Island Beach State Park
- Status
- Open (per official listing)
- Entrance fee
- Not posted
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Not stated — check with park
- Camping
- None listed
- Official site
- nj.gov(732) 793-0506
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
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In Ocean County, about 8 miles southeast of Beachwood, Island Beach State Park covers about 2,513 acres.
Visitors come for hunting in season, boating, wildlife watching, and hiking. Facilities for water recreation include a swimming beach and a boat ramp.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entrance gate | Daily | 8 a.m. – sunset | — |
Official wording
Gate - 8:00 a.m. to Sunset
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/New York).
Things to do
BoatingWildlife viewing and birdingHuntingHiking
Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean View Trail | 7.4 mi | Easy to Moderate | Blaze: UnmarkedHikingMotorizedSand surface |
| Little Bay Kayak Trail | 4.72 mi | Moderate | Blaze: PinkWater surface |
| Buster Islands Trail | 3.82 mi | Moderate | Blaze: BlueWater surface |
| Marsh Elder Kayak Trail | 2.74 mi | Moderate | Blaze: RedWater surface |
| Beach Access Path | 2.39 mi | Easy | Blaze: Lt BrownHikingSand surface |
| Spizzle Creek Kayak Trail | 0.85 mi | Easy | Blaze: GreenWater surface |
| Spizzle Creek Trail | 0.56 mi | Easy | Blaze: YellowHikingSand surface |
| Johnny Allen's Cove Trail | 0.47 mi | Easy | Blaze: WhiteHikingSand surface |
| Reed's Road Trail | 0.39 mi | Easy to Moderate | Blaze: GreenHikingSand surface |
| Tidal Pond Trail | 0.2 mi | Easy | Blaze: Lt GreenHikingGrass surface |
| Aeolium Trail | 0.17 mi | Easy to Moderate | Blaze: RedHikingSand surface |
| Fisherman's Walkway | 0.16 mi | Easy | Blaze: OrangeHikingBoardwalk surfaceAccessible |
| Coast Guard Station # 110 Trail | 0.15 mi | Moderate | Blaze: YellowHikingSand surface |
| Cranberry Trail | 0.14 mi | Easy to Moderate | Blaze: PinkHikingBoardwalk surface |
| Gilikins Mobile Sportfishing Access | 0.14 mi | Easy | Blaze: UnmarkedHikingMotorizedSand surface |
| A7 Mobile Sportfishing Access Rd | 0.14 mi | Easy | Blaze: UnmarkedHikingMotorizedSand surface |
Trail descriptions from the park
Ocean View Trail – 7.4 mi – Easy to Moderate – hiking/motorized
Little Bay Kayak Trail – 4.72 mi – Moderate
Buster Islands Trail – 3.82 mi – Moderate
Marsh Elder Kayak Trail – 2.74 mi – Moderate
Beach Access Path – 2.39 mi – Easy – hiking
Spizzle Creek Kayak Trail – 0.85 mi – Easy
Spizzle Creek Trail – 0.56 mi – Easy – hiking
Johnny Allen's Cove Trail – 0.47 mi – Easy – hiking
Reed's Road Trail – 0.39 mi – Easy to Moderate – hiking
Tidal Pond Trail – 0.2 mi – Easy – hiking
Aeolium Trail – 0.17 mi – Easy to Moderate – hiking
Fisherman's Walkway – 0.16 mi – Easy – hiking
Coast Guard Station # 110 Trail – 0.15 mi – Moderate – hiking
Cranberry Trail – 0.14 mi – Easy to Moderate – hiking
Gilikins Mobile Sportfishing Access – 0.14 mi – Easy – hiking/motorized
A7 Mobile Sportfishing Access Rd – 0.14 mi – Easy – hiking/motorized
Swimming
Swimming status: Off Season
Open 7 days a week
10am - 6pm
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
- Showers
- Visitor center
- Nature center or museum
- Park or camp store
- Parking
Water
- Swimming beach
- Boat ramp
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
ADA access points are mapped in the State Park Service points-of-interest inventory.
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- P.O. Box 37
Seaside Park, NJ 08752 - Nearest town
- Beachwood — about 8 mi southeast (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 39.8520, -74.0873
- Phone
- (732) 793-0506
Entrances
- Park Entrance
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Entrance gate: Daily 8 a.m. – sunset
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- New Jersey State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026; page says updated Sep 30, 2026
- NJDEP Open Space (State Owned) Facility layer, filtered to LAND_MANAGER 'State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites' with a FACILITY_URL park page
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
- Photo: 161118-Z-NI803-743 (30367491733).jpg — Public domain (US federal government work), U.S. Department of Defense Current Photos Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/New Jersey National Guard
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology