New Jersey is home to a variety of world-class destinations…Liberty Science Center, American Dream, Cape May, and more. Still, some of my favorite destinations are hidden gems. While the Judge’s Shack in Island Beach State Park may not bring in tourists, locals love it. It’s a Jersey Shore icon but it’s in danger of being washed away.

Island Beach State Park is a narrow barrier island that stretches 10 miles between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay.
Shinya Suzuki/Flickr
It is one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches on the north Atlantic coast.
Acres of dunes remain nearly untouched. You'll find diverse habitats here including freshwater wetlands, maritime forests and tidal marshes.
Garden State Hiker/Flickr
There's a wide variety of plants and wildlife including the state's largest osprey colony.

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In addition to the park's natural beauty, you'll find a little man-made gem - the Judge's Shack.
Bill Brooks
A former fishing shanty built in 1911, it was purchased by Judge Richard Hartshorne in 1942 and converted into a summer cottage.
It reminds us of a time when fishing was the Jersey Shore's primary industry and it gives us a peek into the area's past.
Bill Brooks
You can find the Judge's Shack about 6 miles south of the park's entrance between parking lots #12 and #13.
While the shack survived Sandy, the storm caused erosion of the dunes around it.
John Entwistle Photography
This puts the shack itself at a higher risk of being destroyed during future storms.

While the inside of the Judge’s Shack isn’t open to the public, you can learn more about it on guided tours of the park. You can also take a little peek inside by watching the fascinating video below put together by New Jersey State Parks.

Thanks to the very talented John Entwistle and Bill Brooks for sharing their photos! Follow John on Facebook, Instagram, or his website. Follow Bill on his website for more incredible photos.

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Island Beach State Park, Lanoka Harbor, NJ 08734, USA