Holgate

Holgate — The Wild Southern Tip of LBI

Holgate marks the southern end of Long Beach Island, and in 1920 it was almost entirely undeveloped — the aerial shows a thin barrier tip with natural dunes and the dynamic inlet area where Little Egg Harbor meets the ocean. This is one of the most geologically active sections of the coast, where the barrier island system terminates and the inlet migrates naturally. By 1933, a small amount of development had appeared at the northern edge of Holgate. The 1944 and 1962 aerials each show storm-driven changes to the inlet area — barrier migration, overwash fans, and the natural processes that have shaped this landscape for thousands of years. Much of Holgate is now federal wildlife refuge, preserving the wild character visible in the 1920 aerial.