Things to do
Jersey Shore Towns, North to South: A Guide to 20 Beach Towns
Jersey Shore towns from Sandy Hook to Cape May: who each beach town suits, what it's known for, which have free beaches, and which you can reach by train.
By Tessa Moretti, our virtual host
Researched and edited by the Chefbouyon team
Updated · 9 min read
Quick picks
- For history and lighthousesSandy Hook (Gateway National Recreation Area)Home to the oldest operating lighthouse in the nation, first lit in 1764.Directions
- For music and nightlifeAsbury Park BoardwalkA restored boardwalk between Convention Hall and the Paramount Theatre.Directions
- For wild beachesIsland Beach State ParkTen miles of barrier island left nearly undeveloped.Directions
- For rides and roller coastersMorey's PiersThree amusement piers and two water parks on Wildwood's boardwalk.Directions
- For a quirky landmarkLucy the ElephantA six-story elephant from 1881 that you can tour inside.Directions
Ask ten people for the best Jersey Shore town and you'll get ten answers, each delivered with total conviction. That's because the shore isn't one place. It's a chain of small towns, each with its own personality. Some are Victorian and hushed, some are all neon and roller coasters, and some are barrier-island quiet where the loudest thing is an osprey.
This guide walks the Jersey Shore towns from north to south, from Sandy Hook to Cape May. For each, you'll find its personality, who it suits and what it's known for. It's a reading companion to a map: start at the top and work your way down the coast.
If you're planning a stay, our NJ weekend getaways guide has two-day plans with historic inns in several of these towns.
How I picked these
These are the towns most travelers mean when they say "the shore," plus a few quieter favorites. Facts come from town and state websites, county tourism offices and the attractions themselves. Beach-tag rules and train service are noted where official sources state them, but they can change each season, so check each town's beach page before you go.
The Jersey Shore at a glance, north to south
- Highlands and Sandy Hook: lighthouses, a historic fort, bay beaches
- Long Branch: Gilded Age history, Pier Village
- Asbury Park: music, restaurants, restored boardwalk
- Ocean Grove: Victorian camp-meeting town
- Belmar: lively beach and marina town
- Spring Lake: quiet Victorian beach, non-commercial boardwalk
- Manasquan: surf town on the inlet
- Point Pleasant Beach: Jenkinson's boardwalk and aquarium
- Bay Head: small historic borough at the end of the train line
- Seaside Heights: rides and Casino Pier
- Seaside Park and Island Beach State Park: family beach and wild barrier island
- Long Beach Island: 18 miles of island towns and Old Barney
- Atlantic City: the first boardwalk and free beaches
- Margate City: Lucy the Elephant
- Ocean City: dry family resort
- Sea Isle City: Promenade and beach town
- Avalon: quiet dunes on Seven Mile Island
- Stone Harbor: boutiques and bird sanctuaries
- Wildwood: free beaches, Doo Wop motels and Morey's Piers
- Cape May: the Victorian finale
Monmouth County: lighthouses, music and Victorian porches
Highlands and Sandy Hook
Highlands sits on the bluffs above Sandy Hook Bay, with a SeaStreak ferry terminal on Shore Drive for trips to Manhattan. Just below it, Sandy Hook curls north into the bay.
Sandy Hook (Gateway National Recreation Area)
Known for Beaches, Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, first lit in 1764 and the oldest operating lighthouse in the nation.
128 South Hartshorne Drive, Highlands, NJ 07732
Also in 30 Things to Do in New Jersey, Region by Region
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Sandy Hook is the shore at its most historic. Its lighthouse was first lit on June 11, 1764, and is the oldest operating lighthouse in the nation. Rangers lead seasonal tours, and you sign up at the visitor center on the day. Fort Hancock defended New York Harbor from 1895 to 1974. Today it has more than 100 buildings, and Officers' Row still faces the bay. It's for beach people who also like a good story, and for dog owners, since dogs are welcome on the bay beaches year-round.
Twin Lights Historic Site
Known for A twin-towered 1862 lighthouse on the Navesink bluffs, where Marconi demonstrated wireless telegraphy in 1899.
2 Light House Rd, Highlands, NJ 07732
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Up on the Navesink bluffs, Twin Lights was the first American lighthouse to use the Fresnel lens, and in 1899 Marconi demonstrated wireless telegraphy here. The towers you see today date from 1862. They are partly climbable in season, with a reduced schedule from October to late May, and the views take in Sandy Hook and the New York skyline.
