Butler Beach
Berkeley Township, NJ
Butler Beach sits at the end of its namesake boulevard on the Barnegat Bay side of Berkeley Township, a modest neighborhood beach with a crabbing and fishing pier and a playground for kids who'd rather not sit still. It's the kind of place locals treat as an extension of the backyard rather than a destination.
A genuine neighborhood spot with real crabbing and fishing value, though there's little here for anyone hoping for a proper swimming beach.
How we score beachesBring a crab line if you have one. The pier here sees steady crabbing traffic all summer, and it's as much the point of a visit as the beach itself.
A free parking lot serves the beach directly at the end of Butler Boulevard.
A flat, short walk from the lot leads to the beach and pier, easy going for strollers.
Bay water runs calmer and a few degrees warmer than the ocean beaches to the east, comfortable for wading by June. Crabbing picks up through the warmer months as the bay's blue crab population becomes more active.
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