Island Beach State Park

Island Beach State Park is one of my favorite spots in NJ. The beach is beautiful, not too expensive at $6 a car, and it feels way more peaceful than a lot of other shore towns. I love how natural it is, with the dunes, trails, and wildlife still intact. Perfect place to relax, go for a walk, or just enjoy the ocean without all the noise and chaos.

Never caught a fish here. Many rip tides. Lots of sand fleas in shallow water. Aggressive waves. Pictures show low tide. No dogs or raking allowed.

My favorite beach to go to, no crowds but I go to the end just before the fisherman drive on. It’s dog friendly but they must be on a leash so many use a long rope so their dogs can swim. It’s clean and has beautiful water and sand. I just love it here, it’s my favorite place to spend any time I have off from work. If you want to have a bon fire watch the tide so you don’t go when it’s high , go before the gate closes at 6 and everyone must have a fishing pole in the car or they won’t let you thru late in the afternoon. I’d also be careful not to take the jungle walk lol I got eaten by bugs before I realized certain beaches have a boardwalk to the sand.

My favorite beach in NJ. Clean and Pristine Great Snack Bar plus the Red Fox 🦊Cafe. Clean restrooms and shower / changing rooms.

I stayed with friends in nearby Seaside Park primarily due to its proximity to Island Beach State Park. Unfortunately, we discovered that there were no life guards on duty after Labor Day during the week, and swimming was strictly prohibited. We did enjoy the Fisherman's Walkway Trail and the Spizzle Creek Bird Blind Trail.

Island Beach State Park – A Love Letter… with Footnotes I’ve been to Island Beach State Park more times than I can count, and each time it manages to remind me why New Jersey deserves more respect than it gets. This is the Jersey Shore without the hair gel, without the crowds (if you time it right), and without the overpriced calamari. What I love: This place is raw beauty. No boardwalk, no neon signs, just miles of pristine beach backed by untouched dunes and maritime forest. You walk over the dunes and boom—just ocean and sky. The kind of view that makes you forget about your inbox and your ex. The water’s usually clean, the sand soft, and if you're lucky, you’ll see dolphins offshore or osprey hunting overhead. There’s even a great area for kayaking on the bay side, which is perfect if you like your adventures a little quieter. But… let's be real: It’s still Jersey. That means in the summer, the line to get in can stretch all the way back to “why did I leave the house today?” And don’t even try parking close if you roll in after 10am on a July weekend—you’ll need a Sherpa and a camel to reach the beach from your car. Also, facilities are basic. Think “rustic charm,” not “spa day.” And if you're looking for food, you better pack your own unless you want to trust the fate of your afternoon to a snack bar hot dog. Bottom line: Island Beach State Park is a reminder of what the Shore looked like before the Shore became a brand. If you want real nature with just enough infrastructure to keep you from regretting it, this place delivers. Just plan ahead, show up early, and bring bug spray—unless you’re into blood donations for the local mosquito population.

Great beach. Guarded or unguarded swimming. Walk empty beaches or stay by the pavilions. Awesome! Decent facilities; changing area, outdoor showers, snack shack and full bar onsite, But go for the beaches they are amazing, beautiful and natural. Weekdays aren't typically crowded. We parked outside the gate and rode bikes to the end. No charge for bikes. But the place is great even with paid admission

Beautiful place - beautiful beaches- everything it’s nice only downside it’s don’t get there by noon - they will be close for no reason, no cars , no walking in , no bike terrible management.

My favorite beach in Seaside! It's a nice clean beach, never really chaos and any craziness going on here. There's no pier/boardwalk like the other beaches which in turn makes it a much more peaceful beach to visit. Theres two food spots. One mini restaurant and a little food area with ice cream slushies, cheeseburgers, breakfast sandwiches, fries and more. The ice cream and milkshakes are good and refreshing! the breakfast sandwiches are good too. The cheeseburgers are not the best, cheap bun, meat and cheese and is not worth the $8. But all else has been good Service is nice a quick and theres picnic tables to sit and eat at in the food area as well. Theres bathrooms, dressing rooms and 2 areas of outdoor showers which is nice and convenient.

