With 130 miles of Jersey shoreline, every beach town has something different to offer. From beaches and boardwalks to amusement parks and mini golf to fishing and crabbing to visiting a lighthouse, readers from USA Today can help you choose where to spend your summer vacay (or a hooky day from work) with their recs for the 10 best beaches in New Jersey.
It’s no surprise that The Wildwoods was voted the top beach for 2025 in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards contest. This is the second consecutive year that the Wildwoods’ beautiful, free beaches have ranked No. 1 in New Jersey – which is narrowed down by an expert panel of staff members and then voted on by the public.
The Wildwoods – mainly known for Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and North Wildwood – have received all sorts of awards lately: 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).
There are 5 miles of beaches on the island, which are wide (500 feet from water to land), clean, composed of white sand and best of all, free! Sunrise or sunset are Insta-worthy; the 2-mile boardwalk is kid-worthy, with amusement park rides, a water park, restaurants and shops on Morey’s Piers; and the The Wildwood Dog Park & Beach is pet-worthy, marked by an iconic 25-foot-tall fire hydrant statue with lots of room for large and small dogs to run around and swim.
Ocean City has 8 miles of beautiful beaches – making it No. 2 on the list. 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. A huge bonus is the city’s 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, vendor markets, 5Ks and sand sculpting contests.
Summer is not complete without a 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.
Atlantic City is a playground for adults, but in recent years has been adding more family-friendly attractions, making this the third top beach in NJ. When the beach gets too hot, cool off at Island Waterpark or Lucky Snake Arcade at Showboat Resort; let the wind form a cool breeze while riding the rides at the Steel Pier Amusement Park – with its 227-foot-tall observation wheel overlooking the world’s longest and oldest boardwalk; catch a flick at the IMAX Theatre at Tropicana; let the kids stuff their bags at IT’SUGAR in front of Playground Pier; or try for a hole-in-one at Atlantic City Miniature Golf.
You can 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 restaurants everywhere – from inside the resorts to along the boardwalk to on the actual beach.
Cape May is the southernmost beach and the furthest drive, but it’s worth the trip to Exit 0 off the Parkway – so says its fourth-place ranking on the list. The Victorian houses make the drive in feel like you’re in a Hallmark movie, and the beaches themselves make you feel like you’re in another country.
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 which is 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 peeled for U.S. Coast Guard boats, since their training center is just off the harbor and inlet.
No. 5, Sea Isle City, is a treat on Wednesdays when beach access is free, but any day of the week provides an opportunity for a quiet staycation. There are weekly activities, like boot camp on the beach, beach yoga, pickleball tournaments, surf contests and beachcomber tours.
People love to bike or inline skate along the Promenade, listen to an acoustic open mic concert at Excursion Park, take a sailing lesson out on the water, or sign up for a guided beachcombing lesson. Summer means free in Sea Isle, with concerts, farmers markets, movies, playgrounds and family fun nights that have no admission fee.
Long Beach Island comes in at No. 6 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. The area is popular with families because it has a more relaxed vibe, with lots of fishing, boating and shopping. It’s also home to the beloved Barnegat Lighthouse.
If you prefer to be out on the water, rent a 35-foot pontoon boat from Queen City Cycleboat, or hire a captain to take you around the bay. Land lovers will prefer Fantasy Island Amusement Park’s rides, games and arcade. Or simply watch the sun go down from Sunset Park in Harvey Cedars, a popular spot to start the evening.
No. 7, Asbury Park, has revamped its image in recent years – whereas it was known for iconic venues like The Stone Pony and Wonder Bar, now the Grand Arcade and Convention Hall along Ocean Avenue are packed with events and shopping most weekends. The boardwalk is filled with people dining outdoors or on patios almost year-round – you can’t beat the views from The Robinson Ale House or Tim McLoone’s Supper Club.
The beach is also the perfect stage – literally – for outdoor entertainment, such as this past spring’s free Color & Light Festival that is set to return next year; the upcoming 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 cool dog-friendly beach just off of Bradley Park, where pups and pup lovers take in all the sun, sand and surf.
The downtown area has its own vibe just steps from the beach, with its own restaurants, boutiques and entertainment centers – like the Hot Sand glass-blowing studio, House of Independents concert hall, and the possibly haunted Paranormal Museum.
With the tagline “Cooler By the Mile,” it makes sense to explore all 7 miles of Avalon (No. 8 on the list), which shares some sand with neighboring Stone Harbor. There is a surf camp, mini golf courses, fishing cruises, dockside restaurants, beach yoga and the Splash Zone Waterpark.
Brigantine Beach, though a highly residential area, still has the No. 9 best beach in the state. People in Brigantine love their beaches and love their boats. Water activities include swimming, fishing, surfing, kite flying, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing, and coming on board a catamaran. There are dog beaches, but you can bring your pet only from October 1 to May 29; after that, you can’t bring your pup to any beach from 14th Street North to the jetty at any time.
Avon-by-the-Sea is a quieter, calmer cousin to next-door Belmar. Families come to the No. 10 best beach for sunrise and spend time playing Frisbee or football on the beach. You’ll see fisherman and surfers out early in the morning. As the sun comes up higher, walkers and runners make their way along the boardwalk.
The town has its own swim team, water ballet and surfing camps to get your little ones ready for a love of the water. And free concerts are held on the boardwalk several nights each week during the summer.
The 10 Best Beaches in New Jersey, according to USA Today readers:
- The Wildwoods
- Ocean City
- Atlantic City
- Cape May
- Sea Isle City
- Long Beach Island
- Asbury Park
- Avalon
- Brigantine Beach
- Avon-By-the-Sea
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