Stone Harbor Beach
Stone Harbor, NJ
Stone Harbor shares a reciprocal beach tag agreement with neighboring Avalon, the only arrangement like it on the Jersey Shore, so a tag bought in either town works at both. The beach runs south toward Stone Harbor Point, a protected conservation area where pets are never allowed, tag or no tag.
The Avalon tag reciprocity and the protected point give it real practical and scenic advantages, though the paid parking system takes some getting used to compared to Avalon's free spots right next door.
How we score beachesIf you're already holding an Avalon tag, you don't need a second one here. It's one of the only places on this whole coast where that's true.
Paid parking runs through ParkMobile from May through early October, with seasonal permits available from the Borough Clerk's office for anyone staying the summer.
Flat streets lead to the sand at regular access points, with no boardwalk involved.
Dog walking is permitted between 80th and 122nd Streets from 7 p.m. to sunset during the summer season. From the day after Labor Day through the week before Memorial Day, leashed dogs are welcome on the beach at any time. Dogs are never permitted at Stone Harbor Point.
Water warms into the low to mid 70s by August, consistent with the rest of Seven Mile Island. The protected point to the south stays undeveloped and windswept year round, a contrast to the more built up blocks further north.
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