There has been some changes at this beach, and it's one of the most nicest beaches in NJ, as an update, they have a new food court and a mini museum that's free for tourists to look at: Now I noticed that they have a "Don't Feed the Foxes" sign at the museum, but let me tell you all something, yes I know that human food can be harmful for the foxes and wildlife alike, but maybe there should be a fox/wildlife sanctuary because they are hungry and thirsty too, how would a human feel if they have to scavenge for food and water everyday living by the beach? In this sweltering heat, think about it, I am sure there is enough funding, but if more donations are needed then it can be helpful.

SEASIDE PARK: WOW! Island Beach State Park is gorgeous!!! The protected barrier island has white sandy beaches, high dunes, wildlife, and so many plants! The 10-mile long island has a bunch of activities you can do with your leashed-pup: Beach time (in the off-season), they are allowed on all beaches! In-season from Memorial Day through end of September, they are not allowed on the life guard beaches. Walking trails! Dogs are allowed on 3 of the park trails (except for Spizzle Creek Bird Blind Trail - "pets can frighten wildlife.") Bay-side canoeing, kayaking, and stand-up paddle boarding! Mobile sport fishing (with permit)! If you drive all the way to the end and follow the foot path up the hill and there is a great view south of the Barnegat Lighthouse State Park! There is also an interpretative and nature center, as well as an herbarium! The RED FOX Beach Bar & Grill will have food and drinks in-season! Check a map before you go to get a lay of the land. $5 per vehicle for NJ residents in off-season / $6 in-season. Non-residents are welcome for an additional charge. Purchase a state-park pass if you plan to go a lot (good at all NJ State Parks!) The May Day Spring Festival is held in the beginning of May! Food trucks, craft and pet vendors will be there! Rain or shine!

I'm not a beach person at all, but I love Island Beach State Park. It's my partner's favorite beach in Jersey. The views are beautiful. Every time I've gone with my partner, it's always been peaceful and chill. I like the boardwalk experience, like at Asbury Park, but with this being a State Park, there's just something tranquil and special about it. If I want to relax and destress, I would go to IBSP over any beach down the shore.

During the year of the PANDEMIC, I got vaccinated and took advantage of a special perk - a VAXPASS that allowed you to enter many NJ State Parks for F R E E. YES MA'AM. I signed up right away and finally had the chance to cross off one of the few (sigh) bucket list places to see in the state since I moved back here four years ago. We arrived the Friday over Labor Day weekend thinking the place would be packed. NO MA'AM. No line. My first time here, so first we drove down the long stretch of road to get the lay of the land, so to speak. We used the comfortable bathroom station at the visitor's center, and chatted with a gentleman at the final parking lot to find out where to access the Judge's Shack, the main reason I wanted to come. PRO TIP: It's between parking lots 12 and 13. We chose to park at #13, and after a few minutes walk, we emerged to a nice stretch of beach. We plopped down and settled in for a few hours of relaxing. If you walk left, it's about a 5 minute walk to the Judge's Shack, so I loved the walk over. CON: Oy vey. We had checked for wind direction before we left, and it said NNW. We knew that West winds usually meant flies were worse, but we hoped for the best. We still got bitten, me more so than my partner in crime - and man, did they itch like crazy; so much so that I had to take some light Benadryl and use calamine lotion for a few days after. Lesson learned.

No entrance fee on memorial day and wasn't super crowded at all. Beach was pretty clean and you can bring your dog! Bathrooms were not that good but as expected since they were recycling toilets and not flushing toilets. Overall a very nice beach

Great Surf Fishing beach with 4x4 access for licensed fishermen who have purchased the annual beach pass. This is a non-swimming beach reserved for fishing. Unfortunately there is limited enforcement of the rules and people walk down the beach to wade/swim which causes a safety hazard as there are many hooks and lines in the water. They should stay at the more northern swimming beaches.

Price: $6 per car Weekdays/$10 per car Weekends NJ Resident I'm vaccinated so I have the VAXPASS which gets me into any NJ state park for free till the end of the year! I decided to make use of this great perk! My first visit to Island Beach State Park and I loved it! The beach and amenities are so clean! The people are friendly and courteous! I visited beach #1 which had a bar with alcoholic drinks as well as snacks. They have indoor showers and changing rooms as well as outdoor showers to rinse off! These facilities are open until 7pm with last entry at 6:45PM. Beach swimming closes at 6PM (life guards depart). Beautiful Jersey beach with not too much rocks in the sand. Simply love it here and I'm sure you will too! Covid Info: Masks are not required.

Best beach on the entire coast!! Great facilities and access for many miles!! Fishing access is vast on both sides of the island!!

