Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore is a wonderful spot for a weekend event if relatives of the birthday boy are in Virginia, New York, New Jersey & Pennsylvania. Twice we had a weekend at the same rental near the southern tip of the island. In the offseason beach rentals are much more reasonably priced & available for a weekend only if one chooses, The spot was great. The ocean was beautiful viewed through the sliding glass back doors. Walk straight out from the house to the sand dunes and the ocean. There were only houses in the area where we stayed. One had to drive up to Beach Haven for restaurants and shopping. The beach itself was the same gorgeous Atlantic Ocean that we are blessed to have in Virginia Beach, although the beach and dunes were wider. The houses were all new, possibly because of Superstorm Sandy that had once devastated the Jersey Shore. It really isn't a bad drive from Coastal Virginia, living as close as I do to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. My normal route up Highway 13 to Brooklyn only has one difference. Instead of taking the Jersey Turnpike, I exit on I-295 and continue to the Cherry Hill, NJ exit. Then I take the narrow backroads across New Jersey, which includes a huge, dark state park. This route leads to the southernmost bridge to Long Beach Island. I think the town you reach is called Surf City. It's an old style beach town with new construction interspersed because of Sandy. I'm always running late & wasn't enticed by their touristy attractions and businesses. To get to our rental head south on Long Beach Boulevard, past the commercialized portion of Beach Haven, until you're near where the road ends and the barrier island narrows. Always seeming to leave late I usually traveled the trip across New Jersey at night. Once it was snowing, making for a stressful drive alone with low visibility on the narrow, dark roads. Much to my surprise I was the first to reach the house. But even more of a surprise was that the door lock was frozen and I couldn't get it open. Passing through Beach Haven I remembered seeing a large restaurant & tavern. That seemed the perfect spot to eat & wait for my son & grandson to arrive. Spending the weekend on Long Beach Island with the beach covered in snow was a beautiful & exhilarating experience. For those of you who vacation south of our beautiful beach town, try a beach town to the north for a completely different experience. I love Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore and look forward to another return visit. read more

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- Very nice beach where you don't have to walk a mile through the sand just to get to the water; there's also plenty of nearby street parking throughout town, and most of it is free - Beach Haven wasn't super crowded on the Saturday before Labor Day 2026, so it was pretty pleasant in terms of crowd levels - $10 admission for adults; kids under 12 are free; can purchase beach badges online or at the office on Centre street - SUPER PRO TIP (and something we REALLY wish we knew before trekking out to LBI): check the forecast for wind direction before you go! During our visit, the winds were blowing west, which brought over tons of greenhead biting flies from the nearby marshes. It completely ruined our experience because it literally felt like we were being eaten alive. We heard from other beachgoers that the flies had been particularly bad for a few weeks already. Apparently, this isn't a common occurrence, but when the conditions are right, it can be a REAL B. Definitely check the wind direction before making the trip! read more

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Let's start with the prices, which are crazy. Then let's talk about accessibility to bathrooms which are zero, so people are and children have to go in the ocean where you go to cool off and swim. And they do shows at a pavillion at 69 st, but they took away the bathrooms so I guess public unification is ok, So, yea it's nice as far as the riff raff can't afford to rent there, but it's also so unaffordable that eventually they will price out. Look to other vacation destinations, Aruba, beruma and the Bahamas to name a few are much more affordable, enjoyable and friendly. read more

A wonderful place to come and enjoy beautiful moments. I meditate lad today and sketched.... And shopped. Really special place . Love it. read more

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We have been coming to LBI for years and throughly enjoy it! There are tons of restaurants and activities to go to! The sand on the beaches are so soft and the ocean is always crystal clear. We enjoy being down at the shore every weekend. Our favorite things to do are go to the beach, mini golf, and try new restaurants. Beach tags are required and are $40 for the season. There is plenty of parking on the streets and lots if you are visiting for the day. Everyone is so friendly and it's a great place to visit! read more

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Meh. Been going to LBI since the 90's and it has changed drastically since then...and not really for the better. Unless you consider "better" meaning more gaudy, obnoxious, snooty and commercialized . EVERYTHING costs an arm and a leg and it seems as though you're ostracized if you're the only one on your block who never got around to turning your 1 story cape into a 5 story monstrosity. It's still a beautiful place but I'm afraid new money has come in and ruined it. read more

