There is NO beach on the entire eastern seaboard that can compare to the mile-wide stretch of supervised swimming in the middle of Island Beach State Park. There are clean changing areas, rest rooms and a nice protected station that sells passable burgers, hot dogs and fries. The surf can be gnarly and the sand is pristine, with plenty of dunes and dune grass, but still most of north Jerseyites apparently consider the 90-minute drive a bit too far. But for a paltry admission price ($6 weekdays, $10 weekends) the place is a beach lovers' dream.
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 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. (from their website)
Wanna go? Get there early. To avoid overcrowding, the park staff CLOSES the gate when the parking lots are full; it re-opens sporadically, when folks start to leave.
I was hoping nobody would find out about Island Beach; now, everybody knows. Some things are better left undiscovered.
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