Del Haven Beach
Del Haven, NJ

Del Haven is the largest of Middle Township's small Delaware Bay beach communities, sitting along Route 47 where the county turns rural and considerably more affordable than the ocean side towns. Open water runs west from here with nothing on the far shore, which locals say produces some of the best sunsets in the county.
A genuine, if modest, bayside escape with real sunset views, but there's little infrastructure here, no lifeguards or facilities to speak of, for anyone expecting a full beach day.
How we score beachesCome specifically for sunset rather than a full beach day. The open western exposure here is the actual draw, more than the swimming.
Street parking near N Delaware Avenue serves the beach, informal and rarely crowded outside of the best sunset evenings.
A flat, short walk from street parking leads to the bay, with no boardwalk or paved path.
Bay water warms into the mid to upper 70s by August, calmer than the ocean beaches across the peninsula. Clear evenings bring out a small but reliable crowd for the sunset.
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.
