Aerial photograph at dawn of Highlands, New Jersey — town lights on the hillside, Sandy Hook Bay, the barrier spit reaching north, and the Manhattan skyline faint on the horizon, 2026

Highlands at first light, 2026

2026-08-19

Highlands, looking north over Sandy Hook Bay (approx)

Dawn over Highlands from above the ridge — the town waking on the hill, Sandy Hook Bay flat and gold, the barrier spit reaching north, and the Manhattan skyline faint on the horizon. The same view every chapter of this history looks out from.

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Yours to use.

An Above the Hook photograph, free to use for any purpose — commercial included — as long as you credit Above the Hook. Licensed CC BY 4.0.

Credit line Photograph by Above the Hook · abovethehook.com

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Item record

Title: Highlands at first light, 2026
Date: 2026-08-19
Source: Aerial photograph by Above the Hook · 2026.
Contributor: Above the Hook
Rights: Free to use with credit to Above the Hook (CC BY 4.0).
Slug: highlands-first-light-2026

Cite this item

Highlands at first light, 2026 (2026-08-19). Aerial photograph by Above the Hook · 2026. The Highlands History Project, https://history.abovethehook.com/archive/highlands-first-light-2026/.