Sea Girt is the Challenge's domestic-looking lighthouse, which is historically accurate. It is a live-in lighthouse: the tower is integrated directly into the keeper's residence instead of standing as a separate masonry shaft.
Built to illuminate a dark stretch between the Navesink lights and Barnegat, Sea Girt flashed its first light in December 1896. The preservation organization calls it the last live-in lighthouse built on the Atlantic Coast. Its scale is modest compared with Absecon or Cape May, but that is part of the value: this is where the labor of lightkeeping looks like a house because it was one.
Project-management note
This is a compact, high-efficiency stop. Do not let the small footprint fool you into overparking; follow local signs and respect the residential setting. The next stop, Squan Beach, is only a few miles away, so this is a good place to recover schedule time.
Worth noticing nearby
The drive south toward Manasquan stays close to classic Shore communities. If you are touring rather than racing, the Sea Girt boardwalk and Manasquan waterfront make an easy pairing with the lighthouse.
Stop facts
| Stop | 4 |
|---|---|
| Type | Lighthouse site |
| Address | Ocean Avenue & Beacon Boulevard, Sea Girt |
| Town | Sea Girt |
| First lit / built | 1896 |
| Climb | Compact residential tower; follow site policy |
| 2026 night climb | No |
| Default dwell | 20–25 min |
SOURCE NOTES
Site history drawn from federal, state and nonprofit sources cited in the field notes. Challenge hours, stamps and night climbs follow the organizer's 2026 pages; verify live addresses during event week.