Dear Friends of Sandy Hook,

Just because September is upon us doesn't mean your time spent at the beach and exploring Fort Hancock have to end.

In fact, many people feel that September is the best month to enjoy our beautiful beaches.

This month we are very pleased to invite you to The Sandy Hook Foundation's Beach Concert Bash coming up on Saturday, September 10 (rain date September 11). The concert will be held in celebration of Sandy Hook's 50th anniversary as a national park. We hope you will purchase your tickets or sponsorship today and join us on September 10!

The Staff and Board of Trustees of the Sandy Hook Foundation

Sandy Hook's Benefit Beach Concert Bash!

Back by popular demand, The Sandy Hook Foundation is very pleased to bring you our second annual Beach Concert Bash on Saturday, September 10 (rain date Sunday, September 11) at Beach E. Groove to the best sounds of the Jersey Shore with the Moroccan Sheepherders, The Eddie Testa Band, and The Danjos and Friends!

Guests are invited to visit the new Beer Garden on the Beach provided by Red Horse Rumson by David Burke at the show (21+ with valid ID to enter Beer Barden) and support Sandy Hook's food trucks Maui Bowls, Sandy Hook Coffee, Smash Burger and Carvel Ice Cream!

Early Bird Tickets on sale through 9/8.

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

Thank you to Our Generous Sponsors

Betsy and Bob Barrett

Peggy and Rich Eittreim

Sherman Jewelers, Atlantic Highlands 

Elizabeth and Dick Lilleston

John and Gail Waltz

SAHO Beach Rentals

Meet Manny Montano

Engineering Equipment Operator Supervisor

Like so many of the hardworking and dedicated individuals who work at Sandy Hook, Manny Montano has a rich past filled with skills and experiences that have led him to fulfilling work at our National Park, Sandy Hook. Manny is in charge of maintenance and upkeep of all the roads, grounds and beaches, as well as management of custodial staff.

Manny’s father was an electrician who owned and operated his own company in Westminster, Colorado, and his dream was to pass the business to Manny. In 1990, Manny started as an electrician and learned the trade. While he appreciated the education Manny wanted to do more, and applied for and was accepted at the University of Colorado at Boulder to their electrical engineering program. After acceptance and some time there, Manny realized he was more interested in a career in law enforcement. Not yet 21, Manny decided to enlist in the United States Army and headed off to basic training to join the Military Police (MP).

This new journey landed him at Fort Bragg’s 15th Military Police Brigade for a year, then to Korea for a year of active duty where he fortunately did not see combat first hand, and then back to Fort Bragg. Manny decided to reenlist and was posted to Fort Wainwright, Alaska as a military police officer. Silos were being dug for the missile defense system at Fort Greely when they unearthed mustard gas, so Manny was deployed for two week-night shifts to monitor and protect the area. Manny recalled being moved when he saw the Northern Lights during these shifts. He remembers them as low and bright. Manny has always appreciated the great outdoors, between the fishing, hiking, and skiing he did while growing up in Colorado.  

After Alaska, a marriage, one young son and a newborn girl, Manny returned to Fort Bragg and was deployed to Iraq when his newborn was just two weeks old.

While in Iraq for a year’s deployment, Manny saw combat. MPs had garrison portion duty, which are regular law enforcement duties, but they also had other combat support missions such as area security, accompanying convoys, and participation in a quick reaction force which is when someone needs to be removed from a situation immediately. His unit included three Humvees and a heavily armed 10-man team, a mobile unit with a lot of fire power. Coming to the end of his service, Manny reinlisted again. He describes his experiences as a sort of end of innocence, entering into dangerous situations and saving fellow soldiers. Manny described a moment in the middle of a field with open fire, when he knew it was for real, and he might not return. 

But return he did and once back, Manny joined the Old Guard at Arlington National Cemetery, the oldest regiment in the Army. He was the first Hispanic, as presented to Congress, to be awarded the Combat Action Badge, a United States military award given to soldiers of the U.S. Army of any rank, who are not members of an infantry or special forces MOS, for being "present and actively engaging or being engaged by the enemy, and performing satisfactorily in accordance with prescribed rules of engagement" at any point in time after 18 September 2001. Manny was later awarded the Purple Heart. 

