back after exploring the Clamming Trail for a solid four-mile walk.

Find your silence in the sand this fall and winter — at the end of Long Beach Island.