5/5/20 Luckily, my job had me come out this way and this was my first time here. I didn't even know New Jersey had such beautiful beaches until I saw this one. It was pretty chilly and windy, but beautiful to say the least. Unfortunately, due to the covid-19, the beaches aren't open fully to the public yet. From the locals, I was informed that you can only go to the beach for exercise, and if asked by the police to leave and you don't, you can not only get a class-D misdemeanor, but you can end up with a $50-$500 fine. So basically, I took some photos, and went about on my way for work. I loved the views here and how clean the beach seemed to be. Would definitely return here again, once coronavirus goes away. read more

Long Beach Island - Signs outside the beach - Beaches Near Me

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The best beach! Perfect spot for families, with clean and quiet beaches, restaurants and amusement parks, shopping, coffee shops, and more. read more

Long Beach Island - Beaches Near Me

I'm a local and still love this area! I find it a privilege to live so close to a beautiful Oasis. Beautiful restaurants,white sand beaches,bays, shopping and fantasy island an amusement park for the kids and adults. Most restaurants you need a reservation for night. They also have great night life bars and clubs.They have a very nice newly renovated hotel LBI that you can go rooftop to watch sunsets have some food and cocktails. 18 miles island with so much to offer! It's more high end and elegant in my opinion compared to the other beach area's like Seaside HTS. read more

Long Beach Island - Beaches Near Me

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I didn't get to enjoy the beach while I came to visit ( I know- but I was at the beach the day before and needed sun rest lol) ... I came to meet up with friends , eat , drink, shop and watch the sunset. Place is super clean and relaxing . My only issue is that it rained for maybe an hour and there were already flooded areas. I can imagine a bad storm!! Now most places on the Jersey Shore is perfect for sunrises but NOT great for sunsets ..... But LBI is special because you can also watch the sunset ( from the bay) and its magical.... read more

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Long Beach Island (aka LBI) has been attracting visitors since the late 17th Century. To the northern end, Barnegat Inlet was actually a whaling center in the early part of the 18th Century. It wasn't until late the following hundred years that a railroad bridge was constructed across Barnegat Bay, permitting the Tuckerton Railroad to run a line down to Beach Haven, which was then leased to the Pensylvania Railroad, that saw the opportunity to transport Philadelphia tourists out to the New Jersey beaches that until then remained quite remote. Business was good until the early 20th Century, when a series of publicized shark attacks and big storms washed out the tracks and flooded the few hotels that had been erected. By 1923 LBI was almost deserted again. In 1962, the Ash Wednesday Storm cut the island in two at its narrowest point in Harvey Cedars. Attempts to construct a bridge for newly popular automobile traffic took place in the 1940s and 50s, but they too were washed away, until a higher causeway was finally constructed in the late 50s, which was used until fairly recently when a new higher, stronger causeway was built starting in the 1990s, and still being finished/repaired today. But, if you like your beach days to be hazy, lazy and timeless, LBI has a lot to offer. Especially south of the causeway, through Ship Bottom, Long Beach Township and Beach Haven, the atmosphere if full blown summer vacation all the time. When I smell the ocean air on approaching the causeway, my mind shifts to a quieter place. The eight mile drive down to the commercial zone in Beach Haven is long enough to make me feel like I am on the Route A1A down to the Florida Keys. The sun is brighter, the sand constantly underfoot and collecting in corners. Everyone lives in beach garb and floppies. People watching is a full blown (often revealing) occupation. When I had a home in Beach Haven (Jeffries Avenue), I was here almost every weekend in good weather. From Friday afternoon, until Sunday night, I felt relaxed and adrift on a peaceful sea. I would not believe I was only 60 miles from Philly and 100 from New York. It felt more like a 1,000. The beaches have returned to broad expanses since Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc and destruction. The dunes (some reconstructed) protecting peace of mind as well as homes. Walking the mile or so into town for breakfast was a daily occurrence. The afternoon happy hour at several interesting bars and restaurants, especially those right overlooking the beach, were the perfect place to witness the end of the day. Those others facing the western bay, a wonderful spot to settle down with the sunset. My recent visit on Father's Day was a trip down a sandy, bleached out Memory Lane. If anything, LBI has gotten better, with lots of reconstruction and new enterprises everywhere along the boulevard. The beach wasn't too crowded, and we were able to spread out blankets, towels, lowboy chairs and umbrellas, and just melt into the sand, when not strolling the surfside. Squinting through dark sunglasses along the waterfront could have been Key West or a sunny beach in So Cal. Long Beach Island remains a magical place where dreaming is easy, day and night. read more

