WHAT NEW JERSEY BEACH IS YOUR FAVORITE?

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What New Jersey beach is your favorite? We asked that simple question — and 339 of you answered. Turns out Jersey people have strong opinions about their beaches. So let’s settle it properly: here is the ultimate guide to the best beaches in New Jersey, from the wild boardwalks to the quiet southern sands.

Wildwood — The Boardwalk King

If you want the full Jersey Shore experience — tram cars, flashing lights, fried Oreos, and five miles of free beach — Wildwood is it. The boardwalk here is legendary, the beaches are wide, and the motels still rock that glorious Doo-Wop neon. This is the beach for people who go down the shore to do things.

Seaside Heights — Classic and Unapologetic

Seaside is the shore of MTV summers and family traditions in equal measure. The boardwalk hums all summer, the beach is big and beautiful, and yes — you can still get a sausage-and-peppers sandwich at midnight. Loyalists swear there’s no better people-watching anywhere in America.

Asbury Park — The Cool One

Asbury came back from the dead and became the hippest beach town in New Jersey. Live music at the Stone Pony, incredible restaurants, a boardwalk that feels like Brooklyn met the beach. The crowd skews younger and artsier, and the sunsets are unreal.

Ocean City — America’s Greatest Family Resort

Dry town, family town, mini-golf capital. Ocean City’s boardwalk is pure nostalgia — Johnson’s Popcorn, Mack & Manco’s pizza, and the famous “watch the tram car please” warning. If you grew up going “down the shore” with your grandparents, it was probably here.

Cape May — Victorian Charm

The southern tip of the state feels like a different world: Victorian mansions, dolphin-watching boats, the lighthouse, and some of the most beautiful sunsets on the East Coast. Cape May is where you go when you want the shore to slow down.

Belmar & Point Pleasant — Central Jersey Favorites

Belmar’s beach is clean, wide, and packed with twenty- and thirty-somethings all summer. Point Pleasant brings Jenkinson’s Boardwalk — the aquarium, the arcades, the rides. Both are easy day trips and both inspire fierce loyalty.

Long Beach Island — Six Miles of Chill

LBI is 18 miles of barrier island with a different personality in every town, from the nightlife of Beach Haven to the quiet of Loveladies. It’s the “we rent the same house every year” beach — and those families would fight you over it.

Sandy Hook & Island Beach State Park — Nature’s Beaches

Want the shore without the crowds? Sandy Hook (Gateway National Recreation Area) and Island Beach State Park are the most natural, undeveloped beaches in the state. Gunnison Beach at Sandy Hook is even clothing-optional — very un-Jersey, somehow very Jersey.

So — What NJ Beach Is YOUR Favorite?

339 comments and counting. North Jersey swears by Belmar, South Jersey bleeds Wildwood, and everyone agrees the best beach is the one your family always went to. Drop yours in the comments and defend it with your life. 👇

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339 Comments

  99. O r t l e y beach every year till I was 20! ! 💔 Brokenhearted over the destruction of so many unique beach houses just gone 😢😢😢 n especially The Surf Club 😢😢😢

  197. i hate the jersey beaches why do we have to pay for dirty beaches while florida and the beaches are muchcleaner down south that does not mean that i will not go to the boardwalk

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