After the military, Manny bounced around and had a challenging time transitioning back into society after all he had seen and experienced in the Army. He stayed in the Washington area, underwent ankle surgeries from injuries sustained from jumping out of airplanes and, after learning one of his comrades had been killed in Iraq, Manny had hard choice to make. He decided to go back to school in 2014 and received his Associates degree at Virginia Community College, and his Bachelors degree at George Mason University through a vocational rehab program for veterans. He graduated in 2016 with a concentration in Global and Community Health.

Manny and his wife went separate ways, and Manny found himself moving to New Jersey with his now current wife, whose home was the Garden State. On a July 4 weekend, Manny took a ride on the motorcycle he bought himself as a college graduation gift and found himself at East Point, Highlands, overlooking Sandy Hook. He was compelled to drive farther out to explore the entirety of the Hook and wound up on the Observation Deck near Lot M, overlooking all of New York Harbor and the city. He asked his wife, “Wouldn’t it be crazy if I got a job out here on Sandy Hook?”

While working at a job dispatching for ADT, it was suggested to Manny that he find a federal job to use his degree, and learned he was qualified based on his experience to be a Law Enforcement park ranger and electrician at Sandy Hook. He had an interview just before the government shutdown in 2017. Manny received an offer in 2019 to become the electrician at Sandy Hook. After this work, Covid happened and the park lost its roads and grounds supervisor. Manny was invited to apply for this temporary promotion. In 2021, Manny successfully applied for the permanent position. Now, Manny supervises 5 permanent National Park Service staff and 25 seasonal staff.

Manny is the father of four children, two boys, one 21 and one 6 months, and two girls, one 18 and one 2 years old.

The Sandy Hook Foundation appreciates Manny’s work every single day. Helping us prepare for the upcoming Beach Concert Bash on September 10, Manny and his team will spend days repairing and positioning the stage and dance floor, erecting tents, leveling the sand on the beach, positioning the mobi mats, and making sure the restrooms are clean and available to visitors. Always busy, Manny’s work touches the lives of the the over 2 million people who enjoy and explore the park's beaches, Multi-Use-Path, and roadways, and for that we all thank him!

Sandy Hook Lighthouse Tours

Tours are first-come, first-served. Children must be 48 inches tall to climb the tower. Lighthouse tour sign-ups start at 12:30PM in the 1883 Keeper’s Quarters. Visit the lighthouse keepers quarters exhibits on  New Jersey lighthouses, a rotating art exhibit, and visit the park store. Grounds and video in adjacent barn are always open.

Daily, 1 PM to 4:30 PM  

Call (732) 872-5970 for more information.  

Sandy Hook Visitor Center & Park Store

Located inside the Lighthouse Keepers Quarters

Daily, 9 AM – 5 PM  

History House, Building #1 

Daily through 9/25

An 1898 lieutenant’s quarters on “Officers Row” overlooking Sandy Hook Bay is furnished to the WWII era, the busiest time in the Fort’s history.  

Fort Hancock Historic Post, Officer’s Row 

Daily, 1 PM – 5 PM 

Nike Missile Radar Site Tours

Tour the Nike Integrated Fire Control (IFC) Area to experience where nuclear armed Nike Hercules Missiles were controlled and guided during the Cold War defense of the New York metropolitan area. While taking a guided tour of this one-time secret missile site, you will have the opportunity to meet and talk with some of the veterans who worked the Cold War era Nike Air Defense System. Contact ny56nike.weebly.com for more info.

Saturday, September 10

Sunday, September 18

Parking Lot L at Horseshoe Cove

12 PM – 4 PM 

Fort Hancock Post Museum, Building #28

From the Revolutionary War to the Cold War, Sandy Hook boasts a rich military history. Stop in and learn Sandy Hook’s history from cannons to missiles. 