Long Branch
Long Branch was a Gilded Age resort, and several presidents summered here, a history remembered at Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park. Today it's a practical, year-round beach city with Pier Village and an oceanfront promenade, plus two stops on NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line (Long Branch and Elberon). It suits a car-free day at the beach.
Asbury Park
Asbury Park Boardwalk
Known for A restored boardwalk running between Convention Hall and the Casino, lined with restaurants, shops and music venues.
1300 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Also in Day Trips from NYC, 30 Things to Do in New Jersey, Region by Region
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
James A. Bradley founded Asbury Park in 1871. After years of decline, its waterfront came roaring back after restoration began in 2007. Today the boardwalk runs between the 1920s Convention Hall and Paramount Theatre and is lined with restaurants and shops. Asbury is the shore's music town, home to the Stone Pony (1974), and it's a hub for LGBTQ+ travelers. It's for food lovers, concertgoers and anyone who wants a city's energy with an ocean attached. It also has its own train station.
Silverball Retro Arcade
Known for A boardwalk arcade with over 150 pinball and classic video games you can play.
1000 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
For a rainy hour, Silverball has more than 150 pinball and classic video games you can play, right on the boardwalk.
Ocean Grove
Great Auditorium (Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association)
Known for An 1894 wooden auditorium with a historic pipe organ, surrounded by a Victorian summer tent colony.
Ocean Grove, NJ 07756
Also in Day Trips from NYC, 30 Things to Do in New Jersey, Region by Region
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Ocean Grove was founded in 1869 as a Methodist camp meeting, and the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association still owns the land, beach and boardwalk. Its historic district is on the National Register. At the center is the 1894 Great Auditorium, with a Hope-Jones organ of more than 13,000 pipes, ringed in summer by about 114 tents. Each tent has a small cottage behind it. It's for Victorian-architecture lovers, quiet beach days and long porch evenings. The boardwalk connects north to Asbury Park, so you can have both moods in one walk.
Belmar
Belmar is a lively, social beach town on the Shark River inlet, with a big municipal marina, a rebuilt boardwalk and a reputation as a surf spot. It's known for its St. Patrick's Day parade and the New Jersey Seafood Festival. It suits groups of friends and day-trippers, and it has its own station on the North Jersey Coast Line.
Spring Lake
Spring Lake is the shore's calm Victorian beauty. Its boardwalk runs about two miles with no shops or arcades, only two pavilions at either end. The town wraps around Divine Park and its spring-fed lake. Locals have long called it the "Irish Riviera." It's for couples, readers and early-morning walkers. There's a train station, and our weekend getaways guide has an inn pick here.
Manasquan
Manasquan sits on the Manasquan Inlet, where the jetty draws surfers, and the inlet marks the north end of New Jersey's Intracoastal Waterway. It's a small-town beach with a boardwalk and a train station. It's for surfers and families who want something low-key.
Ocean County: boardwalk fun and the wildest barrier island
Point Pleasant Beach
At the north tip of the Barnegat Peninsula, Point Pleasant Beach is built around Jenkinson's, a boardwalk of rides, arcades, mini golf and the Jenkinson's Aquarium, with penguins, seals and sharks. It's classic family shore. You can reach it on the North Jersey Coast Line.
Bay Head
Bay Head is small, residential and quietly handsome, with a historic district of Shingle Style and Queen Anne houses on the state and national registers and an 1882 stone seawall. It's the last stop on the North Jersey Coast Line. It suits a peaceful weekend and porch-sitting more than nightlife.
Seaside Heights
Seaside Heights is the shore's amusement-park town. Casino Pier has rides and an arcade, and the Breakwater Beach water park sits right across from it. The town is also where MTV filmed Jersey Shore starting in 2009. It's for teenagers, thrill-seekers and anyone who loves a loud boardwalk on a summer night.
Seaside Park and Island Beach State Park
Seaside Park, just south, calls itself "The Family Resort" and requires beach badges for visitors 12 and older. It's quieter than its neighbor and serves as the gateway to the state's wildest beach.
Island Beach State Park
Known for Ten miles of nearly untouched barrier island between the ocean and Barnegat Bay.
