Island Beach State Park is located on the southern most end of Barnegat Penisula, south of Seaside Park and Seaside Heights.

Shaped by storm and tides, Island Beach State Park is a narrow barrier island stretching 9 1/2 miles between restless Atlantic Ocean and the quieter Barnegat Bay. New Jersey's last significant remnant of a barrier island ecosystem tat once existed along much of the coast is also one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches on the north Atlantic coast. 3,000 acres and 9 1/2 miles of coastal dunes remain relatively undisturbed since 1609 when Henry Hudson described the coast from the Half Moon.

Island Beach contains outstanding examples of sand dunes, thicket community, freshwater wetlands, maritime forest and tidal marshes. Miles of sand dunes and white sandy beaches offer habitat to maritime plants and diverse wildlife that is almost the same as it was thousands of years ago. The state's largest osprey colony, as well as peregrine falcons, wading birds, shorebirds, waterfowl and migrating songbirds, are found here. Island Beach State Park is nationally known as a unique resource with over 300 plants identified, including the largest expanses of beach heather in New Jersey.

Recreation Area
Ten Miles of pure white sand beach attracts swimmers, sunbathers, fishermen and surfers. Modern bathhouses, beach access ramps, a mile of beach with lifeguards, historic buildings, trails, nature programs, bike paths and facilities for people with disabilities combine to make Island Beach a popular place.

Barnegat Bay
The bay side of the island is a nutrient-rich feeding grounds for birds, fish and other wildlife. Naturalist guided canoe and kayak trips during the summer months take participants through the tidal marsh where they can observe a wide variety of wildlife, including nesting ospreys, falcons and wading birds. A bird observation blind gives visitors the opportunity to scan the bay and estuary.

Island Beach Northern Area (659 acres) and Southern Natural Area (1,237 acres)
With rolling sand dunes, salt-sculptured trees, lush green salt marshes and a rare dune woodland, these two natural areas encompass one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches in the northeast United States. The federally threatened piping plover is an occasional inhabitant of the open beaches and dunes. Access to portions of the Northern Natural Area is resricted.

Direction
Take Rt 37 east to Rt 35 south to the park entrance.