Bay Head Beach
Bay Head, NJ
Bay Head keeps its beach the way it keeps everything else, small, tidy, and slightly removed from the noise further down the coast. The Bay Head Improvement Association runs the badge system here rather than the borough itself, and the town's boutique shops and quiet inns set the tone more than any boardwalk would.
Genuinely quaint and well kept in a way few Jersey Shore towns still manage, though the free street parking is a mixed blessing once the good spots disappear.
How we score beachesGet there early. Parking is street only and free, which sounds generous until you realize everyone else has the same idea by mid morning.
Street parking is free but limited, and it fills up well before noon on a sunny weekend.
A short, flat walk from street parking leads onto the sand, with no boardwalk or paved path involved.
Dogs aren't allowed on the beach during the season. Leashed dogs are welcome after Labor Day.
Ocean temperatures follow the rest of the Barnegat Peninsula, climbing into the low to mid 70s by August. The quiet, boutique feel of the town makes the shoulder seasons especially pleasant here.
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