I love coming to this beach! You don't have to worry about badges or checks in your bags. They let you be free!!! They did a great job this year with limiting capacity due to COVID although you needed to get there early on some days. They have food and a bar at the first swimming area. Also, paying per car instead of per person is much easier! Even if the beach might be out of your way, it is the best beach to go to.

The ongoing pandemic has definitely taken a toll on a lot of businesses and public places since a consumer's mindset to buy anything outside of essentials or to visit a public place like a park or beach, has crippled down significantly. Now by living with what has become the new normal, it is commendable on how these businesses and public places continue to remain open and cater to the general public by following the safety standards. It is now all the more important that we as customers, support these heroes during these dark hours to mankind. On Black Friday, we decided to take a drive to south of NJ to check out some beaches that wouldn't be crowded and luckily found this gem of a beach. It's a 1.5 hour drive through Garden State Parkway S for most of the time and the view keeps getting better once you are in the State park's vicinity. Once you are close to Seaside Park, the town seems to be a very quaint place that has been abandoned as we didn't see a single human being until we reached the checkpoint to drive into the state park. The entry fee is only $5 if you are a NJ resident and the check in was quite simple. We drove the complete 6 mile drive towards the end of the beach. There are other trek points as you drive by and parking places right next to them too. Take a short hike through the sands and viola, you will see the beach! The place was more crowded with SUV's driving on the sandy beach rather than humans and there was a congregation of SUV's at the west end of the beach and we couldn't walk all the way down there to check what was happening. There was even a constant patrol of a park ranger on a SUV too. We took a spot, had our lunch and then watched a beautiful sunset under the cover of a cloudy dark sky that looked surreal. If you are looking for good, secluded and clean beaches to avoid the crowd during the pandemic, do check this out. PS - Just realized that this is my 150th Yelp review.. phew :)

I took a day trip here the weekend before Memorial Day. It cost $10 to enter the park because I was out of state but the fee was well worth it. I went to the 1st swimming area that is ~3 miles down the road. It's a beautiful island, the beaches are clean and the people on the beach were friendly. Parking was easy as well! Make sure you bring bug spray as well as sunscreen! The waves there are amazing, the water was a little cold and be careful for rip currents. Sometimes you can get caught up in swimming that you don't realize how far you've drifted out or get from your spot on the beach. The water was clean and refreshing, even saw a cute little crab riding the waves with me! I would 10/1 recommend, definitely a NJ gem. Please keep it clean and don't tell too many folks!

My family and I have always enjoyed going to Island beach state park. It's very clean and the beaches are nice. They have food bathrooms a place to rinse off. One of the ramps going onto the beach is handy capped friendly. I'm not happy that they now service alcohol. To me it just creates issues with people getting drunk and going in the water. But it's still a nice place to swim

Best place to go get your beach on. It has bathrooms, snack bar, parking...why go anywhere else

Amazing beach and for the majority a lot of amazing staff, Heather being one of them. However, one worker you will want to stay away from is Linda. Very lazy worker and couldn't figure out something that her coworker figured out in under 2 minutes. This one star review isn't necessarily for the beach itself just Linda.

Such an awesome escape from the crazy of Seaside! Beautiful, so many tiny spots you can venture off on when you want to. We get the fishing pass every year! Love spending the day with friends.

Great Beach for both people and dogs. Approx 2 hours from NYC. We were at beach #20. You are not able to have your dog at beaches #1 & 2. These have lifeguards and a designated swimming. #21 has a flushing toilet. We are all happy to perform ablutions of the #1 kind in the water. Dogs must be on a leash at all times. So bring a long one so your buddy can go for a swim. 4 wheel & all wheel drives are allowed on the beach with a permit. And per the guard 'a lot of fishing equipment'. It cost $20 to enter the park. There are black flies which can be a nuisance so bring some kind of deterrent. The 4 stars is because our dog had to be on a leash. I think there could be an off leash area with the length of the beach. We will however be back again. Oh and bring some bags to carry out any rubbish you might end up with.

