The beach at Spring Lake is easy to access (depending on parking) from the boardwalk to the ocean…read more It makes Spring Lake less of a hassle in the sand. Beach tags are required and are $12 for a daily pass. While there is a boardwalk, it is limited to bathrooms, snack stand and not much else. One note is that I did notice some trash in the sand on the last time I went.

Spring Lake Beach is one of the Jersey Shore's true gems. The beach is clean, peaceful, and…read morebeautifully maintained, making it perfect for a relaxing day by the ocean. The boardwalk is charming--more tranquil than some of the more commercialized shore towns--and ideal for a scenic stroll or a quiet moment by the water. There are plenty of great spots nearby to grab a bite or a drink, whether you're in the mood for a casual sandwich, seafood with a view, or a refreshing coffee or cocktail. It's a perfect destination for couples, families, or solo visitors looking for a laid-back beach day with easy access to good food and beautiful surroundings.

Only for few places I've selfishly felt writing about it will make it more popular and I might not…read moreenjoy the place all by myself - this is one among them. Just while searching for beaches in a 30 minute driving radius, we ran into this gem of a park that's so well maintained. They have ample free parking and the walk to the bay is so quick. The bay might not be the best to walk on as sand is relatively less with more gravels and getting down to it from the stairs is little difficult even for well grown adults. This could definitely be wheelchair accessible in a certain way. They also have few picnic enclosures and a memorial to one of their town's fallen soldiers. The walking pavement is neatly laid out for a calm, peaceful and relaxing walk. We went on overcast conditions and had to return to the car just before the rain caught up. Will definitely return here for summers to watch the sunset in this beautiful bay/park.

It's a pretty cool and fun park.,... Have gone there with my girlfriend many times.... Usually…read moredrove by mostly

My experience at Cedar Grove started in 1946 when I was born. Ceder Grove Beach Club originated in…read more1912 with tents in the grove. My grandmother had purchased one of the original bungalows for $1500 in '46. Every summer except one until I was 21, I visited our family summer home. My children were 4th generation. Many of the families that returned each year were multi-generational. The special part of being a resident were the activities each day run by a hired camp counselor team. We had an orchestra from NYC play every Saturday night starting at 6 PM for the little kids, teenagers danced to records, then the band came back at 10 PM for the adults. We participated in all sports. My first kiss, first beer, first dance all happened at Cedar Grove. We lost our house in 1992 to a strong storm, and I understand the entire beach was decimated during hurricane Sandy. Of all my life long memories, Cedar Grove Beach Club is my most favorite, sacred of all others. I cherish those summers.

What a change. But with Yelp I don't think for long. After being used to the packed beached of…read moreBrokklyn, from the Coney Island, to Sea gate, this beach is closer to how the beach should be like. Empty (Almost completely) and actually clean (For NYC beach). Had a healthy walk by the water. And smelled the air before it coming into the city. Water looks brown, but do not mistake they are considered to be good for sea life, and fishermen will tell you about that. I know there are nicer beaches, Jersey Coast and such, but this one is local.

I've been coming here my entire life, as did my parents and grandparents. (I have a picture of my…read moregrandfather with my father as a young boy, standing on the beach with a bamboo fishing pole and metal bucket. The back of the photo reads "Lavallette 1929") I love it here and aside from the nostalgia, it is a treasure of the Jersey Shore. The beautiful oceanfront boardwalk is absolutely spectacular any time of year and is a valuable amenity to the entire area, as well the entire State. The whitest, most powdery sand in New Jersey. And certainly one the the best maintained beaches anywhere. As a kid, going "down the shore" always meant Lavallette to me. Remarkably nothing much has changed: there are larger houses and perhaps more people, but the character and vibe remains unchanged. Happy families, laughing and running children, coming of age teens. First kisses, summer loves. Growing up. Surfboards, beach bikes, crabbing. It's that kind of place. But note: if you're looking for the Seaside Heights crowd here, keep driving. Lavallette is all-American clean-cut family fun.

One of my noblest chums rented a beach house about two blocks from the Lavallette Beach. Last year,…read morewe stayed a little further south and went to the Ortley Brach, but this one was definitely more warmly received by the crew. We ended up coming to the beach twice as a group, ranging from a solid half day to maybe an hour or two, and then I took a solitary walk in the early morning at sunrise once - definitely got a lot of time in here, which I feel is the number one objective of a shore excursion, regardless of whether you go into the water or not. This is definitely more of a local beach in the sense that it's not teeming with tons of people, and if you want a drink or a snack, you need to bring it with you. While there were lifeguards stationed nearby during our visits, whistling from time to time at wayward swimmers floating outside of the designated flag areas, there really aren't a lot of rules. Beach badges are required but I don't recall the kids at the entrance to the beach ever looking for them. The cleanest beach I've ever been to is Spring Lake, I'd guess 35 to 40 minutes north of here. Absolutely pristine, but it's also very restrictive with TONS of rules about what you can and mostly can't bring onto the beach. I definitely saw a few random pieces of garbage but nothing crazy and honestly it's possible that most of it was just swept in from the sea overnight. When I took my morning stroll I saw some employees cleaning the beach with an intimidating looking machine, so they're on top of it. As an aside, all of us noticed some super aggressive seagulls on the premises that absolutely knew how to recognize which bags had food in them. One particular seagull (which I captured in the accompanying photo so you can easily identify him in the future) physically dragged a bag several feet to intentionally tip over and scrounge around in. It was a very sophisticated operation. Keep your eyes on your shizzle. One area where I do think Ortley beats out Lavallette is access to additional snacks and whatnot. I love to embrace the power of advertising when I'm on the beach, so it's not unusual for me to make an impulse decision on a food or drink item based on one of the famous banners flying by along the coastline. One of those banners boasted an intriguing-looking spiked iced tea, but I never ended up sampling it because we were nowhere near a convenience store. Ortley had several within a block or two of the beach where you could quickly run over, grab a few items and return to your towel within five or 10 minutes. My recommendation would be to stock up and take a few extra minutes before going to the beach to make sure you have adequate provisions for your visit. In terms of the fellow beachgoers, it was a pretty laidback crew. I'd by and large agree with other characterizations that this is pretty family friendly. We saw a lot of content children frolicking around in the sand and on the water. There was one bad apple, a high maintenance teenager screaming and belittling her mother for a solid chunk of the afternoon with no obvious consequences, but I think we can just blame the parenting there and not the Lavallette Beach. Unless you're literally on a deserted island, expect a whole spectrum of people - makes it more interesting anyway. Definitely a chill, welcome vibe. But if you're looking for more action, I'd direct your attention a few miles south to the insanity that Seaside offers.

