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.

- Very nice beach where you don't have to walk a mile through the sand just to get to the water;…read morethere'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!

I think this may be my favorite beach, not just on the NJ Shore, but anywhere. We take our dog…read morewith us so are restricted to the dog allowed areas where others drive on the sand to fish and there aren't any life guards so you can't swim, but even with all of those restrictions this is still my favorite beach. It is not crowded at all and easy to forget that you are not the only person on the beach. Most people in this section of the beach have dogs with them but everyone follows the leash rules and I've never seen anyone not pick-up after their dog. One or two of the parking lots have port-a-potty's and the main two beaches (where you can swim but dogs aren't allowed) have pavilions with restrooms, a cafe, and a beach store.

Finally since moving to South Jersey made it before the Island Beach State Park closed…read more Had to pay $5 to enter even though park was closing in 20 minutes. We drove to the trail #7 as recommended by the gate for the best sunset views! It was truly beautiful to see the sunset on the bay. Walked over to the beach- vehicles allowed on the beach, saw bonfires and lots of people fishing! Plan to buy season passes and enjoy this State Park more often!!

I feel so lucky and privileged to live in such a beautiful beach town. LBI is like being in a…read moreresort area filled with summer rentals and tourist.From gorgeous clean Beaches to fabulous restaurants.I love it year round!

After months in hiding during the PANDEMIC, it was time to slowly emerge, carefully, from a cocoon…read more We decided to get up early one day and head over to LBI, a straight and easy shot from my neck of the woods. We randomly found a parking spot and that's how we ended up in Surf City. We trudged out to the beach, and because it was early summer and still early from the releasing of restrictions, we ventured carefully out to the beach. Still only a handful of people out and about (good). The beach was lovely, though the ocean was rough - no wonder it is named Surf City. Come early to grab a good spot if the world ever returns to normal again.

BEACH HAVEN/LBI: at the end of Taylor Avenue and very close to Bay Village and Thundering Surf…read moreWater Park is a cute little dog beach behind the pastel colored buildings. It is just enough to have fun and get your dog to romp around and enjoy the calm waters of the bay. Dogs can be off-leash and be sure to pickup after them. There is conflicting information about whether dogs are allowed here all-year-round or just between 9/16-5/14. We can only say that we saw a lot of happy dogs there at the end of July and there were no posted signs about the rules.

Cute little dog beach! Perfect for pups who love water! Everyone is also very nice and respectful!read more

Fabulous outing renting kayaks from Harvey cedars marina. Terrific staff dedicated to customer…read moreservice and satisfaction. We go there every summer to kayak along the bay.

What a treat to rent a sailboat, Hobie or kayaks. The staff…read moreknow their stuff and provide safety tips for new and experienced waterfolk. Love it on this side of LBI.

BRIGANTINE: just north of Atlantic City is the town of Brigantine, a quiet beach resort and they…read morehave an all-year-round dog beach! Go all the way to the North end when you cannot go anymore and you are at the spot where leashed dogs are encouraged to play and enjoy the sand, ocean, and natural flora and fauna every day! In April, it was a very peaceful spot to dig some holes and admire the waves and stormy clouds. Dogs are also allowed on the other beach areas, but there are seasonal restrictions: "From October 1st to May 29th, dogs are allowed on the beach provided they are on a leash, not longer than 6 ft. Dog feces must be removed."

I had not been to Brigantine Beach since I was 15 years old (crabbing)…read more This trip was the first for me and Joey as a couple of 3 1/2 years. Just like the other Yelp reviewers stated, this beach is expansive and beautiful! They have bathrooms, versus nasty port-o-potties - yay! We used the ones off of Roosevelt. We love the white sand and long stretch of beach - wow - so glad I picked here!!! 8/12/22

If your looking for easy free parking + clean public restrooms while your at the beach- this is…read moreyour location to check out! The beach here is super tiny though which I think is just the new standard for LBI unfortunately. 5 stars!

A beautiful Bay side beach - a place to rinse your feet (outdoor showers) and a free rest room…read more We love LBI and especially the northern end.

FREE PARKING at the beach!! Well actually on the bay side, but you can walk across the street and…read morebe at the beach. We parked here two days in a row, both times walking over to the ocean side beach...they are doing beach restoration, so we saw some bulldozers and workmen (which frankly didn't bother me as the sound was washed out by the wind and crashing waves). They offer public restrooms, as well as some playground stuff (all on the bay side). Beach badges were $6 per adult, a fine rate for the day as well as the parking and the facilities.

Still a wonderful place to see the birds as you drive the 6 mile loop. Spring and fall are the…read morebest times but even in the off seasons, rain or shine, you will catch a glimpse of something notable. Hundreds of egrets this past weekend plus we identified another 25 species or so. Great for folks who love nature for whom mobility is challenging.

What a natural gem so near to Atlantic City. A primr example of the succes of the Duck Stamp…read moreprogram. I actually was able to still purchase the 2025 Stamp to further support such a valuable tool to save wildlife. Plenty of parking, restrooms and a very nice Visitor Center with informative displays & a gift shop. Visitors can pick up maps, info and updates on what you could see in the refuge. The Staff is friendly & helpful. Kelvin is amazing, he does a drive through of the Park prior to his shift so he can give daily updates, there is a board listing his sightings. He is also an expert on the area and willing to take the time to discuss the refuge, and directions to other possible spots to visit. Birders, do not pass on the opportunity to speak to Kelvin if he is available. One of the best we have had the pleasure of speaking to on NWR Journey. Weather was dismal, but the Wildlife Drive was incredible, we did two days in a row & saw plenty of wildlife.

Very nice park. Newly updated and also has a guarded bay beach. Very nice and in close proximity to…read morethe Long Beach township building that has bocce and pickleball