I absolutely adore Island Beach State Park. Before we had a house down here, we would come for the day to IBSP. It's a great gig for families (granted, if it doesn't sell out for the day) because most of the beaches have bathrooms and snack stands. And in general, it's just a beautiful beach. There's a reason why there's articles and stories about the hidden beauty of Jersey Shore's own IBSP. It truly is one of the nicest spots in this great state. I highly encourage you to visit the beaches, but I encourage you to do a bit of researching to see what else the park has to offer, such as hiking trails and aquariums. The park is also a home and sanctuary to a variety of marine animals, and you can see many of these creatures while hiking or kayaking. Compared to the other beaches in the area, IBSP is fairly priced. It's only $6.00 a carload during the weekdays, and $10.00 on weekends and holidays (for NJ residents, anyway). Just a fair warning - on a beautiful beach day (particularly on weekends), the line gets BACKED UP (like literally backed up into town for a mile and a half), and it is likely the park reaches full capacity. If that's the case, the overflow usually ends up in local beaches, like Seaside Park. But just a fair warning...if you do get locked out of the park and you are forced to beach elsewhere, it can get expensive...like $10.00 per person, as opposed to $10.00 a carload. See why the line gets so long? So most people know about the regular beaches, but did you know that there is also a fishing beach? You can only access it with a special yearly pass, and I believe it costs a few hundred dollars. However, it allows you to access the fisherman's-only beach at the very end of the park - it's like a 25 minute drive from the entrance! You can drive onto this part of the beach with your car (if you have the right equipment of course), and you MUST have fishing poles/ be clearly fishing at the time of your access. If I am not mistaken (please double check this information), you are allowed to access the fishing beach, even if the park is at capacity, because it is a separate entity. I know this because my family members have this pass, and I've had the pleasure of experiencing this beautiful beach. It is truly spectacular - like heaven on earth. I was taken aback by the sheer beauty of this marvelous spot. On the very tip of the island, you have awe-inspiring views of the famous Lighthouse, and you can peek over into Long Beach Island - seriously, you can see people lounging on the beach in LBI! It looks like you can just walk across the channel and go visit, but please don't because it is obviously dangerous. Whether you are a born-and-bread resident like me, or you're visiting the state and are just learning about the wonders of the Garden State, you have to take the trip here. It's totally worth it!

Beat the summer heat by spending a day here! Beautiful stretch of undeveloped shoreline that makes you feel surrounded by nature. Tips: If it's a hot day, get there before 9am and you'll find plenty of parking. Try out some of the other smaller beach areas to avoid the big crowds. Check the wind direction -- a breeze coming from inland (west) will blow biting flies in to your camp!

A state park on the New Jersey coast featuring miles of beach, bay access, views of the Barnegat inlet and Barnegat lighthouse. My favorite place in all of New Jersey and quite possibly the only thing keeping me here outside of family. You can pay to enter daily by car to access 1 of 2 bathing/swimming beaches which feature bath houses and lifeguards - OR - you can buy a yearly beach buggy pass for driving your 4x4 on the beach. Permits run $195 for the year for NJ residents I believe. Permit holders, per rules, should be actively fishing at all times although those rules aren't really enforced in the summer. Swimming is also not permitted outside of the bathing beaches as no lifeguards are present. We've been buying out permit now for as long as I can remember and spend spring through fall on the beach in our free time. Worth every penny as even when the park closes down due to reaching full capacity, permit holders are still allowed access to the park.

This beach is unbelievable. Especially for New Jersey. Super clean, not crowded at all and did i mention the water is CLEAR !!

Beautiful relaxing trip to ISBP. Pet friendly just be mindful of certain spots clearly posted, such as the swimming 1 spot, or the bird sanctuary. The water is so blue and breathtaking!! Oh and bring bug spray!! You might not need it but sometimes the W winds bring pesky biters so it's worth it to have.

It is a great place to go. We went with our dogs and aside from the extra long walk to the beach we had a beautiful day. My only complaint is that the trails were not cleaned up. There was a lot of poison ivory and the trails were pretty wild and not well maintained. Lastly I wish that the non swim beaches had restrooms.

Best beach on the East Coast. Truly cannot be best when it comes to beauty and size. You won't be seated half a foot next to someone you don't know and don't like #benny. I wish it was a best kept secret but I think the secret's out.

The beach was very lovely and for some reason they were not charging for entry over Labor Day Weekend when we were there. Trash cans on the beach would have been handy. They have a convenient snack bar. However, the bathrooms were not clean, especially the sinks. The indoor showers were out of commission the entire season although there was an outdoor shower that only had freezing cold water. The changing rooms were a disgrace. There were thick cobwebs running up to the pitched ceiling. There was filth swept into corners and edges of the changing unit - it was kind of disgusting but I guess you get what you pay for.

