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.

2-Star Review for Point Pleasant Beach…read more Point Pleasant Beach used to be our go-to summer spot about 4-5 years ago, but sadly, it's gone downhill--big time. What was once a relaxing beach day has turned into an over-policed, overpriced headache. There are more cops patrolling than actual lifeguards, and getting onto the beach feels like you're going through airport security. Not exactly the vibe you want on a chill summer day. Also it's so annoying that they turn off the showers after 7 pm .. Ridiculous!! The water was murky and dirty--definitely didn't feel like going in. Food is ridiculously overpriced, and finding parking is a battle in itself. Honestly, the place has lost its charm. It ain't Point Pleasant anymore... more like Point Unpleasant. Gave it 2 stars only out of nostalgia--otherwise, it would've been a 1.

I would rate this beach 3.5 stars! It was a nice and peaceful beach but with a price tag. We had to…read morepay $3.50 an hour for parking and then we had to pay $15 pp to get on the beach which I felt is so steep. I live on Long Island and most beaches you just pay for per car for the admission. The water was peaceful and the beach was pretty quiet. The boardwalk was nice and had a lot of food options. They also had an amusement park which was nice. Our daughter enjoyed it. The bathrooms were clean and not a lot of garbage on the beach. I would return but expect to spend a lot of money for a beach day.

Private beach which is deeper than most beaches on the barrier island…read more Parking is a little tight since sandy but the beach is amazing. Perfectly situated 1/2 between seaside heights and point pleasant and right by local shopping centers. close to a local bar.

Boats, beautiful bay and booze (except for the Capitan of course). When in Rome, enjoy the view.read more

Free entrance beach that is well maintained! Keep it clean and don't bring your filth to the…read morepublic. Showers on each entrance and restrooms at some areas. See images for reference.

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.

PROS: This town is very nice. The beach is for residents only and is gated with a lock that only…read morethe homeowners have a key to. Nice homes, good restaurants CONS: Major flooding area. The homes here are in great danger of a major flood since there so close to the water OVERALL: Great to visit the place but I wouldn't move here due to the risk

MANTOLOKING: it's local summer and soon most beaches and boardwalks will allow dogs again!!…read more Look at this gorgeous view of the ocean from the top of a dune! Mantoloking beaches allow leashed dogs in-season from Sunrise-8am and 6pm-Sunset. In the off-season (10/1-5/14), leashed dogs are allowed anytime!

Terrific place for a walk or bike ride. Flat, straight, beautiful homes on one side, clean ocean…read moreon the other (lots of dolphins in summer), and you can watch the boats enter and exit the Inlet. Not a lot of food choices, but that's a plus for me.

Really enjoy walking this board walk. In the summer time got to come early if you want to avoid…read morecrowds. Still it's worth the day trip

THE GOOD ----------------…read more+ Very clean beach + LOTS of beach to set up on + Boardwalk has plenttttty of restaurants, ice cream vendors, entertainment, amusement park rides, arcades and carnival-style games to play + A LOT of FREE street parking spots within the surrounding area of the beach (BUT see below) THE NOT SO GOOD ---------------------------- - $15 per daily beach badge on weekends for ages 12 and over! (as of July 2025) Unfortunately, it's the going rate to set foot on the sand - Street parking spots get occupied verrrrrry early. Get here before 10:30 AM on the weekends or you'll be circling for awhile or have to pay $35 to park in a lot

Love this place! Different entrances, beautiful scenery and wildlife, very well maintained. Great…read moretrails, nice place to be in touch with nature & our dog loves it as much as we do. Warning--it's very wet after snow & rain.

My favorite place to walk through. So peaceful and well maintained. Occasional water views and easy…read moreto follow trails.