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The beach alone is one of the best in NJ, fine sand, wide open space, extremely clean, family friendly, and really a place to go for some R&R. The ocean even seems more blue here. On the west side of the island is the Bay, which you can also enjoy for more shallow and calm waters. Many water sports are offered on the Bay. Where we stayed there was a small beach off the bay where many families with their small children frolicked and played. Take not there are more mosquitos here than at the beach. The only downside, the beach near us in Ship Bottom had no public restrooms close by. You had to walk a couple blocks inland to a municipal building for the bathroom. Also, if you don't live walking distance to the beach, you'll be out of luck for parking. Many street parking is limited to 1-2hrs, or there are parking lots with a fee. What I loved about LBI was all the homemade ice cream shops on every other corner. I must have gained 5 lbs from all the ice cream I ate. There is no boardwalk here, but there is Fantasy Island that has an amusement park, water park, shops and eateries. Overall nice and fun place to stay for a long weekend with family and friends. read more

Long Beach Island - Sunset on the Bay - Beaches Near Me

Antique Peddler that is on LBI is now in West Creek on Route 9. I was passing the place today and saw there antique sign. I turned around and went in, today was their first day open. Very nice people that run the store, Christine and Mitch. They have a lot of stuff to look at will definitely return read more

What a beautiful beach - our second time coming during the off season. Clean, empty, quiet. Im sure peak time in the summer its totally opposite. But to come end of winter/early spring, wow. Our dog has a blast, we relax on the beach, its a dream. I hope this is an annual trip for us! We love lbi (ship bottom)! read more

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This beach is so good I legitimately considered writing a one star review with the hopes of deterring more tourists away lol. Nothing beats LBI. read more

LBI is kind of a throwback for me; I took a couple of vacations as a teenager with my family back in the day, and I would sometimes take day trips when my aunt and uncle would rent a house for a couple of weeks. I still take day trips down there every now and then - my godmother owns a house in nearby Manahawkin, so it's a nice escape from the city for a day or two. LBI is one pice of the puzzle that makes up the Jersey shore. It's a long, narrow island in the Atlantic Ocean - and is super convenient to get to being only about 2 hours from NYC. While there are a few motels and such on the island, the majority of vacationers stay in rental houses. LBI is a popular vacation destination - primarily because it has great beaches, a lot of shopping, isn't as raunchy as places like Wildwood and Seaside Heights, and has a lot of restaurants. I was actually super impressed with the growing number of eateries on the island, they've really grown over the years. For me though, LBI is no frills Jersey shore - while there's a lot of things to do and plenty of opportunities to relax, my aesthetic is more towards beach communities with a little more character and charm like Cape May or places in New England. Also, there's no boardwalk - and because the width is so thin the huge main road cuts straight down the island which kind of isolates you on either side of the island. Overall, LBI is a great place to spend vacation, or even just a day trip. The beaches alone will keep me coming back. read more

Long Beach Island - LBI Best area to enjoy the beach in NJ. *Clean *Not crowded *Lot's of families *Minimal rift/raft *Decent dining options - Pinky Shrimps, Living on a Veg, Daddy O's to name a few. *Expensive but worth it to rent. *Close to AC but yet so far. *Yes you need beach tags, worth the $ because you can actually enjoy the beach without music being blasted or having people close. *Parking is ample and free - side st's. *Fantasy Island for the kids...safe and fun. *Lighthouse for some nice pictures. *Not full of college kids or a bunch of 20 somethings sharing a shore house, mostly families. *Bike and restrained paths near the beach...so nice. ENJOY! read more

