Nathan Colmer | The Van Dyk Group
C: 609.290.4293 | O: 609.492.1511
Nathan Colmer | The Van Dyk Group
C: 609.290.4293 | O: 609.492.1511
Read about Long Beach Island NJ beaches and Long Beach Island New Jersey information. You can also view homes for sale in the LBI real estate market and plan your summer vacation to Long Beach Island New Jersey.
Long Beach Island, New Jersey offers some of the best beaches on the East Coast! The unique "sugar sand" that graces the shores of Long Beach Island is a favorite among beach patrons. Each area of LBI offers a different beach experience, but all public beaches are lifeguarded and require beach badges in season (usually the middle of June to Labor Day).
Barnegat Light's beaches are unique among those of Long Beach Island. Here you will find the broadest natural beaches lush with vegetated dunes. The bathing beaches are wide and offer spectacular views of the Barnegat Lighthouse. There is a bay beach available for use as well.
Long Beach Township is the largest town on LBI, covering roughly 12 miles of LBI's beaches. The beach experience will be different depending on what town you visit. The north-end areas of Long Beach Township (Loveladies and North Beach) offer semi-private beaches with a very low density of beach patrons. The center of Long Beach Township (Brant Beach to North Beach Haven) offers more public beaches with free parking on any street. At the very South end of LBI, Holgate is again a lower density beach and opens to the Edwin Forsyth Wildlife Refuge, which, when open, is undeveloped and un-guarded. There are several lifeguarded bay beaches for the little ones!
Long Beach Township Beach Badges
Harvey Cedars, which underwent an extensive beach replenishment, has wide beaches and beautiful dune vistas. The beaches are lifeguarded and generally are not crowded. Harvey Cedars has a bay beach and playground like many of the other areas of LBI.
Surf City was the first town to undergo beach replenishment, making the beaches here very wide! Due to errors made during the replenishment process, World War I & II-era munitions were accidentally deposited on the beaches. The sand was checked and re-checked to make sure the munitions were removed. Surf City's beaches are wide and enjoyable, with plenty of room to spread out! All beaches are guarded, and bay beaches are available.
Ship Bottom has some of the most crowded beaches on LBI, thanks to Ship Bottom being the entry point to Long Beach Island. Ship Bottom offers fun and excitement on the lifeguarded beaches; however, parking can be a problem, thanks to the higher number of day-trippers who visit Ship Bottom.
Beach Haven's beach experience will vary depending on what area of the town you visit. The center of Beach Haven is dotted with hotels making for a slightly more crowded beach experience. The crowds are well planned for with additional lifeguards and swimming areas. The south end of Beach Haven is much less crowded, and the beaches reflect this lower density with more open space. All beaches are lifeguarded; however, there are no public bay beaches in Beach Haven.
Beach badges are an important part of the LBI economy and their proceeds go towards making Long Beach Island a more enjoyable seashore town. Beach badges are only valid in the town for which they are purchased so make sure you get the right badge for where you live.
Long Beach Township offers the best value as the badge covers roughly 12 of the 18 miles of Long Beach Island and can be used in any of these sections. There are special preseason deals in most towns with the preseason sale ending sometime in late June. make sure you purchase a seasonal badge at a discount if you plan to visit Long Beach Island often.
Beach badges are not required in the offseason from roughly Labor Day through mid June.