Visit New Jersey's Best Beaches

Strolling the Boardwalk of Asbury Park

The boardwalk and beaches of Asbury Park are making a comeback. Voted as one of the top ten beaches by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium, this city by the sea is on the rise. Once a premier resort town, Asbury Park languished for years, sacrificing tourism to municipal mismanagement. Today, a beach renaissance has taken hold and tourists and businesses have returned to revitalize old buildings and restore Victorian-era homes into retail shops, restaurants and vacation houses. The boardwalk's Convention Center and Casino once home to amusement rides and concessions are being re-built to their former glory while the old Paramount Theatre hosts headline acts like Tony Bennett and native rocker Bruce Springsteen to sold out performances.

On weekends, djs liven up the beaches spinning tunes for a fun-loving, diverse crowd of beachgoers from nearby cities who turn the beach into a sand and sun dance party.

Historic and modern all at once, Asbury Park's return as a stellar beach community equidistant from New York City and Philadelphia has created a loud buzz up and down the coast that is worthy of its top ten status

Island Beach State Park For Eco-Tourism

A 12 mile long barrier island, Island Beach State Park, sits parallel to the New Jersey coastline in between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay acting as a reminder to what the state's beaches looked like before land development.

One of the few remaining undeveloped barrier islands in the Atlantic northeast, Island Beach State Park is coveted for its maritime vegetation and wildlife sanctuary with over 400 species under the auspices of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. The only building you will see is the Governor's summer mansion.

Eco-minded adventurers will enjoy the eight nature trails and bike paths aimed at informing visitors about the park's history and unique ecosystem. Guided canoe and kayak tours are also available to observe wildlife from an ocean and bay vantage point where you can see ospreys, falcons and wading birds in their natural environs.

Sprawling white sand beaches surrounded by protective dunes offer the visitor a chance to swim, surf and sunbathe on pristine, natural beaches while offering easy beach access, modern bath and shower facilities and food stands conveniently located from the beach.

Sandy Hook, America's First Light House and Beach

With just a 40 minute ferry ride from lower Manhattan, Sandy Hook Beach State Park has become a popular beach destination for New Yorkers who want a respite from the city's hustle and bustle.

Steeped in colonial American history, the country's oldest lighthouse, built in the 18th century to thwart shipwrecks, still stands and continues to be in use today. The Sandy Hook Museum houses the history of Fort Hancock, the beach's former military fortress and its role in coastal defense.

Today, visitors come to bask in the sun and enjoy the preservation efforts that have protected marine and plant life from extinction on this barrier peninsula hooking into the Atlantic. The North Beach facing the ocean, offers some of the most beautiful ocean vistas in New Jersey while South Beach is mainly favored by fishing enthusiasts. Sandy Hook is also home to Gunnison Beach, one of the largest nudist beaches in the country.

The Wildwoods, An Amusement Park and Beach Resort

Made up of four beach communities, the Wildwoods, recently installed as New Jersey's best beach by the state's travel and tourism board, provide vacationers and visitors beach life on a monumental scale. Wildwood is the Jersey shore's answer for over the top fun.

Each summer, the famous Morey's Piers Amusement Park entertain thousands of thrill-seeking visitors with rides and attractions, like the massive roller coaster, The Great Nor'easter. With water parks, water slides, and flume rides everywhere, the action is endless.

After all the excitement of the boardwalk, Wildwood Crest's beach is a calm oasis. Newly revamped, old do-wop style motels that installed tourists, have been raised in favor of town homes and condos that have turned the resort town into a summer resident community. With some of the widest beaches in the shore, Wildwood beaches pack in the tourists, especially with free access , a rarity in New Jersey.

For more on New Jersey's beaches check out the website for State of New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism

The Convention Center

Island Beach State Park

Sandy Hook Lighthhouse

Roller Coaster over the Atlantic

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