Keansburg Beach
Keansburg, NJ
Keansburg Beach sits on Raritan Bay behind the Keansburg Amusement Park boardwalk, a slice of old school Jersey Shore that's been drawing families since 1904. The rides and the Runaway Rapids water park sit right along the sand, so the beach itself doubles as a break between roller coasters rather than a quiet escape from them.
A real piece of old Jersey Shore boardwalk culture that families come back to year after year, though the beach itself takes a back seat to the rides and isn't the draw on its own.
How we score beachesThe beach is free, so budget your money for the rides and games instead. Go on a weekday if you want the boardwalk crowds thin enough to actually enjoy the water.
A metered municipal lot sits near the boardwalk, with free and paid street parking scattered around it. The closest spots fill up fast once the amusement park gets busy.
The boardwalk itself is flat and easy to navigate with a stroller. Getting from boardwalk to sand means a short set of steps or ramps down onto the beach, depending on which entrance you use.
Bay water here runs warmer and calmer than the ocean beaches down the coast, comfortable for wading by June and holding into September. The amusement park and boardwalk are seasonal, generally running from spring through early fall.
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