Pretty beaches, nice restaurants, shopping, and more…read more... Parking Restaurants Shops Bars Shopping

The town of Long Branch is amazing in my opinion. its not a crime ridden area, many ma and pa…read moreshops, nice beach, prices are all cheaper than other beaches, and its not as crowded as other beaches. There's loads of affordable parking in the area, too

I stumbled across Ocean Grove Beach this summer, and I think it might just be my favorite beach so…read morefar. Now, fair disclaimer: Ocean Grove is very Christian-based. There's a specific tented area with benches on the boardwalk where Christian services are held multiple times a day. You'll also find people on the boardwalk handing out tracts. If that's not your thing, just keep walking--they don't pressure you, and once you're actually on the beach, it all fades into the background. What really stood out to me was how pleasant and peaceful everything felt. Parking is free with lots of street parking available, and you can get from your car to the sand in seconds--which is a huge plus. The scenery is beautiful, bathrooms are clean, and there are food trucks around for when you get hungry. We forgot our umbrella one day and ended up renting one. It was super easy--$16, and you can pay with cash. They let you keep it until 4:45 pm and even come around to collect it for you. Chairs are also available to rent. For beach entry, however, it's cash-free--you scan the QR code and pay online. Overall, I loved the atmosphere here. Everything felt calm, well-kept, and welcoming. I can't wait to return--definitely one of the most peaceful beach experiences I've had.

I have been visiting Ocean Grove beach for over 10 years. It is a well-kept and clean beach with…read moreplenty of free parking. Main Street is a short walk away from the beach where you can shop and eat. There's a great boardwalk for a nice stroll. Hands down, my favorite beach down the jersey shore!

Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore is a wonderful spot for a weekend event if relatives of the…read morebirthday 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.

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

Many times, Jenk's is waaaaay too crowded with Bennys and Shoobies. Squan's is my local beach. Even…read moreif it doesn't have all the amenities that Point has, it's still a nice and relaxing time. Perfect for a relaxing beach date with the gf (we're in our 30s--Point's better if you're 10 years younger imo). The water's better in Squan, too, I think, when compared to Point. Going out on the rocks can be fun, but be careful.

Came to the beach for the first time since pre-COVID! (mainly due to wild crowds, lack of time on…read morethe weekends, etc.). Was originally planning to go to Point Pleasant, but some expensive street parking led us to Manasquan where we found some free parking. We got here before 9am. If you do so, you can typically enter without paying for a beach pass (granted you don't leave the beach premises and return). It helps getting early for that, beating traffic, and enjoying the beach before it gets unbearably hot. Admittingly, it might not be the best beach for swimming, but it's pretty clean and quiet. It's more a surfers beach with the waves, but I had a fun time. I like the quiet nature of the beach and the boardwalk. It's a nice area to walk around. I also enjoyed the swingset which brought back memories of my childhood. Overall, I'd consider coming back here again.

Had a wonderful time. A little Rest and relaxation Nice beaches and good food. Would recommend…read moreit to friends and family

Weirdly small because of how it's closed off for the private beaches. Good for families and if you…read moredon't mind strangers putting their towels on top of yours. Personally not a fan of it but the parking and bathrooms make it very convenient.

Happy FriYay Adventurers! This is a nice area to enjoy the outside. You'll see lots of jet skiers…read moreand people launching boats, a few people fishing off the dock/pier as well. Small beach area to walk a little, maybe bring a dog; though be cautious of hooks, rocks, and other items. When I was a kid the beach was a lot bigger but they made the water walk and sidewalk above bigger, now the beach is a sliver. I would get a raft and float with it tied to the beach to enjoy the outside. Plenty of parking both street and lot. The benches are not the most comfortable, metal and thin. But they have holes for umbrellas if you want to do a lunch, or enjoy book club outdoors. The skyline isn't much but sunsets can make even the most industrial of places appealing. there are bathrooms but I've heard they're never open and I saw a porta potty the last time I was there. I think there's an official 'park' someone who either checks safety or fishing permits, I'm not sure. Down the block you have Moby Dicks, a small park with outdoor fitness, bikes to rent, and a new concert area for live music. Nice breeze and good place to just relax.