My wife and I visited LBI for the first time in decades. We had such a nice visit. We went to Surf City and found a parking spot at the beach block. It was a Friday at noon and we thought it would be packed but it was not crowded at all. We only stayed for 5 hours on the beach, but they were very enjoyable hours. We will surely be back for a visit as it's only an hour and 20 minutes from home. We'll stay for some drinks and food next time! read more

I grew up drinking my way through Seaside, Point Pleasant, and Belmar like so many of the other idiots I grew up with (I say that with love) and doing the same stupid things we all hear about from those places. Now that I'm an adult with kids, LBI has become my favorite place to vacation. We've been coming here for five years and I honestly believe that if I won the lottery my first purchase would be a home down here. It's clean, you have the ocean or the bay, and it's just a great, friendly place to stay. There are so many different communities down here and it is so far away from all the craziness of the beaches further north. What's there to do here without the crazy college aged bar scene?!? First off, I you have a crazy job and kids playing sports all year it's a great place to get away from it all and just relax-play in the waves, lay on the beach, just chill. How about the boardwalk? Nope-not here! However, there ARE a lot of places to eat, shop, play mini golf, fishing-there's even a small amusement park and water park. And the bars here are fun, but not crazy so they're perfect...at least for me. You like the Nerds??? Head to Joe Pops and have a blast! There really is plenty to do...I usually choose to just relax LBI has become an annual getaway for us that I seriously consider a sanctuary. I really use this time to recharge so I can get my head right for work again. The worst part about coming to LBI is packing up and heading home. read more

Long Beach Island is my favorite vacation spot in the whole wide world. I've been vacationing on LBI for ten years, and every year is magical. New Jersey beaches get a bad rap because of the junky television show based in Seaside, but the rest of many, many beach towns along the Jersey Shore are considered (and have been rated) some of the best in the country. Long Beach Island is among those places. Long Beach Island is divided into many towns, including Surf City, Beach Haven, Ship Bottom, Harvey Cedars, etc. Every town has it's own "thing," and everyone who goes to LBI regularly knows what the "thing" is. Harvey Cedars is full of massive mansions, Surf City is very family-oriented, etc. All of the towns, regardless of what they are known for, are beautiful. The people who come to LBI are usually regulars and know the island. It's a fun, family-oriented place to be, with amazing beaches (the softest sand and wonderful surf), restaurants, fun outings and things to do. Yelp always asks the question, "Good for Kids?" Never have I ever wanted to say "yes" more. YES. Perfect for kids. My summers were and continue to be defined by my vacation on LBI. I was raised by the waves. LBI forever. read more

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Well, it's no Diamond Beach, that's for sure. But it's a helluva lot closer, and my buddy has a house down here and lets us stay for free. 4 stars. read more

I love this beach! My,family and I go down here every chance we get! No thrills, just a beautiful beach and clean,water . There are lots of aces today and shop on,the Island. There are no public bathrooms for the beach. Theu have 2 volleyball,nets in,surf city if you're looking to play. I love sitting and listening to the waves and once in awhile I'll spot a few dolphins! read more

Long Beach Island - Water for days! - Beaches Near Me

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Visited LBI with my kids for the first time a few weeks ago - a great visit! Clean uncrowded beaches, nice restaurants, awesome lighthouse & park. Everything seemed to move at a bit slower pace than many of the other shore areas to the North & South. We drove the entire length of the island during our stay & have already found some places we want to go to on our next visit! I highly recommend coming here to experience something a bit different than you might expect @ the Jersey Shore! read more

My favorite local beach, no fee to partake, clean and not overly crowded even in summer months. Downfall: no bathroom facilities read more

Love LBI. My wife and I started going when we where dating. Then are kids came along so we spent our summer on the beaches with the kids. Now they are grown but they still love it an so do we. read more

Great family vacation spot. Built up though, houses +++ very few parks or green areas, other than The glorious beaches ocean side. Bay side is not all that clean, but ok for crabbing and fishing with kids. Nice and flat to run on read more

Long Beach Island - Sunset over the bay in LBI - Beaches Near Me

LBI is a peaceful stretch of the Jersey shore that is far quieter and more quaint than its southern counterparts. While it's lovely in the summer, I actually prefer an off-season day trip or weekend with friends. Beware the riptides! There is always a steep drop-off from shallow to deep waters, causing strong currents. The advantage to this? An amazing beach buffet of seashells! read more

Long beach island is also known as LBI. It is impossible to cover every detail of LBI. This is just a brief over view. It has been compared to Martha's Vineyard and also the Hamptons in New York. It is 98.53% white. So it is not very diverse. LBI has many different beaches and community's all with their own flavor. Although there are a few B and B's it is mostly home owners and people who rent homes for the entire summer. LBI is also mostly families. It is 25 miles North of AC. It is home to a nature reserve and Barnegat Light house. The Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 inspired the famous book JAWS. LBI has no board walk. But it does have an amusement park called Fantasy Island in Beach Haven . Beach Haven is a little more tourist friendly than the rest of LBI. LBI is also home to the original Ron Jon surf shop. LBI is mostly a quiet beach town unlike many other shore towns. Though some families partake in miniature golf, parasailing and water skiiing. LBI is also home to the Light House international film festival. The communities of LBI are 1.Barnegat light 2.High Bar Harbor 3.Harvey Cedars 4.North beach 5.Surf city 6.Ship Bottom 7.Brant beach 8.Beach Haven crest 9.Brighton beach 10.Peahala Park 11.Beach Haven Park 12.Haven beach 13.The Dunes 14.Beach Haven Terrace 15.Beach Haven gardens 16.Spray beach 17.North beach Haven 18.Beach Haven 19.Holgate There are boutiques and fine dining as well as typical shore fish shacks here. It is beautiful and unique. There is a true and strong surf community here especially in Surf city. In fact it gives Southern California surf communities some tough competition. I have to add a personal experience we had in one of the LBI towns called Harvey Cedars. We read about this restaurant in Zagat and wanted to check it out. They refused to serve us. If you don't belong to the fraternity of LBI it is very hard to get in. People who live there and summer there love it. Obviously our experiences there were not so great. read more

Long Beach Island - Beaches Near Me

People have told me that Long Beach Island is significantly quieter and less populated than both the beaches farther north and farther south. It seems pretty quiet to me, although the lifeguarded beaches get pretty lively. It's a bit isolated, and there's only one way on and off the island, a bridge with 2 lanes in each direction. Saturday, during the middle of the day, when the rentals turn over, traffic here is a BEAST. Coming and going at other times of day, I haven't had any trouble getting on and off the island. I've only been on the middle and north half of the island, not the southern part, which I've heard is more densely developed. I rather like the north part. A little hidden gem which I'd recommend, go to the north part of the island, turn left on 20th street and then turn right on Sunset Blvd, park at the end of it and walk the little trail. Watch the tides and either get back before high tide or be willing to wade a bit...but you'll find a quiet stretch of beach. I recommend going here only when the breeze is coming off the ocean--if there's a land breeze, this stretch gets extremely buggy. But it's one of the most undisturbed parts of the island, more naturey. If this place wants 5 stars from me, I'd like to see public transportation onto the island. When I came here, it was a bunch of us arriving at different times. Because there was no train or NJ Transit bus service to the island, we ended up having to drive separate cars...really inconvenient, and an epic fail for sustainability. I can't help but wonder if good transit service to the island wouldn't alleviate some of the awful traffic. I know the island is mostly families, but I drove here on my own to meet up with a family who invited me, and it seems ridiculous that I had no option for getting here via bus or other form of transit. The closest I was able to figure out how to get is the 559 bus that goes through Manahawkin...then you need someone to drive out and pick you up. One thing I love about this island is its low speed limits (which are strictly enforced) and wide shoulders, which make it a very safe place for pedestrians and bicyclists. I think this is great for reducing car usage. They could step it up, further reducing car usage, by offering some sort of transit option for people like me who want to get here without a car. The only other thing I can say is that this island is mostly build up, with the exception of that little tiny neck of land I mentioned above. I would appreciate more undeveloped nature preserves interspersed with the miles and miles of densely packed vacation homes. read more

