The beach at Wildwood Crest sprawls wider than a football field during low tide, giving you the rare luxury of choosing your distance from the action. Plant your umbrella near the dunes and the boardwalk's Morey's Piers become a distant hum; venture toward the firm, wet sand and you'll join the walkers, joggers, and kite-flyers who treat the shoreline like a highway. The slope is so gradual that toddlers wade out twenty yards while anxious parents still stand in ankle-deep water.
“The beach stretches so wide at low tide that you can fly a kite, play volleyball, and sunbathe without ever hearing your neighbors' radio.”
Credit: FlickrBeach Waves Motel; Wildwood Crest, New Jersey
This is the southernmost point of the Wildwood barrier island, where the beaches run free of admission fees and the 1950s doo-wop motels still paint the skyline in pink and turquoise. You'll find multigenerational crews lugging coolers, pop-up tents, and boogie boards across the sand each morning, staking claims that last until the dinner hour. The water stays shallow for what feels like forever, making this one of the safest swims on the Jersey Shore.
Come in September and you'll have acres to yourself, the lifeguard stands empty but the ocean still swimmable. The beach replenishment projects keep the sand volume absurdly high, so even summer crowds dissipate into comfortable pockets. Rent a surrey bike on the boardwalk two miles north, or simply lie back and let the salt air work its uncomplicated magic.
