Ventnor Beach
Ventnor, NJ
Ventnor sits right below Atlantic City on the same barrier island, quieter and more residential despite sharing the same stretch of sand. Beach badges get cheaper if you buy before June 1, and the town allows a narrow evening window for leashed dogs even during the main summer season, something Atlantic City doesn't offer at all.
The evening dog window is a real point in its favor and the crowds are lighter than Atlantic City's, but it's still fundamentally a quieter version of its more famous neighbor rather than its own destination.
How we score beachesIf you've got a dog in summer, plan your beach walk for between 7 and 9 in the evening. That's the one window leashed dogs are allowed on the sand during the regular season.
Metered kiosk parking is available at Suffolk and Somerset Avenues and at Newport and New Haven Avenues.
Flat streets lead to the sand at regular access points, with no boardwalk crossing required at most entrances.
Leashed dogs are allowed anywhere the tide reaches from October through mid May. From mid May through September, leashed dogs are only allowed between 7 and 9 p.m. in that same tidal area. Dogs aren't permitted on the boardwalk at any time.
Water warms into the low to mid 70s by August, consistent with the rest of Absecon Island. Being just south of Atlantic City, it catches some of the same casino skyline views without the same crowds.
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