Your favorite barrier islands on the East Coast (2014, homes)
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Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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The East Coast has a chain of barrier islands from Massachusetts to the Florida Keys with the Jersey Shore and Outer Banks and several more in between. They are beautiful, but development on them are also controversial as it just takes one nasty storm to change the shape of one and take out developed infrastructure. Nonetheless they have a draw as East Coast barrier island beaches are incredible. What are your favorite barrier islands?
Most scenic
Most well preserved and pristine
Best beach experience
Character and trademarks
Most fun to visit
and another conversation piece - sustainable development along barrier islands.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 07-18-2014 at 09:45 PM..
Most Well Preserved and Pristine could go to Island Beach State Park in NJ. It's an untouched all natural barrier island beach and bay front with only one home, and it's the governor's bay front summer home. The island has natural dunes, dune grass, and wildlife including foxes. The beach is extremely clean, with nearly white sand and clear water. It is popular for fishing, with some beaches dedicated to fishing only. Not all beaches are legally swimmable/protected by lifeguards, so there is really a natural feel.
Character and Trademarks can go to Cape May, NJ which isn't technically on a barrier island, but it is on an island. It's at the very end of NJ's string of barrier islands. The whole town is a national historic landmark for its large collection of Victorian homes and other architecture. It also claims to be the country's oldest seaside resort, at over 400 years old and is well known to be the vacation spot of many 19th century presidents and politicians.
I love the look of barrier islands. As many people probably know, a good chunk of the Jersey Shore was decimated by Sandy and many towns are not anywhere near back to normal, despite what people may think. I know someone who lives on the bay in the narrow barrier island town of Mantoloking, NJ - the famous town from the Sandy pictures of the inlet that formed through a highway, the beach, a major bridge, and dozens of homes, with just one well built home remaining in the middle. If you don't know what I'm talking about google "Mantoloking NJ" and it will be one of the first results, if not the first. She just moved back into her newly raised home in late June, and her family is one of the first in Mantoloking to move back in, 20 months later. Should we build on barrier islands? Probably not, but we have and it is not practical to knock down all homes and infrastructure to turn the islands into natural barriers again. What we can so is curb building so what's there is there and that's it. Just my take on it.
Most Well Preserved and Pristine could go to Island Beach State Park in NJ.
Nope. Sorry. That title belongs to Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia. Of this there is no debate. It's is the largest of the Southeastern Sea Islands, 17.5 miles long and 57 square miles, inhabited only by an handful of permanent residents, researchers, National Park Service employees and hundreds of wild horses. If is accessible only by ferry and the NPS limits visitors to 300 per day.
Nope. Sorry. That title belongs to Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia. Of this there is no debate. It's is the largest of the Southeastern Sea Islands, 17.5 miles long and 57 square miles, inhabited only by an handful of permanent residents, researchers, National Park Service employees and hundreds of wild horses. If is accessible only by ferry and the NPS limits visitors to 300 per day.
This is opinion based. There is only a winner in one's mind.
IBSP has no residents at all. The bay home is owned by the state for the governor and is barely used, and is certainly not a permanent residence.
Again, how could you say that an island which is connected to the mainland by a road and welcomes thousands of visitors on a typical summer day is "more pristine and preserved" than one that is only accessible by ferry and has a limit of 300 visitors per day?
I'm sure your Nj beach is a lovely place, but it is no Cumberland Island -- not by a long shot. Cumberland is the most pristine seashore on the Eastern Seaboard, and that's a fact. I encourage you to explore the links that I posted.
Nope. Sorry. That title belongs to Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia. Of this there is no debate. It's is the largest of the Southeastern Sea Islands, 17.5 miles long and 57 square miles, inhabited only by an handful of permanent residents, researchers, National Park Service employees and hundreds of wild horses. If is accessible only by ferry and the NPS limits visitors to 300 per day.
I don't know about that. The string of islands south of Wallops Island and north of Fishermans Island on Virginia's Eastern Shore are collectively known as the Eastern Seaboard's longest wilderness. There are no regular ferries, no bridges, no permanent residents (other than horses) on any of those islands, and no visitors at all allowed on several of the islands. So for pristine and preserved, I have to say those Virginia islands probably take it.
A few islands in NC are similar, Portsmouth Island comes to mind.
I'd think Sapelo Island would be a more pristine/preserved Georgia example than Cumberland.
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As many people probably know, a good chunk of the Jersey Shore was decimated by Sandy and many towns are not anywhere near back to normal, despite what people may think. I know someone who lives on the bay in the narrow barrier island town of Mantoloking, NJ - the famous town from the Sandy pictures of the inlet that formed through a highway, the beach, a major bridge, and dozens of homes, with just one well built home remaining in the middle. If you don't know what I'm talking about google "Mantoloking NJ" and it will be one of the first results, if not the first. She just moved back into her newly raised home in late June, and her family is one of the first in Mantoloking to move back in, 20 months later. Should we build on barrier islands? Probably not, but we have and it is not practical to knock down all homes and infrastructure to turn the islands into natural barriers again. What we can so is curb building so what's there is there and that's it. Just my take on it.
