Monmouth Beach
Monmouth Beach, NJ
Monmouth Beach is a small, quiet residential town squeezed between the ocean and the Shrewsbury River, with a public beach anchored by the Bathing Pavilion rather than a boardwalk or commercial strip. It draws a mostly local, low key crowd, the kind of place where the biggest decision of the day is whether to bring an umbrella.
A genuinely peaceful, residential feeling beach that locals like precisely because it doesn't try to be more than that, though the no pets rule and extra parking pass are real friction for visitors.
How we score beachesBudget for both a beach badge and a separate parking pass here. They're sold separately, and neither one covers the other.
A seasonal parking pass is required in addition to the beach badge, sold separately through the borough.
The Bathing Pavilion sits close to the sand with a short, flat walk from the parking area, though there's no boardwalk beyond the pavilion itself.
Pets aren't permitted on the beach or in Borough parks and recreational areas during the beach season.
Water temperatures follow the rest of the central Jersey Shore, climbing into the low to mid 70s by August. The narrow spit between ocean and river means storms and high surf get noticed here quickly.
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.