Saturdays and Sundays, Except 9/25 

1 PM – 5 PM 

WEEKLY PROGRAMS in the Park

SATURDAYS

Through 9/24

Yoga on the Beach  

Sponsored by The Sandy Hook Foundation, begin your Saturday with a peaceful, yet vigorous, traditional Vinyasa yoga practice on the beach. The practice is open to everyone and all levels, from beginners to advanced, and will focus on flowing through basic poses and maintaining poses with proper alignment. Please bring a large, sturdy beach blanket and wear light, comfortable workout attire. Hydration is also important, so please bring your own water (refillable bottles). Please be advised there is no beach fee waiver for this program.

Parking Lot D – North Chute 

8 AM – 9 AM 

SATURDAYS and SUNDAYS

Except 9/18 and 9/25

Birding on the Deck 

Visit a ranger on top of the observation deck, rebuilt by The Sandy Hook Foundation. A scope will be set up to view and learn how to identify osprey, egrets, and songbirds. 

Observation Deck @ Lot M 

9 AM – 11 AM 

PROGRAMS in SEPTEMBER

Experience Wildlife at Sandy Hook

Join a ranger to discover the wildlife on Sandy Hook and find out how to safely observe from a distance. Learn how to identify various species, the threats they face, and how you can help the continuation of the ecosystem. Wear walking shoes and bring binoculars if you have them.

Saturday, September 3

10 AM - 12 PM

Spermaceti Cove Parking Lot, between Lots D and E, 2 miles

Junior Ranger NPS Careers 

Stop by to celebrate Labor Day and learn more about working with the National Park Service! We’ll introduce participants to diff erent jobs at Sandy Hook and explore which jobs they like best. Participants will be sent on a job-related scavenger hunt in Guardian Park

No reservation required.

Monday, September 5  

1 PM – 4:30 PM

Guardian Park  

Shipwrecks & Lifesavers 

Join us for a mile walk along the beach and learn about the US Life Saving Station and shipwrecks that happened near Sandy Hook.

Friday, September 9  

7 PM - 8:30 PM

U.S. Life Saving Station 

Junior Ranger Night Sky  

Learn what you can see in the night sky, the stories behind what you see, and how to protect the night sky. 

Tuesday, September 13

6:30 PM - 8 PM

Guardian Park 

Leni Lenape: Past and Present 

Join a ranger and learn about Lenape history, their creation story, indigenous led conservation, and the importance of land stewardship across the country.  

Saturday, September 17 

5 PM – 7 PM

Parking Lot M, 2 miles

Migratory Birding Adventure 

Learn more about migrating birds and how to conserve them. We’ll look for warblers, shorebirds, and other migrants. Bring your camera and binoculars and wear comfortable shoes. Binoculars will be available for loan, and we’ll have spotting scopes too.  

Sunday, September 18  

9 AM – 11 AM

Parking Lot M, 2 miles

Athletic Field Day 

Experience a day in the life of a soldier at Fort Hancock during World War II. Guests will participate in light physical “training” that will emphasize physical fi tness and camaraderie. “Training” will include warm-up and cooldown jogs and be highlighted with a main group activity/game.  

Saturday, September 24

10 AM – 12 PM

History House, Building #1

Jersey Shore Half Marathon Coming Up on October 2!  Join the Race and Support The Sandy Hook Foundation as Official Charity Partner

Register Today!

So Much to Do on Sandy Hook

This September be sure to visit our park partners and vendors and take advantage of all Sandy Hook has to offer!

Sandy Hook Kayaks and SUP rentals open on Monday, May 30 (Memorial Day). 

Sandy Hook Rentals has a house on Officers Row to rent, and another rental property is just around the corner and available through AirBNB.

Bikes, beach chairs and umbrellas are available at Sandy Hook Beach Rentals.

Be sure to stop by at McFly's inside the old Post Exchange for array of food, snacks, beverages, ice cream and oddities!

And, don’t forget Sandy Hook has its own Park Store, located inside the Visitor’s Center at the Lighthouse Keepers Quarters. Here you can find items related to Sandy Hook’s history, open daily from 9 AM - 5 PM.

The Sandy Hook Foundation, a designated

501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the Official Friends Group of the

National Park Service at Sandy Hook.

We rely on your support and every donation is meaningful.

Please, consider your contribution today.