Ortley Beach
Toms River, NJ
Ortley Beach is Toms River Township's only ocean beach, a barrier island stretch that took some of the worst damage anywhere on the coast during Hurricane Sandy and has spent the years since rebuilding. The same township badge also covers Shelter Cove on the bay side, a detail that trips up visitors who assume they're separate systems.
A real comeback story after some of the worst storm damage on the Jersey Shore, though it still reads as more residential and functional than scenic compared to the bigger name beaches nearby.
How we score beachesIf you're splitting a day between the ocean and the bay, buy the badge once. It's good at both Ortley and Shelter Cove, so there's no need to pay twice.
Free street parking runs through town, backed by a municipal lot at 3rd Avenue. A paid lot near the Surf Club between 6th and 7th Avenue is another option.
Streets lead directly to the sand at most blocks, a flat, short walk with no boardwalk to cross.
Dogs aren't permitted on the beach during the bathing season.
Water warms into the low to mid 70s by August. The rebuilt dune system here is taller and more prominent than it was before Sandy, part of the area's ongoing storm recovery.
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