# Barnegat Lighthouse 2026-09-07 · Barnegat Lighthouse State Park · Barnegat Light, New Jersey · Event Old Barney marks one of the coast's most consequential inlets — and the Day 1 schedule trap if a 217-step climb plus a queue absorbs the margin you need at Tuckerton. Old Barney marks one of the coast's most consequential inlets — and the Day 1 schedule trap if a 217-step climb plus a queue absorbs the margin you need… --- Barnegat Lighthouse — Old Barney — was first lit in 1859 and remains one of the state's most recognizable coastal markers. The state restored its role as a formal aid to navigation in 2009, exactly 150 years after the original lighting, using a modern Coast Guard-approved lens. The 217-step climb opens to a panoramic view of Barnegat Inlet, Long Beach Island and Island Beach. For non-climbers, the park's interpretive center uses cameras to provide live views from the top. The site also makes visible the relationship between lighthouse and inlet. This was not a beacon sitting beside a random beach; it marked one of the coast's most consequential and difficult waterways. Project-management note This is the Day 1 schedule trap. A 217-step climb plus a queue can absorb the exact margin needed later at Tuckerton. Decide before arriving whether Barnegat is a priority climb. If not, see the base, park, inlet and interpretive material, then move. Worth noticing nearby The park itself has a short maritime forest trail and inlet views. Those are worthwhile if the schedule is green. The longer LBI detours are not. Stop facts Stop7TypeLighthouse siteAddressBarnegat Lighthouse State ParkTownBarnegat LightFirst lit / built1859Climb217 steps; interpretive center cameras for non-climbers2026 night climbNoDefault dwell30 min SOURCE NOTES • NJDEP — Barnegat Lighthouse State Park --- ProbleMattic is written and maintained by Matthew Kulcsar, a software engineer, project manager, technologist, platform builder, emergency-services-trained helper, grandfather, and lifelong collector of broken systems, odd behaviors, and useful nonsense.