Visiting Island Beach State Park, New Jersey.

Island Beach is New Jersey's busiest state park and attracts more than a million visitors each year.

Have you heard this park's name before but don't know anything else about it? This article provides information about the many recreational opportunities in the park. Take a look. Perhaps there is something at the park you want to do or see.

The vast majority of folks come to Island Beach to surf fish or to spend time at the swimming beach. There are also other things to do at the park, but first lets cover the two most popular activities.

The swimming beach - In the center of the park is a lifeguard protected beach that is quite popular on summer weekends. Since you only need to pay the vehicle entry fee ($5 - $10, depending on the day of the week) and not pay for beach badges - unlike many other beaches on Barnegat Peninsula - it is relatively cheap to spend some time at this beautiful Jersey-shore beach. There is a large parking area, bathrooms, outdoor showers, and a concession stand where you can buy food and (non-alcoholic) beverages. The park does fill up on the weekends and they do not let any more cars in once all the parking places are full. Do plan to get there early on the weekend, if you want to get in!

There are almost ten miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline in the park. Most of it is undeveloped, backed up by sand dunes, and not easy to get to unless you like to walk or have a vehicle that can handle driving on the sandy beach. There is no problem with walking onto the beach. In numerous places there is ready access from the small parking lots that are found along the road that goes through the center of the park. Even better though is if you do have a "beach-buggy" permit (you have to pay for this annual pass that allows you to drive on the beach). With your vehicle you can have easy access to much of the 10 miles of ocean beach, which means you can find and get to many more good fishing locations.

Those are the two biggest attractions at Island Beach State Park. People do come to the park for other reasons too but lets get into that in a minute. First, a little background about the park. The ten miles of undeveloped barrier island that the park is comprised of is a rarity along the eastern seaboard, especially in New Jersey. The habitats that the park holds are important conservation lands. Another interesting fact is that the west side of the park is bordered by Barnegat Bay. The brackish water of the bay ecosystem are quite interesting in their own right. The bay hosts a diverse array of organisms from grasses to blue claw crabs to a variety of fish species. These bits of background information hint at some of the other reasons people visit the park.

Wildlife/Nature viewing - Birdwatchers love the park. Since the habitats here have become relatively rare there are many birds you can readily find in Island Beach that you might have a difficult time finding in other places. Besides seeing an osprey, or one of its big nests, you might even catch a glimpse of one of the park's foxes while your visiting. If you are botanically inclined Island Beach boasts more than 400 species of plants.

Hiking - There are a number of trails that bisect the island from east to west. You can walk from the Atlantic Ocean beach, through a series of dunes, into and out of a salt spray pruned maritime forest, swat some mosquitoes as you cross a salt marsh, and end your trek at Barnegat Bay.

And more.......

Kayaking - popular in the Sedge Island's area, which is a natural area in Barnegat Bay that is just of the southeastern edge of the park.

Horse Back Riding - in the offseason (not summer!) you can get a permit to ride your horse on the beach.

Surfing - from the beach, not in the swimming area when the lifeguards are on duty

A beach fire - enjoy a campfire on the beach but you need to bring your own wood, put the fire dead out before you leave, and not leave a mess.

Bicycle riding - you can get into the park for free if you enter on your bike. You are allowed to ride down the main paved road that runs through the middle of the park.

Picnic - there are not any picnic tables but you could plan a beach picnic.

So now you have some idea about what you can do at Island Beach. It is a beautiful place that is well worth visiting. If and when you do have a chance to visit...Enjoy!