Beach Haven Beach
Beach Haven, NJ
Beach Haven anchors the southern end of Long Beach Island, a Victorian era town with free public parking, an increasingly rare thing on the island by midsummer. A small dedicated dog beach sits on the bay at Taylor Avenue, separate from the ocean beaches where leashed dogs are only welcome from October through May.
Free parking and a real dedicated dog beach set it apart from the rest of the island, and the historic town center gives it more character than a lot of interchangeable beach blocks elsewhere.
How we score beachesUse the Taylor Avenue dog beach if you're traveling with one. It's a real, year round option rather than the seasonal workaround most LBI towns offer.
Public parking throughout the borough is free, a real advantage over most of the rest of the island.
Flat streets lead to the sand at regular access points, with no boardwalk crossing required at most entrances.
A small dog beach on the bay at Taylor Avenue is open to dogs. On the ocean beaches, leashed dogs are only permitted from October through May.
Water warms into the low to mid 70s by August, consistent with the rest of LBI. The historic downtown and Bay Village shops make the town worth a visit even on a day the beach itself is crowded.
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.