Top 15 Things To Do in Highlands, New Jersey

Why Highlands Belongs on Your Coastal Shortlist

Highlands is compact enough to feel intimate and varied enough to surprise. A single morning can thread together a shoreline walking tour, a quick sightseeing boat tour around the bay, and a late breakfast in a tucked-away café that serves people who just came off a sail or a fishing trip. The town’s proximity to Sandy Hook and the greater Gateway National Recreation Area gives it serious environmental cred: tidal flats, salt marshes, and rocky headlands that reward thoughtful low-impact exploration and make it a meaningful stop for eco tours and environmental-education outings. Photographers love the light here—breakfast sun on pilings, silvered water at high tide, and the blue‑white surge of sailboats on breezy afternoons. Those same tides shape the days: low-tide mudflats invite birding on a guided eco tour or a self-directed photography tour, while high tide turns the waterfront into a playground for boat rental, e-bike forays along the promenade, and sailing lessons.

Practical travelers will appreciate Highlands’ variety: city-tour style options for history and local culture, walking tours that require nothing more than comfortable shoes, and water activities that range from mellow — like a guided sightseeing cruise or kayak rental — to committed — like full-day fishing charters or open-water sailing. Outfitters in and around town serve a spectrum of needs: bike rentals (including e-bikes), boat rentals and chartered fishing trips, photography-specific excursions, and seasonal sailing lessons. If you’re timing a visit for active pursuits, late spring through early fall brings the best window for boat tours, sailing, and most water activities; shoulder seasons reward quieter harbors and clearer light for photography tours and environmental attraction visits. For first-timers, treat Highlands like a layered day: start with an orientation walking tour or bus tour of the waterfront, slot in a half-day on the water (boat tour, sailing, or bike-and-ferry combo), and leave time for a late-afternoon photography walk or an eco tour at the marsh edge. That way you sample the place’s social and natural rhythms—fishermen hauling lines, local guides reading tides, and families launching small boats—without committing to one kind of trip. Practical edge: book popular boating and fishing slots early in summer, bring sun protection and a light wind layer for changing sea breezes, and pack a small dry bag for phones during any boat rental or water-activities day.

Highlands is uniquely scalable for mixed groups: casual travelers can enjoy sightseeing and calm water activities, while more committed adventurers can stack fishing and sailing with longer outings to Sandy Hook. Outfitters are used to custom requests—half-day, sunset sails, photography-focused cruises—so ask if you want a specialized experience.

Connections are straightforward. The closest regional roads make Highlands an easy weekend drive from New York and other New Jersey hubs; water-based trips often launch from small marinas or public piers. If you value variety, combine bike tours (including e-bike options) with a short boat rental for a day that flips between land and sea.

Choose Your Adventure Level