I was guided by a friend to come here checked it out and like the reviews said it's a hidden gem! It's nice place to relax with the family, and spend time with your pets! People are very friendly and there is a variety of different spots to set down your mat and umbrella. People vary through each swimming area and there are different activities to do like ridding dune buggy's. My only issue with it is that no one goes into the water, I found out the hard way the waves are unforgiving and are very strong able to wipe you out. I don't recommend entering the water, you shouldn't go far out and not to close where the waves stop because even there they can take you off their feet. Although this defats the purpose of the beach because of how strong the waves are they create pools of water, it's like a giant canal that stretches throughout the whole beach, some spots are deeper then others, and some very shallow. I recommend checking out! :)

Things to know: -The first thing i noticed were the flies. Luckily I had bug spray. If I didn't I probably would've been miserable. -Dogs are off the leash -There is no lifeguard and no one goes swimming. -It's nice and quiet. -It's a long naturistic walk from the parking lot. -There are only a few spots in the lot. -There aren't any kids here. -You can look to your left and see the crowds at seaside park. I was glad I was here without crowds instead.

The nicest park in the county, and arguably the state. Our favorite feature is the sport fishing vehicle access. There is nothing quite like it around Incredibly beautiful and always a wonderful occasion

Very clean beach. I love how you can see your feet when you get in the water. I filled up a water bottle with the ocean water and it was super clear. The sand is soft. Very enjoyable beach. The best I've been at so far.

Island Beach State Park is a great place for families looking to enjoy a beach day at the ocean without the chaos/cost of the Seaside Heights strip. It only cost $12/vehicle for non-NJ people. The beach (we went to beach #1) was busy but had plenty of room to spread out. It was very clean but watch any food you have because the seagulls will go into your bags and pull it out and run away with it. The Lifeguards take their job very seriously, as they should, and were constantly running drills. It was pretty interesting to watch. There is a food stand but it's pretty pricey. The bathrooms were decent and there was an open shower area to attempt to rinse the sand off.

I was there on Tues. 9/12/17, paid $5 (after Labor Day, NJ resident and weekday charge). My dogs were allowed at no life guard area, After 4 miles in the park. It was very clean and quiet. Parking was easy. I'll go back again for sure. Only one thing...be aware!!!! there are many hungry mosquitos on the path from parking to beach. I'll spray essential oil spray next time to avoid them.

Best beach around. Just find different beaches in the summer time to get away from the non-locals.

I love island beach state park. I was almost hesitant to write this review because I feel like it's a hidden treasure and I don't want everyone to find out about it. NJ state residents pay $6 for the day or you can buy the season pass. There are two bathing beaches when you first enter that have lifeguards, bathrooms, and changing rooms. The beaches here are pristine, much cheaper than other shore points. I personally like to drive into the park a bit, evan farther from the crowds. I tend to go to beach #13. There is a little nature trail through the dunes and a wide open beach. One of the biggest appeals is the beach is dog friendly. Being a new pooch owner, this is very important to me. Beautiful beaches and no crowds, what else could you want. **they cap the amount of visitors per day so in the summer on Saturday and Sunday it's very important to get there early

Best beach in the north east coast. Number #1 in my favorite list. Easy to drive to, not a crowed beach and the maculate sand and dunes. Lovely place. The water is shallow and makes it look very clear and greenish. Like FL water. Walking to take a dip into the water I was stun and amaze of bow clean and clear the water was. The waves were calm and shallow which makes it greats for kids to play.. I feel like not writing a review to keep this place secret.. But thanks to all the yeps reviews I was able to enjoy and experience such a majestic place.. I am in love with this place and will try to visit as many times as the opportunity arises. Thank you to all who support and make this state park so magnificent.

Still one of NJ's cleanest and loveliest beaches. We enjoyed a day here with family during a visit back east. The beach is beautiful. The lifeguards on duty were vigilant and seemed extremely competent. Island Beach still attracts a great family crowd, and everyone enjoyed playing in the surf and building sandcastles. The concession stand was open, and the shower station was very convenient for de-sanding the kiddos before heading home. They do a great job of ensuring each beach against over-crowding as well. It was so nice to be able to visit again, we'll surely come back the next time we're in the area.