2401 Central Ave, Seaside Park, NJ 08752
- Dog-friendly
Also in 30 Things to Do in New Jersey, Region by Region
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Island Beach State Park protects ten miles of barrier island between the ocean and Barnegat Bay, more than 3,000 acres left nearly as they were in 1609. It has the state's largest osprey colony, surf fishing, and summer kayak tours of the Sedge Islands. Swimming is allowed only on the guarded beach when lifeguards are on duty, and the park closes to new cars once it fills on summer weekends. It's for nature lovers, anglers and anyone who wants the beach without a boardwalk.
Long Beach Island
Long Beach Island is 18 miles of barrier island with a string of small towns, from Barnegat Light in the north to Beach Haven in the south. It's a favorite for relaxed family weeks. See our full things to do on Long Beach Island guide.
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park
Known for Home of 'Old Barney,' a 172-foot lighthouse with 217 steps commissioned in 1859.
Broadway, Barnegat Light, NJ 08006
More in Long Beach Island · Also in 30 Things to Do in New Jersey, Region by Region, Things to Do on LBI, NJ
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
At the north tip, "Old Barney" was first lit in 1859. Climbing its 217 steps is a summer ritual, and there's a short maritime forest trail and a long jetty walkway.
Atlantic County: the first boardwalk and an elephant
Atlantic City
Atlantic City opened the first boardwalk in America on June 26, 1870. It was built to keep sand out of the hotels and train cars, and today it runs a little over four miles. The beaches are free with no tags needed. Salt water taffy took off here in the 1880s. It's for people who like a big-city boardwalk, shows and dining, and NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line runs here from Philadelphia.
Absecon Lighthouse
Known for New Jersey's tallest lighthouse at 171 feet, first lit in 1857, with its original Fresnel lens.
31 S Rhode Island Ave, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Absecon Lighthouse is New Jersey's tallest at 171 feet. It was first lit in 1857, still holds its original first-order Fresnel lens, and has 228 steps to the top.
Margate City
Lucy the Elephant
Known for A six-story elephant-shaped building from 1881, now a National Historic Landmark you can tour inside.
9200 Atlantic Ave, Margate City, NJ 08402
Also in 30 Things to Do in New Jersey, Region by Region
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Margate is a residential beach town on Absecon Island, and its landmark is Lucy, a six-story elephant James V. Lafferty built in 1881. She is a National Historic Landmark, and guided tours take you inside. Margate requires beach badges for visitors 12 and older. It suits families who want a quieter base near Atlantic City.
Cape May County: family resorts, bird islands and the Victorian finale
Ocean City
Ocean City was founded in 1879 by Methodist ministers and remains a dry town with no alcohol sales, which suits its motto, "America's Greatest Family Resort." It has a 2.5-mile boardwalk and 8 miles of beaches, and beach tags are required for visitors 12 and older. It's for families with kids of every age.
Ocean City Music Pier
Known for A city-run boardwalk concert hall dedicated in 1929 and home to the Ocean City Pops.
Boardwalk, Ocean City, NJ 08226
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
The Music Pier was built after a 1927 boardwalk fire and dedicated on July 4, 1929. The Ocean City Pops plays a summer series here.
Sea Isle City
Charles K. Landis founded Sea Isle City in 1882 on Ludlam Island, which it shares with Strathmere. Instead of a wooden boardwalk it has a paved oceanfront Promenade of about a mile and a half. It suits families and groups who want a social beach town without the rides.
Avalon
Avalon shares Seven Mile Island with Stone Harbor and uses the motto "Cooler by a Mile." It has high dunes, protected bird-nesting areas and a boardwalk. Beach tags are required, though children under 12 don't need one, and Avalon and Stone Harbor accept each other's tags. It's for families who like calm, residential streets.
Stone Harbor
Stone Harbor is small and walkable, with a walkable shopping district, a bird sanctuary in town, and Stone Harbor Point, a protected shorebird preserve at the island's southern tip. Just over the bridge, The Wetlands Institute studies coastal ecosystems and terrapins; check its site for current visiting days. It's for birders, browsers and slow-paced families.
Wildwood
Morey's Piers
Known for Three amusement piers and two beachfront water parks on the Wildwood boardwalk.
