A Day Trip from NYC to Highlands, NJ: Ferry, Beaches and One Willow

The hardest part of a Jersey Shore day trip from New York City was never the distance. It's the logistics: the rental car, the parking, the Parkway traffic on a summer Saturday. Which is what makes Highlands different from almost every other Shore town. You can board a ferry in Manhattan, cross New York Harbor, and step off in a bayfront village at the foot of Sandy Hook, no car involved at any point.

And when it's time to eat, one of Monmouth County's most talked about waterfront seafood restaurants is a short walk from the ferry landing. Here's how to put the whole day together.

Getting There: The SeaStreak Ferry from Manhattan

SeaStreak runs year-round service from two Manhattan terminals, East 35th Street and Pier 11 at Wall Street, to Highlands, NJ. The crossing takes roughly 45 minutes to a little over an hour depending on the departure point, and the ride is a legitimate part of the experience: the skyline receding behind you, the Verrazzano overhead, and Sandy Hook's peninsula rising ahead.

The Highlands terminal sits at 326 Shore Drive, right on the bayfront. From there, One Willow at 1 Willow Street is about a 15 minute walk along the water, or a ride of just a few minutes. In beach season, SeaStreak also runs its dedicated Sandy Hook beach ferry from the same Manhattan terminals, so check the current schedules when you plan, since departure times shift seasonally.

How to Spend the Day

Sandy Hook. The Gateway National Recreation Area covers seven miles of beaches, a paved multi-use path, and the historic Fort Hancock district, with the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the country, at its heart. Rent a bike or walk the paths, and the ocean is never more than a few minutes away.

Twin Lights of Navesink. Up the hill above town, this double lighthouse offers one of the best panoramas anywhere on the Shore: Sandy Hook stretching into the Atlantic, the full sweep of the bay, and on a clear day, the Manhattan skyline you left that morning.

The bayfront itself. Highlands is a small, walkable borough built around its marinas. Wandering the waterfront with a coffee before the afternoon beach session is exactly the speed this town operates at.

Dinner at One Willow: The Anchor of the Trip

Every good day trip needs one great meal holding it together, and this is where Highlands overdelivers. One Willow is a seafood and raw bar restaurant sitting directly on Sandy Hook Bay, with floor to ceiling windows inside and a deck outside, both facing the water and the skyline beyond it.

The kitchen's seafood is hand selected at the Fulton Fish Market and sourced from local fisheries, which shows up most clearly in the raw bar and the Fulton Fresh Catch, a daily market price dish built around that morning's best find. Start with oysters, ask about the catch, and order the Jersey Surfin', a tequila cocktail with cucumber, cilantro, and a jalapeno edge that tastes like the day you're having.

Time it right and dinner comes with a show. The deck faces west across the bay, and as the sun drops, the city you left in the morning starts to glow on the horizon. Our guide to sunset dining at One Willow covers how to line up your reservation with the light.

Prefer to Start with Brunch?

On weekends, an early ferry sets up the reverse itinerary: brunch at One Willow runs Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 3:30 PM, which means a lobster scramble and a Willow Bloody before an afternoon at Sandy Hook, then a golden hour ferry back to Manhattan. If your boat lands midweek in the late afternoon, happy hour runs Monday through Thursday from 4 to 6 PM.

A Few Practical Notes

Check the return schedule first. Ferry times vary by season and day of week, so confirm your last departure from Highlands before you book dinner, then make the reservation that fits.

One Willow is open seven days a week in season. Doors open at noon on weekdays and 11 AM on weekends, with service until 10 PM most nights, 11 PM on Friday and Saturday, and 9 PM on Sunday. Whatever day your ferry lands, dinner is covered.

Book the table before the boat fills up. Summer weekends are peak season for both the ferry and the deck, and the deck tables around sunset are the first to go.

A day that starts at a Manhattan pier and ends with oysters over Sandy Hook Bay barely qualifies as a trip at all. It's closer to a change of scenery with a very good dinner attached.

Reserve your table at One Willow and let the ferry do the driving.