With 130 miles of coastline, every Jersey Shore town has its own personality. From boardwalks and amusement parks to fishing and crabbing to visiting a lighthouse, readers from USA Today shared their picks for the 10 best beaches in New Jersey.
For the third year in a row, The Wildwoods was voted the top beach in New Jersey in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards. The 2026 list was narrowed down by an expert panel and then voted on by the public, with the Wildwoods’ free beaches earning the No. 1 spot once again.
The Wildwoods – known for Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and North Wildwood – have earned lots of accolades: best dog-friendly beach, top trending domestic vacation spot, most affordable beach trip, the country’s best boardwalk, best pop culture museum, the town you should travel to next, and best new hotel (Madison Resorts).
The island is home to five miles of wide, white-sand free beaches that stretch nearly 500 feet from water to boardwalk. Walk the 2-mile boardwalk, visit Morey’s Piers for amusement rides, a water park, restaurants and shops, or bring your pup to Wildwood Dog Park & Beach, known for its 25-foot-tall fire hydrant statue and separate areas for large and small dogs to run and swim.
Atlantic City has been adding family-friendly attractions, making it the second top beach in NJ, according to USA Today. When you need a break from the beach, head to Island Waterpark or Lucky Snake Arcade at Showboat Resort, ride the attractions at Steel Pier Amusement Park—including the 227-foot-tall observation wheel overlooking the boardwalk—catch a movie at the IMAX Theatre at Tropicana, let the kids shop for sweets at IT’SUGAR near Playground Pier, or play a round at Atlantic City Miniature Golf.
Catch a concert at Boardwalk Hall, get up early and find a spot on the sand to watch the Soar & Shore Festival airshow, or check out AC’s lineup for the Prudential North to Shore Festival. There are lots of top tier restaurants inside the resorts, along the boardwalk and on the beach.
No. 3 Sea Isle City offers free beach access on Wednesdays, but any day of the week is a good time for a staycation. There are weekly activities, like boot camp on the beach, beach yoga, pickleball tournaments, surf contests and beachcomber tours.
Visitors can bike or inline skate along the Promenade, catch an acoustic open mic concert at Excursion Park, take a sailing lesson or sign up for a guided beachcombing lesson. Summer also brings free admission fun in Sea Isle, including concerts, farmers markets, movies, playgrounds and family fun nights.
Cape May is the southernmost beach on the list and one of the furthest drives, but its No. 4 ranking makes a trip to Exit 0 off the Parkway worth it. The town’s Victorian homes give it a Hallmark movie feel.
Cape May National Wildlife Refuge is located by Two Mile Beach, while further south and west along the peninsula you can bring your chairs and umbrellas to Coral Beach, Pearl Beach or Sunset Beach. Look for the World War II bunkers and wreck of the SS Atlantus off the coastline.
At various points along the shoreline, you can stop at the Cape May Lighthouse, Cape May Convention Hall and Harry’s Ocean Bar & Grille. Book a dolphin or whale watching cruise, and keep your eyes out for U.S. Coast Guard boats, since their training center is just off the harbor and inlet.
Brigantine Beach, though a highly residential area, came in at No. 5. It’s a popular spot for fishing, surfing, kite flying, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing, and coming on board a catamaran. Dogs are allowed on designated beaches from October 1 through Memorial Day, but during the summer season they are not permitted at any time on the beach from 14th Street north to the jetty.
With 8 miles of beaches, Ocean City comes in at No. 6. The sand is extra wide between 5th and 14th streets. In the summer, lifeguards are on duty until 8 pm at the beaches off 8th, 9th, 12th and 34th streets. The city also has a smartphone mapping tool, so you can find parking in real time.
Playland’s Castaway Cove is OC’s oldest amusement park with 32 rides; and the Music Pier and surrounding beachfront are the scenes for all sorts of events, like hermit crab races, farmers markets, craft markets, 5Ks and sand sculpting contests.
Be sure to walk along the boardwalk to get saltwater taffy from Shriver’s, a tub from Johnson’s Popcorn, fries from JiLLy’s French Fry Factory, and a slice from Manco & Manco Pizza.
Long Beach Island comes in at No. 7 for its six popular beach towns along 18 miles of waterfront: Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars, Barnegat Light, Ship Bottom, Long Beach Twp. and Surf City. LBI has a more relaxed vibe, with lots of fishing, boating and shopping. It’s also home to the beloved Barnegat Lighthouse.
Rent a 35-foot pontoon boat from Queen City Cycleboat, or hire a captain to take you around the bay. Back on shore, Fantasy Island Amusement Park offers rides, games and an arcade, while Sunset Park in Harvey Cedars is a favorite spot to watch the sun go down.
Coming in at No. 8 on the list, Avalon offers seven miles of beach and shares some of its coastline with neighboring Stone Harbor. Families can check out surf camp, mini golf, fishing cruises, dockside restaurants, beach yoga and Splash Zone Waterpark.
Avon-by-the-Sea is a quieter, calmer neighbor to next-door Belmar. Families come to the No. 9 beach for sunrise and spend time playing Frisbee or football on the beach. You’ll see fishermen and surfers out early in the morning.
The town has its own swim team, water ballet and surfing camps and free concerts are held on the boardwalk several nights each week during the summer.
No. 7, Asbury Park, is known for iconic venues like The Stone Pony and Wonder Bar along with the Grand Arcade and Convention Hall along Ocean Avenue, where there are a host of events and shopping most weekends. The boardwalk is a hot spot for outdoor dining. You can’t beat the views from The Robinson Ale House or Tim McLoone’s Supper Club.
The beach is also the perfect stage for the Color & Light Festival; the Prudential North to Shore comedy, music and film festival; and Sea.Hear.Now, which brings musicians, art lovers and surfers to the shore for the weekend.
The Silverball Museum pinball arcade and the Asbury Splash Park are fun spots for the kids. There’s also a dog-friendly beach just off of Bradley Park.
The downtown has lots of restaurants, boutiques and entertainment centers, like the Hot Sand glass-blowing studio, House of Independents concert hall, and the Paranormal Museum.
The 10 Best Beaches in New Jersey for 2026, according to USA Today readers:
- The Wildwoods
- Atlantic City
- Sea Isle City
- Cape May
- Brigantine Beach
- Ocean City
- Long Beach Island
- Avalon
- Avon-By-the-Sea
- Asbury Park
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Read More:
Here’s How to Visit 6 Jersey Shore Towns Like a Local
These Are New Jersey’s Best Boardwalks
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