Asbury Park Beach
Asbury Park, NJ
Asbury Park Beach anchors one of the most revived boardwalks on the Jersey Shore, a stretch that went from decades of decline to a real nightlife and music scene without losing the classic boardwalk elements, mini golf, a splash park, playgrounds. The beach itself draws a mixed crowd of families by day and a younger scene once the sun starts going down.
The boardwalk revival gives this beach a genuine draw beyond the sand itself, music, food, a real scene, though summer parking costs and crowds are the tradeoff for all of it.
How we score beachesThe dedicated dog beach only runs September through May, and it's accessed from Deal Lake Drive or the north end of the Fisherman's lot, not from the main 8th Avenue boardwalk entrance.
Parking garages and lots near the boardwalk run $20 to $30 on peak days. Metered spots cost less but fill up fast, and only handicap designated spots park free.
The boardwalk is flat, paved, and wheelchair friendly for its full length, with several ramps down to the sand.
Dogs are welcome, leashed or off leash if supervised, at the dedicated Asbury Park Dog Beach from September 15 through May 15. Dogs aren't permitted on the main beach or boardwalk during the summer season.
Ocean water peaks in the low to mid 70s by late summer, the same stretch when the boardwalk's concert and event schedule is busiest. The energy drops off noticeably after Labor Day, which is exactly when the dog beach opens back up.
More Atlantic Coast beaches
Coast Guard Beach
Eastham, MA · Atlantic Coast
A National Seashore beach backed by grassy dunes and a tidal marsh, with clean Atlantic surf and one of the Cape's most scenic approaches on foot from the parking area.
Surfside Beach
Nantucket, MA · Atlantic Coast
Open Atlantic swell and a wide sandy shoreline about three miles from Nantucket town, popular with locals for its bodysurfing waves and quieter, less commercial feel.
Jones Beach State Park
Wantagh, NY · Atlantic Coast
A classic Long Island beach with six and a half miles of shoreline, a landmark water tower, boardwalk, and a large outdoor amphitheater that hosts concerts through the summer.