Five Mile Beach facts for kids

Five Mile Beach, also known as Holly Beach, is a long, narrow island located along the coast of Cape May County, New Jersey. It's part of the famous Jersey Shore. This island is home to popular beach towns, which are together known as The Wildwoods.

Geography of Five Mile Beach

Five Mile Beach is a barrier island that sits right next to the Atlantic Ocean. It stretches between two important water passages: Hereford Inlet to the northeast and what used to be Turtle Gut Inlet to the southwest.

On the side facing the mainland, the island is separated by several bodies of water. These include Grassy Sound, Richardson Sound, Taylor Sound, and Sunset Lake. There are also large areas of salt marsh and small tidal channels.

An interesting change happened in 1922 when Turtle Gut Inlet closed up. This natural event connected Five Mile Beach directly to another island called Two Mile Beach.

In 1834, people described Five Mile Beach as being shaped like a wedge. At its widest point, it was about one mile across. It was located between Hereford and Turtle Gut inlets.

By 1878, the island was described as being between four and five miles long. It used to have many trees, but most of them had been cut down by then. Around that time, a lighthouse was built on the northeastern end of the island, near Hereford Inlet.

Communities on the Island

Several towns are located on Five Mile Beach. These include Wildwood, North Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest.

Diamond Beach is another community nearby. It's part of Lower Township and is located on Two Mile Beach. This area also includes land that was created when Turtle Gut Inlet closed. West Wildwood is a separate town found on an island right next to Five Mile Beach.