Should be a 5 and could be if the took better care of the bike lanes as they have sand in our lane and debris in it.. they have a sweeper but did not use it and pot holes for the bikers are not marked making it dangerous... I know with a bit more attention to detail this can be a 5 and safe for us road bikers.. need to protect us as we cyclist need to have the taxes that we are paying help us have a slight better than a dangerous condition that exists now.

Island Beach State Park is our favorite spot in the Jersey Shore by far!!! Please keep in mind that this a "State Park" (feel free to check their official website for details and regulations on the park), so do not expect to find an amusement park or boardwalk with shops and restaurants there. If that is what you are looking for then you may want to head to Seaside Heights instead, which is just about 4 miles north of this park. The park has two well designated beach areas (about 3 miles south of the entrance) with large parking areas, lifeguards, showers, and concession stands. After you pass these two parking areas, there are still about 5 miles of isolated beaches that people can enjoy. The only restriction is that the parking areas are small. There is at least one designated area for SUVs/trucks/RVs that can access and park right at the beach, and I believe these are for people who buy a special pass and are carrying fishing gear. What we love about this place is the fact that you can easily avoid crowds, you can walk for miles and enjoy the very clear waters, and people can bring dogs to many beach areas. If you like watching wildlife, this is a great place to get exposure to an interesting variety. We have spotted dolphins swimming along the beach, a well as rays, fish, crabs, and osprey. In terms of flies, these are more active in early summer and it also depends on the direction the winds are blowing. If you hit the beach on a day the wind is blowing from the West, you may expect to see more flies. Mosquitoes are more predominant if you walk towards the Barnegat Bay side of the park. But it is certainly a good idea to bring bug repellent in your beach bag, just in case... I also encourage people to visit the Nature Center which is located about 6-7 miles south of the park entrance. There are couple of nice trails that leave from the Nature Center which can be explored. If you want to see many interesting pictures and learn more about the park activities and initiatives feel free to check out the "Friends of Island Beach State Park" page in Facebook.

Now I've been to many (if not most) beaches at the Jersey shore and I can tell you this is by far the best beach for swimming. It's pretty stripped down and consists of just two bathing areas, but the view is great and the water is welcoming. There's very rarely drop offs though there is the occasional rip current obviously. Plus Seaside Heights is a short distance if you're still really jonesing for the boardwalk experience. My only gripe is that they've greatly upped the prices for out of state car loads (twenty bucks for a car load? Say what?) but because it's such a nice beach I'm willing to pay it.

I grew up on this beach. I remember when there was more sand and when you could have fires past the "No Fires" sign. My family would drive onto this beach with their 4x4 trucks and truck campers. We would spend the weekend on this beach at the jetty (rocks that divide the sea and the bay, near the Barnigate Light House) and never come off once unless to fill on water, or sleep at the pavilion parking lot. This beach is simply beautiful. Clean as a NJ beach is going to get, good people, fishing galore, and a spectacular view. If your camping here for the weekend or coming for the day to the beach with the life guard, you will find yourself coming back again.

Don't let the "Jersey Shore" stereotype fool you. This is a gorgeous beach. The price per car can't be beat! $6 on weekdays and $10 on weekends and holidays (double for non-NJ cars). SAY WHAAAT?! So cheap!!! Beautiful sand. Lifeguards on duty. A long beach with two separate parking lots. Safe and quiet, yet still super fun. (If you have the time, go to Hoffman's Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt a little less than 30 minutes away! Perfect end to a great beach day.)

Good: Fantastic beach. Close to Toms River, NJ so not that far from northern new jersey or NYC. Several parking areas along shore road (the only road on the island that leads to the scenic state park). - Prices to enter the state park are cheaper on weekdays ($6.00) than on weekends ($10.00), but it is one of the nicest beaches on the jersey shore. It is not touristy and is frequented by a lot of NJ locals who know the place well. - There is a rest area adjacent to parking lot #21 which is fairly big and clean. - Another plus is there is beach access for cars as well, as long your car can be driven on sand. We saw a lot of suvs and all wheel drive cars parked right at the beach. We saw a lot of families parked for overnight camping by the beach (not sure i saw signs of this could be done) but we saw a lot of families change into their PJs getting ready for the night, with bonfires, portable grilling stations, etc. - the beach also has constant patrolling from the local county police, making sure of safety throughout thr state park area. - the sand is white and water azure. - not far from the seaside heights boardwalk area, which is truly a fun place for food (seafood especially) and amusement (water park, go karts). Bad: the restrooms only have toilets but no showers to wash off the sand. No biggie though!! Ugly: nothing really bad to speak about this beach. Recommendation: do carry food and water, as going back into town to get supplies is a good 20 minute car ride.

