barrier island
Barrier islands are coastal landforms and a type of Dune, dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything fro ...
along the coast of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. It is believed to be the last uninhabited barrier island left on the U.S. Atlantic coast. It is part of
Galloway Township
Galloway Township is a township in Atlantic County,in the U.S. state of New Jersey. At of total area of land and water, Galloway Township is the largest municipality in the state.Atlantic County, New Jersey
Atlantic County is a county located along the southern coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county had a population of 274,534.Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Access is permitted only to researchers, who must apply for a federal permit.
"Little Beach" was not always uninhabited and contained a small collection of fishing cabins that were used for decades before being burned down to make the island a refuge. In addition, Little Beach, like Brigantine, was a popular summer fishing spot for the Lenape Natives for generations.
Geography
Little Beach is a barrier island along the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
Brigantine Inlet Brigantine Inlet is an inlet connecting Little Bay with the Atlantic Ocean in Atlantic County, New Jersey.
Geography
Brigantine Inlet separates Brigantine Island from Little Beach, and including its continuation, Brigantine Channel, connects Littl ...
on the southwest. An expanse of
salt marsh
A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominated ...
Little Bay
Little Bay is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Little Bay is located 14 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Randwick ...
.
Little Beach was described in 1834 as,
An 1878 description of Little Beach is as follows, ''viz'',
History
In the early 20th century, Little Beach was a community on the verge of becoming a major beach resort. Plans to build a bridge from the mainland were abandoned in 1929, forever isolating Little Beach. For that reason, some call it the "Lost Island of New Jersey."
A few signs of a once-active community remain: ruins of a lifesaving station, poles for power lines, an outhouse, and a deteriorating dock stretching the width of the island.