Island Beach State Park Berkeley Township, NJ 08734

"Before I even get to the nature part, I have to share this lovely story about an Island Beach State Park hero! Last year, my son brought a few of his special stuffed animals to include them in the family trip. He accidentally left them behind and was crushed at their loss. The next morning I called down to the office and a kind woman named Nancy answered. When I explained how upset he was, she so kindly said, "Of course he is." I explained where they last were and she advised some park workers to look for them while they were out. They found them! She kindly called me back and held onto them until the weekend when we could get back down. Nancy and those workers saved the day when they could have not taken it seriously to begin with! On top of that- this place is spectacular. We were looking for a new, dog friendly beach although every time we go down we have problems with people taking their dogs off leash. The views are lovely and the beaches are ultra clean. There are restrooms that are clean. Even in the off season, it was evident they were being cleaned every day. The foxes are fascinating to see up close. I haven't been there in season but off season is really a great experience."

"Beautiful state park! With a NJ Sportfishing Permit you can take a 4 WD vehicle and the proper equipment onto the beach. It’s a beautiful place. Important to respect the rules of the park and stay off the dunes and remove any trash you create. Surf and jetty fishing. A GREAT place to watch the weather. Nice bathing areas if you prefer to just beach with lifeguards. Plenty to enjoy."

"This place is breathtaking…I almost hesitated to write this review as this beach needs to be protected at all cost lol. It’s beautiful, serene, clean, and quiet. It’s definitely a must visit and must return on my list !"

"Beautiful beach access. It’s been free since COVID, but that’s likely changing soon. On a nice summer weekend, you need to arrive by 10AM to ensure a parking spot. The food and beer prices at the concession area are completely reasonable, and roughly half price compared to the places along the boardwalk 20min north. The beach was not crowded on a Saturday, even though it was an 80 degree day in early June. Place is very family friendly, and has beach buggies for handicapped family member available. They charge by the car to park, so if you can pile 2 families into a large SUV - you’ll get more beach for your buck!"

"I was there in autumn, a beautiful park, with a diversity of trails that take you to the sea. You can have beautiful pictures, see the fishermen catch and release fish, I saw a little shark...I saw a fox...see the shells on the shores, the sunset, for me it was a beautiful experience...also although not it was tourist season, the services were working and at the entrance a kind lady gave us all the information we needed to enjoy the day..."