This beach and boardwalk is packed with activities on and off the sand
From Sandy Hook to Cape May, New Jersey offers beach goers 130 miles of coastline dotted with beaches, barrier islands, lighthouses and scenic views. Hundred of thousands of visitors come to the white sand beaches of the Jersey Shore each year, and it's easy to see why.
Wildwood Beach Wildwood
Wildwood Beach is packed with activity both on and off the sand. Visitors will find three amusement parks within walking distance of the boardwalk with more than 100 rides and attractions. Photo courtesy of Greater Wildwoods Tourism Authority
Brigantine Beach
The shoreline of Brigantine Beach Island has long attracted sun seekers and water sports enthusiasts with its opportunities for swimming, sailing, kayaking, surfing, kite flying and fishing. Photo courtesy of City of Brigantine
Asbury Park Beach Asbury Park
Asbury Park Beach is classic Jersey Shore, complete with a boardwalk lined with surf shops, art galleries, restaurants and a classic pinball arcade. The town's mile-long stretch of sand attracts swimmers, surfers, sunbathers and fishers alike. Photo courtesy of iStock / Andrew F Kazmierski
Cape May Beach Cape May
Cape May city beaches are known for being clean and family friendly, with all the amenities you'd need for a perfect beach vacation. Lifeguards keep watch on swimmers, while volleyball nets provide on-land recreation. Surfing, kayaking, skimboarding and fishing are also on offer. Photo courtesy of iStock / valeriebarry
Point Pleasant Beach
Point Pleasant Beach is more of a seaside playground than a mere stretch of sand (though the expansive beach here is certainly worthy of a trip). The highlight is the boardwalk packed full of attractions, including rides, miniature golf, ice cream parlors and Jenkinson's Aquarium. Photo courtesy of jason jenkins / Flickr
Island Beach State Park Seaside Park
Island Beach State Park occupies a narrow barrier island separating the Atlantic Ocean from Barnegat Bay for some 10 miles. The coastal dunes here remain largely untouched, and the sandy beach is one of the most undeveloped on the Atlantic coast. Photo courtesy of Island Beach State Park
Ocean City Beach Ocean City
Ocean City Beach ranks among the best family beaches on the Atlantic coast, thanks to its 8 miles of wide, soft sand and 2.5-mile boardwalk. Just steps from the beach, attractions include Gillian's Wonderland Pier and Playland's Castaway Cove. Photo courtesy of iStock / RSW85
Atlantic City Beach Atlantic City
Atlantic City has a big advantage over Las Vegas–a big sandy beach and lively boardwalk. The boardwalk dates back to 1870, and today, it offers easy access to the Atlantic as well as resort hotels, casinos and world-class dining. Photo courtesy of DO AC
Sea Girt Beach Sea Girt
A relatively new boardwalk runs for a mile along this uncrowded Jersey Shore beach from the Sea Girt Lighthouse to the southern end of town. Lifeguards are on duty throughout the summer months. Photo courtesy of Doug Kerr / Flickr
Stone Harbor Point Stone Harbor
One of the best beach birding spots on the Atlantic coast, Stone Harbor Point offers a habitat for terns, plovers and skimmers, as well as sun seeking humans looking for a quiet sandbar far from the busy boardwalks of the Jersey Shore. Photo courtesy of David Eisenhauer/USFWS
The top 10 winners in the category Best New Jersey Beach are as follows:
Wildwood Beach - Wildwood
Brigantine Beach
Asbury Park Beach - Asbury Park
Cape May Beach - Cape May
Point Pleasant Beach
Island Beach State Park - Seaside Park
Ocean City Beach - Ocean City
Atlantic City Beach - Atlantic City
Sea Girt Beach - Sea Girt
Stone Harbor Point - Stone Harbor
10Best editors and local experts partnered with Dr. Stephen Leatherman (a.k.a. "Dr. Beach") to pick the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Congratulations to these 10 winning beaches!
Dr. Stephen Leatherman (a.k.a. "Dr. Beach") is a Professor at Florida International University who uses 50 criteria to select the best US beaches on an annual basis since 1991. He has published 20 books and hundreds of scientific articles about waves and beaches, as well as appeared hundreds of times on TV shows.
Dr. Stephen Leatherman
Dr. Stephen Leatherman (a.k.a. "Dr. Beach") is a Professor at Florida International University who uses 50 criteria to select the best US beaches on an annual basis since 1991. He has published 20 books and hundreds of scientific articles about waves and beaches, as well as appeared hundreds of times on TV shows.
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10Best Local Experts provide users with original, unbiased, and experiential travel content of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world. No business pays to be listed. Our Local Experts are well-traveled and well-educated group who are not only experts in their fields - and their cities - but discriminating in their tastes. These local experts live in the city they write about, with constantly updated content.
10Best Local Experts
10Best Local Experts provide users with original, unbiased, and experiential travel content of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world. No business pays to be listed. Our Local Experts are well-traveled and well-educated group who are not only experts in their fields - and their cities - but discriminating in their tastes. These local experts live in the city they write about, with constantly updated content.
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
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10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.