Fortescue, New Jersey – A Hidden Gem

 

“This country is made up of small towns and big dreams.”

Brian Mulroney

Joe and I decided to take a day trip from his hometown,  Paulsboro, New Jersey and drove to the small fishing town of Fortescue, New Jersey in early January. Not the usual time to go to the beach, but winter has always been a good time for us to enjoy the beach when it is quiet. For Joe, it was a day full of fond memories from when he was a child, coming to Fortescue with his father and grandfather to go fishing and crabbing during the late 1960’s and early 70’s. That was the time that Fortescue was known as the “weakfish capital of the world.” That is until it became over fished in the late 1970’s. The federal authorities put limits on the amount of fish that could be caught but maybe too late. By the 1990’s the fish population had dropped so much, that it effected the commercial fishing economy. Hopefully the fishing has improved by now.  For me, it was the first time I had ever gone and I was excited to see something new in New Jersey.

We drove through the countryside of New Jersey in areas that seemed untouched by time. There were still loads of large farms with produce stands and livestock roaming the acres of wide open land. As we got close, we were surrounded by gorgeous marshlands loaded with wildlife. Fortescue is located on the southern coast of New Jersey in Cumberland County. This place is as remote as you can get with marshland on three sides and the Delaware Bay on the other side. The towns total population is 400 and is probably less than that during the winter months.

As we drove into Fortescue, I was surprised by the remoteness of this town and the beauty of the natural scenery all around us. We drove by many small homes that had been there for years and many homes being worked on. Most of the houses looked like regular homes and not the typical sea shore homes.   We passed by them and drove to the far end of town where we saw some people fishing off a small sand covered bridge. We got a wave and a smile as we drove by. There was a gorgeous home right on the beach that we parked near. We walked over a dune and discovered a gorgeous beach. We walked a good distance along this sandy beach and enjoyed every minute. We were the only ones on the beach till on our way back to our car, we met a lady with a small dog walking along the surf looking for shells or some kind of treasures.

I was amazed by how big the beach was and the gorgeous views of the Delaware Bay. We saw lots of different kinds of birds sailing overhead and sandpipers running to and fro as the water rushed in. In the spring, thousands of migratory birds stop here to graze as they head up to colder climates from South America. It was so peaceful here and the water looked very clean and calm.

Compared to all Jersey Shore towns, this one is probably the most isolated and stays not crowded. That makes this the perfect place to visit in the summer. The sand is lovely and it is a short walk to the beach from the parking lot. Now, just so you know, there are no bath houses there, so pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the solitude and beauty of the area. We passed a restaurant on the main drag, so they do have a place to get food and beverage but we did not check it out.

The slow-paced town of Fortescue was named after a man named John Fortescue who owned property here in 1776. To the north is the Fortescue Wildlife Management Area and Egg Island Wildlife Management is located to the south. This town has been given two titles recently. The first one,  is it was listed in a Philadelphia magazine as a town you need to see in the Philadelphia area before you die. The other title is it was named as one of the ten most endangered historic sites in New Jersey in 2014. Maybe that is because when Hurricane Sandy hit, it did so much damage to this town and the homes. Many of the homes have never been rebuilt. The beach is in great shape now.

We wondered where the people worked that lived so remotely and what it was like to be so far away from things. I’m sure they must love it and I would imagine that a lot of the towns people must be fishermen. Just the views along would have me not wanting to do a thing but sitting and enjoying the fantastic scenery.  We did enjoy our time here and will have to come back on a warmer day. 

If you are looking to see something totally unique, check out the charming town of Fortescue. It is a scenic hidden gem that is worth a stop. Till next time. Bye for now.