3501 Boardwalk, Wildwood, NJ 08260
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
The Wildwoods are pure, joyful boardwalk. Beaches are free, the boardwalk runs 38 blocks, and Morey's Piers runs three amusement piers and two water parks. The island also has what local tourism calls the country's largest collection of Doo Wop architecture. These are mid-century motels with neon signs, and the Doo Wop Preservation League runs neon trolley tours from its museum at 4500 Ocean Avenue. Alcohol isn't allowed on the beach or boardwalk. It's for kids, retro-design lovers and anyone who wants to ride a Ferris wheel at sunset.
Cape May
At the very bottom of the state, Cape May is the shore's Victorian masterpiece, with gingerbread porches, gaslit streets, a lighthouse and sunsets over the bay. It's for nearly everyone, and especially for couples and history lovers. Start with our things to do in Cape May, then browse Cape May bed and breakfasts and, in December, Cape May at Christmas.
Beach tags, trains and when to go
- Beach tags: Most towns sell seasonal or daily beach tags in summer, typically for visitors 12 and older. Atlantic City and the Wildwoods are free. Sea Isle City is known for free beach Wednesdays, but check the city's page.
- By train: The North Jersey Coast Line reaches Long Branch, Asbury Park, Bradley Beach, Belmar, Spring Lake, Manasquan, Point Pleasant Beach and Bay Head. The Atlantic City Line connects Philadelphia and Atlantic City.
- When to go: June and September are the sweet spots, with warm water in September, fewer crowds and easier parking. Many attractions are seasonal, so check before an off-season trip. Winter brings empty beaches and walks with your coat collar up, which some of us think is the best shore of all.
For more ideas inland, see things to do in New Jersey by region, or plan a couples' trip with our romantic getaways.
Every place in this guide, on the map
- Sandy Hook (Gateway National Recreation Area)128 South Hartshorne Drive, Highlands, NJ 07732
- Twin Lights Historic Site2 Light House Rd, Highlands, NJ 07732
- Asbury Park Boardwalk1300 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
- Silverball Retro Arcade1000 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
- Great Auditorium (Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association)Ocean Grove, NJ 07756
- Island Beach State Park2401 Central Ave, Seaside Park, NJ 08752
- Barnegat Lighthouse State ParkBroadway, Barnegat Light, NJ 08006
- Absecon Lighthouse31 S Rhode Island Ave, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
- Lucy the Elephant9200 Atlantic Ave, Margate City, NJ 08402
- Ocean City Music PierBoardwalk, Ocean City, NJ 08226
- Morey's Piers3501 Boardwalk, Wildwood, NJ 08260
Questions people ask
What is the nicest town at the Jersey Shore?
It depends on what you want. Cape May and Spring Lake are the picks for Victorian streets and a quiet beach. Ocean Grove has the best-preserved Victorian camp-meeting grounds. Asbury Park suits music and dining, and Stone Harbor and Avalon suit families who like a calm, residential feel. Wildwood and Seaside Heights are for rides and boardwalk energy.
Which Jersey Shore towns have free beaches?
Atlantic City and the Wildwoods have free beaches with no beach tags needed, according to their tourism offices. Most other towns, including Ocean City, Stone Harbor, Avalon, Margate and Seaside Park, require seasonal beach tags or badges for visitors 12 and older in summer. Rules change, so check each town's beach page before you go.
Which Jersey Shore towns can you reach by train?
NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line stops in Long Branch, Asbury Park, Bradley Beach, Belmar, Spring Lake, Manasquan, Point Pleasant Beach and Bay Head, which is the end of the line. The Atlantic City Line runs from Philadelphia to Atlantic City. Highlands and Atlantic Highlands have SeaStreak ferry service to Manhattan.
Which Jersey Shore town is a dry town?
Ocean City is the best-known dry town at the shore. It was founded by Methodist ministers in 1879, and there are no alcohol sales. City Council reaffirmed the ban in 2024. Ocean Grove was also founded as a Methodist camp meeting and is also dry, with no alcohol sold in town, though many restaurants let you bring your own bottle.
What is the best Jersey Shore town for families?
Ocean City bills itself as "America's Greatest Family Resort," with a 2.5-mile boardwalk and no alcohol sales. Seaside Park calls itself "The Family Resort," and Wildwood has free beaches and Morey's Piers. Point Pleasant Beach has Jenkinson's aquarium and rides, and Long Beach Island offers a more laid-back family week.
Spot something out of date, or know a place we should add? Tell us. Corrections are read first.
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