Not to be confused from the other well known Long Beach. It's a perfectly manicured area with most houses redone after Sandy. I love the fact that the houses are built with different characteristics instead of the cookie cutter designs. We opted for driving in further and that was worth the extra 15 min drive. There are a lot of beach entrances along the stretch of the island and we went in from the 22nd entrance, close to the Barnegate Lighthouse area. It was very peaceful and quiet and the golden sand felt really good on your toes. Everyone was behaving, no loud music, no smokers, no crazy drinkers. The wave was good for surfing and less for swimming, at least on the windy day we were there. I wish the have more public rest rooms. Or next time, we'll find a location closer to one. Beach pass is $6pp when you buy it from the guard who walks around policing that everyone has one. Parking is pretty easy since you can park on most of the side street. It is a great option for a peaceful beach day. Just don't think too much coffee in the morning. read more

Clean...calm...guido-less...ho'bag-less easy to find parking proximal to the beach. no "real" swells...but otherwise, okay to surf when there's a storm. read more

Long Beach Island is a place I've vacationed my entire life. It's a family beach, and aside from the scattered locals and retirees who live here year round, the island is pretty dead until the summer months when the tourists roll in, and since it is a getaway/vacation spot, the prices of restaurants, bars, and attractions can be on the pricier side. Aside from dishing out a few more bucks for a stack of pancakes or for some of the freshest fish around, LBI has a lot to offer for everyone- the lighthouse for climbing, viking village, bay village, and all the local flea markets, sand sculpting contests, etc. The beaches are clean, the people are friendly, and good times await you on Long Beach Island. read more

Lbi is my favorite place to go on vacation I come back every year I wish I could live their year round

So beautiful, so clean, and so calming! The waves are perfect and everyone is friendly. Just remember, if you park on the streets...make sure its 25 yards away from the corner or stop sign~ read more

LBI is the best place to go for a beach vacation in New Jersey. It is quiet but active, the beaches are clean, there are many good restaurants, fun bars and quite a few things to do there! Bay Village, Fantasy Island...the Lighthouse in Barnagat! There is no boardwalk which, to me, makes the place much nicer than Seaside Hgts., Wildwood or Ocean City. read more

LBI is beautiful, insanely scenic & the beaches are super-clean. My test for the Jersey shore is to dip my feet into the water & I will only step in further if I could still see my toes. Miles of white sandy beach stretch to create Long Beach Island. The lifeguards are very attentive to make sure people aren't venturing out to where they shouldn't be & the water is absolutely glorious. I haven't stepped past my ankles in Jersey Shore waters since my Caribbean & Mediterranean days, but I actually went past my chest at LBI. Best part is - there isn't an admissions fee to get onto the beach (a la Pt. Pleasant & Sandy Hook). Highly recommended even though it's a further drive for me than the other shore points. It's just well-worth it! read more

My favorite beach in New Jersey!!!! It is very clean and peaceful. If your looking to a relaxing day at the beach this is the perfect place. Unfortunately there is no boardwalk, but there is a cute little town with quaint little restaurants around. read more

Long Beach Island - Beaches Near Me

Quiet great super relaxing place to chill especially in off season. Great food friendly folks and if you really crave night life take the Black Whale boat oT Trolley luxury bus to Atlantic City. 5 miles and one hour away read more

Surf City in my opinion is the best place for a family to stay on the island! You've got stores, shops, the bay & beach all in walking distance. Take a bike ride, if you did t bey g one you can rent one. Take the shuttle down to Fantasy Island! Go see a play or even kids theater at the SurfLight then ice cream after at the singing parlor :) read more

forget seaside heights, wildwood, sea isle city, belmar...LBI is a much classier and cleaner place to go to with your family. The beaches are outrageous, the best I've seen in NJ. The blvd is full of mom and pop shops, ice cream parlors,seafood restaurants, bars, arcades mini golf and all kinds of fun. In beach haven you have Fantasy Island, great for the kids, and in Barnegat you have the famous lighthouse and wild reserve park. Just make sure when your at the beach and you buy a pass,( its a small plastic pin) display it on a towel or something to make it visible to the annoying beach tag kids and they walk right by you. If you want the diversity and swill, go to seaside heights, if you want all the good things, go to LBI read more