The opening of the Aberdeen Sea Walk at Cliffwood Beach has provided a scenic and recreational trail that is being enjoyed by the local communities.
Members of the Aberdeen Township Council gathered by the Raritan Bay to celebrate the opening of the Aberdeen Sea Walk at Cliffwood Beach on July 19.
On hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was dedicated to residents of Aberdeen, were Mayor Fred Tagliarini, Deputy Mayor Robert Swindle and Councilmembers Greg Cannon, Arthur Hirsch, Connie Kelley, Joseph J. Martucci and Margaret Montone.
Reconstruction of the Sea Walk began last fall, following the opening of Veterans Park in Cliffwood Beach.
The new half-mile trail, which runs primarily behind the original seawall that had been damaged by hurricanes, features nine fishing outcrops and 15 outlooks with benches for fishermen, joggers and bay-watchers to enjoy the scenic area.
A total of 38 LED pathway lights and several security cameras have been added for safety and to help combat vandalism. A gazebo was added at the end of the trail closest to the beach near Lakeshore Drive, where a five-foot teak boardwalk connects the Sea Walk to an outlet path.
With the project’s completion, the new Sea Walk now connects Beach Dr. to Lakeshore Dr., which creates a unified recreational infrastructure in Cliffwood Beach for the first time in decades.
The Sea Walk is open to the public from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., year-round. Fishing along the trail is restricted to the nine outcrops during those same hours. Individuals may also fish from the beach or in the surf at all hours, seven days a week.
“Taken together with the reimagined Veterans Park, the Sea Walk is emblematic of our efforts to restore Aberdeen’s waterfront, allowing residents of all ages to enjoy this natural resource along Raritan Bay,” Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini said.
“The beachfront Veterans Park has been a huge hit since its reopening and we expect the trail to once again become a popular destination for fishermen, joggers and folks out for a leisurely stroll along this scenic path,” he said.
Veterans Park, which is located at Ocean Blvd. and Lakeshore Dr., now features a multi-dimensional active and passive recreation area.
The recreation area includes a pirate ship-themed spray park for all ages, pirate and tall ship-themed playground areas for ages 2 through 5 and 5 through 12, a picnic grove with shade structures, a multi-purpose field, a kayak and small water craft launch onto Whale Creek, a gazebo/band shell, a flagpole and War Veteran’s Memorial Monument, and a storage building.
