When I say “lighthouse,” do you think barometer? You could; the number of visitorsto Barnegat Lighthouse StatePark is an indicator of how many people were here on the Island this past summer. Ten thousand more people than the previousAugust stopped by the park, an impressive number unless by some chance, these same people made it their destination every day.

During August 2012 an estimated 90,584 people visited the state park, according to figures listed at the park office in Barnegat Light. That compares to 82,326 in August 2011.

The number of folks who climbed the lighthouse’s 217 steps this August was 21,012, also up from the 19,424 counted the…