Great quiet spot to go to the beach during the week, Will most definitely go here again

We went here the first time this past week, on a Thursday. This is a really great place, as there are many beach areas to pick from. While only 2 were designated swimming areas with lifeguards. I saw people going in the water in the other areas as well. We did bring our dog and he had a wonderful time and met quite a few other dogs. There are beautiful dunes and a couple of mini natural history museums you can browse, trails to walk on, and bird watching sites too. There were very few people on the beach and you could really have the whole beach to yourself practically. It costs only $6 a carload weekdays. $10 on weekends.

Bring your own horse only ( no rentals ) Horse Riding on the beach Narrow, 10-mile barrier island Horses (Oct- April) swimming, biking, nature walks, fishing, diving, surfing & more. OMG~ Wild natural beach. Horses are allowed during off season. Perfect time allows for just the right amount of cool people (mostly surf fishing) and interesting wild life. You will see red fox near the roomy parking area . We came across a baby seal in late April. Please also note your horses will be working extra hard on the sand. Make sure they have plenty of water back at the trailer. Our horses next day were laying down and tired day after, Beware of police they do flex their power. Shaped by storm and tides, Island Beach State Park is a narrow barrier island stretching for 10 miles between the restless Atlantic Ocean and the historic Barnegat Bay. Island Beach is one of New Jersey's last significant remnants of a barrier island ecosystem that once existed along much of the coast and is also one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches on the coast and is also one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches on the north Atlantic coast. Over 3,000 acres and 10 miles of coastal dunes remain almost untouched since Henry Hudson first described New Jersey's coast from the ship, the Half Moon, in 1609. Miles of sand dunes and white sandy beaches offer habitat to maritime plants and diverse wildlife that is almost the same as it was thousands of years ago. Island Beach contains outstanding examples of plant communities such as primary dunes, thicket, freshwater wetlands, maritime forest and tidal marshes. The state's largest osprey colony, as well as peregrine falcons, wading birds, shorebirds, waterfowl and migrating songbirds, are found here. Island Beach is nationally known as a unique resource with over 400 plants identified, including the largest expanses of beach heather in New Jersey. Horseback riding is permitted along the southern six miles of the ocean beach from October through April. This area begins between the two swimming beaches and extends south to the inlet. You must have a reservation to enter the park with your horses and trailers and you must register with the park 5 days in advance. There are no special fees associated with this activity, you simply pay the entry fees you normally would to enter the park. To make your reservation you can call the park at 732-793-0506 during normal business hours (Monday through Friday 9 AM to 4 PM). There is no paperwork involved. When you call you inquire about horseback riding, letting them know you want to make a reservation, and they will ask for your name and the date you would like to visit http://www.islandbeachnj.org/Recreation/horesbackriding.html

Beautiful sand, dunes, waves for surfing, this little island oasis is in danger of disappearing. It is excellent for photography for the light and play of colors. It was cold in june but as the sun heats up in summer so do the crowds to the beach. Lovely homes abound and are available for rent or purchase. Well worth the visit.

It's awful. Stay away. Dirty. Green flies. DO NOT go here. Please. Especially New Yorkers. If you insist on visiting, please use Swim Area 2. And don't go until noon or later. K thanks

We (group of 20) finally get out in summer 2020 (COVID-19). Choose this park due to lesser crowed. We driven to last to second parking spot. Beach is great (clean and sandy) and there is not many around. The reason given 2 stars less is we have been attacked by bees. Yes.... those are bees. I got bitten 4 times. We all got bitten except kids (thanks god).

I'm not a beach guy, but I loved this place. Left home at around 5:45 PM and got here near 7:00 PM. You pay per car, not person and head on in. Not many beaches do that as far as I know. We practically had the beach to ourselves. Waves were awesome for boogie boarding and surfing and people had fires (don't think that's allowed lol) and tents going. We drove there in my friends jeep, and with a permit, you can drive on the sand.

Can't beat our State Parks! Nice beaches offering supervised swimming, hiking paths, camping and scenery. Pay by car. Carry in picnic makes for an affordable family visit, however there is also an on-site eatery. Great year-round experience.