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Biking throughout the Jersey Shore is easy and enjoyable. From boardwalks to state parks, and rails-turned-trails, the Jersey Shore offers rugged mountain biking terrains and scenic road biking options, as well as just about everything in between. Bike rentals are available in nearly every Jersey Shore community including Belmar, Long Branch, Point Pleasant Beach, Atlantic City, Avalon, Cape May, Sea Isle City, Seaside Park, Spring Lake, and Wildwood.
Biking the Boardwalks of the Jersey Shore
Are you looking for crisp, breezy ocean air and azure seascapes, a casual, carefree ride along the coast? Try biking the boardwalks. Biking is permitted on most Jersey Shore boardwalks including those in Asbury Park, Deal, Ocean Grove, Spring Lake, Atlantic City, Wildwood, and Seaside Heights, but check signs for restricted hours. Notably, most people better enjoy Boardwalk biking early in the morning, when fewer people are out.
One of the best Jersey Shore boardwalk biking experiences is to follow the contiguous boardwalk lane from Long Branch to Spring Lake. The 11-mile trip takes you throughout eight seaside towns (including Deal, Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach, and Belmar) for an interesting glimpse at the diversity that characterizes Jersey Shore's beaches and coastal communities. You can stay on the boardwalk through much of the ride, though at times the bike lane may direct you to follow the main ocean drives.
Road Biking in the Jersey Shore
Tour attractions and take in breathtaking vistas on smooth, scenic routes - Jersey Shore's road biking is as good as it gets. Here are a few recommended options:
- Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook offers nearly 11 miles of pleasant cycling, and if you enter Sandy Hook by bike, park admission is free. You'll cycle past Sandy Hook Lighthouse, Fort Hancock, Sandy Hook Museum, as well as views of the Atlantic Ocean and Sandy Hook Bay.
If you're up for a long distance, mostly-flat, paved kind of ride, try the nearly 30-mile Deal-Sandy Hook circular loop. Take Ocean Avenue in Deal (which becomes Route 36) and pass through the town of Long Branch, riding with the beautiful coastal beaches at your side. Follow signs to Sandy Hook, pass Spermaceti Cove (you can stop off at the visitor's center if you want a break), get on Atlantic Avenue, and follow it into the Sandy Hook area until you reach the historic Fort Hancock. You can then explore at your leisure or turn left on Hartshorne Drive to get back on Route 36 and retrace the route back to Deal.
Island Beach State Park is arguably one of the most beautiful stretches of sandy Jersey Shore coast. Starting in Seaside Park, ride 16 miles along the pristine barrier beach. The paved, two-lane road affords you views of the Barnegat Lighthouse and Barnegat Inlet, as well as ample opportunities to spot unique migratory birds.
Long Beach Island offers two loop routes, both of which begin in Ship Bottom. On the North Loop (18 miles) you'll enjoy seeing the Barnegat fishing fleet and Barnegat Bay. On the South Loop (14 miles) you will pass through Brant Beach and Beach Haven as well Bay Village. The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, also along the route, is a good place to stop, rest, and bird watch.
Mountain Biking in the Jersey Shore
Whether you're up for challenging terrain, hoping for scenic off-road biking options, or looking to uncover the Jersey Shore's best-kept secrets, the region offers a multitude of mountain biking mystiques. The following trails are highly recommended:
- Huber Woods County Park Trails in Locust offers five and a half miles of combination terrain trails for both expert and intermediate riders. The difficult, wooded single-track Many Log Run is a mountain biking favorite.
- The wooded, hard-packed, broad, and rolling five-mile single-track trail of Shark River County Park in Wall is great for novice and intermediate mountain bikers.
- The Cheesequake State Park's three-mile White Trail is an easy route for mountain biking through saltwater marshes and white-cedar swamps brimming with waterfowl. Cheesequake State Park is located off the Garden State Parkway; take exit 120.
- Estell Manor County Park in Estell Manor has a new, hard-packed six-mile-long trail amidst pine, oak, and holly. The trail's creative layout along coastal lowlands also offers interesting elevation changes. The advantage of having been designed by mountain bikers is just one of the reasons why Estell Manor is becoming one of the best Jersey Shore biking routes
- Wharton State Forest in the Pine Barrens, known for its pristine wilderness and diverse plants and animals, offers two great mountain biking options. The first is a 12-mile double-track trail through soft and sandy terrain that begins in Hammonton. The second loop begins in Atsion on Quaker Bridge Road. The wide, flat-but-sandy loop is 22 miles long and follows the Mullica and Batsto Rivers through low, dense woodlands. If you keep to the rivers, you won't get lost.
Rails-to-Trails Bike Paths in the Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore railroads-turned-bike paths provide comfortably-paved routes on which both amateur and avid cyclists can tour the area:
- The Edgar Felix Memorial Bikeway is a five-mile trail that begins on North Main Street in Manasquan and ends at Allaire State Park.
- A nine-mile route, the Henry Hudson Trail runs from the town of Aberdeen to Atlantic Highlands.
- The short-but-sweet Wildwood Crest Bike Path is a one-mile path from East Cresse Ave to East Rambler Road in Wildwood Crest.
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