Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey
Located on the long, thin Barnegat Peninsula that separates Barnegat Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, Point Pleasant Beach, on the Jersey Shore, was designed with summer bumming in mind. Between Manasquan River and Inlet, Barnegat Bay, Point Pleasant Canal and the vast Atlantic, you can pick the waterway that best suits you.
Surfers shred the swells along the Manasquan Inlet, sun worshipers claim the sandy shores, and fishermen enjoy some of the most packed-to-the-gills waters on the East Coast. A wide, mile-long boardwalk stretching from the Manasquan Inlet to Bay Head includes arcade games, amusement rides, games of chance, pizza joints, ice cream parlors, and chili cheese fries stands. And at the north end of this pleasure path is the well-known Jenkinson's Aquarium, the perfect under the sea adventure. Bum around the beach, do the boardwalk, or ply the intercoastal waterway, Point Pleasant Beach is sure to keep everyone happy.
If you're headed to Point Pleasant Beach for the water, then take the plunge. The beach has well-equipped sands for swimming and sunbathing. While the southern end of the beach is public (entrance on Ocean Avenue), for the northern, private beaches you will need to buy a daily, half-season, or seasonal badge. Both the public and private beaches are lifeguarded from Memorial Day through Labor Day. If you plan to arrive on Point Pleasant Beach with a shortboard, you should head to "The Pocket," the area of Point Pleasant Beach between Manasquan Inlet and Island Beach State Park. On this stretch, the summer competition can be fierce (waves here are no-joke, for intermediate to advanced surfers), but the local surfing folk prefer to ride the swells during the fall and winter seasons.
Point Pleasant Beach that is mentioned as a popular summer beach spot in several episdoes of The Sopranos and the popular HBO series, lives up to its reputation. Because of its strategic seashore location, the options for water recreation are almost limitless. Rent a canoe or kayak and paddle the Manasquan River, tour Barnegat Bay, explore Point Pleasant Canal, or ply the waterways in your private sailboat. If you'd rather be driven, plenty of skippered boating options are available. There are dinner and sunset tours, party boats, and fishing charters (try along Broadway Avenue to hook up with a company) that offer big game sport fish including marlin, bluefish, bonito, shark, and tuna. If you'd rather reel in your own catch, then join the group of year-round anglers who point to Point Pleasant Beach as one of the top picks for surf fishing, crabbing and clamming.
Parking near Point Pleasant Beach can be less than pleasant. Municipal parking lots and street parking are generally metered. Take care to keep the meters paid because parking tickets can be steep. If you don't want to deal with the parking drama, try one of the private pay lots. Or, alternatively, take the New Jersey Transit trains that stop at the Point Pleasant Beach station on Arnold Avenue. Catch any of these trains at Penn Station Newark, Penn Station New York, Midtown Manhattan, or the Hoboken Terminal.
One of the most complete vacation spots on the Jersey Shore, Pleasant Point Beach keeps surfers, fishermen, families, sunbathers, swimmers and boaters coming back year after year.