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Island Beach State Park, Seaside Park, NJ

Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureLocal Gem

Island Beach State Park

· Seaside Park, NJ

Why you should go…

Island Beach State Park protects nearly ten miles of dunes, maritime forest, and tidal marsh at the southern end of the Barnegat Peninsula. Most visitors come to swim or surf fish, and the park is also a nesting site for ospreys and home to hundreds of plant species.

  • #state park
  • #beach
  • #surf fishing
  • #barrier island
  • #nature

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Island Beach State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Casino Pier

    Free

    Ride coasters, a Ferris wheel and go-karts on a boardwalk amusement pier over the beach in Seaside Heights.

    2.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Barnegat Lighthouse State Park

    Free

    Climb the 217 steps of Old Barney, walk the inlet jetty and loop through a small maritime forest on Long Beach Island.

    9.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    Outdoor Adventure

    Ocean County

    Free

    Official visitor guide to Ocean County's Jersey Shore beaches, boardwalks, bays, and family attractions.

    11 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    OCNJ Watersports Aqua Park

    $25–$50

    Ocean City's inflatable water obstacle course on the bay, with slides, monkey bars and climbing walls run in supervised 45-minute sessions.

    50 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Bayview Watersports Marina

    $50+

    Bayside marina on Bay Avenue in Ocean City with jet ski and WaveRunner rentals, tubing, kayaking and parasailing, open daily in season.

    50 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Aqua Action Watersports

    $50+

    Wakeboard and wakesurf lessons plus sunset boat tours on the bay in Ocean City, NJ.

    50 mi awayMore like this