As members of the community, let us tell you about the Island Beach State Park that sits on the historic Barnegat Peninsula, south of Seaside Park on Rt. 35 S., Berkeley Township, Ocean County, New Jersey.
Island Beach State Park was acquired in 1953 by the state from the estate of Henry Phipps, Jr. This is a New Jersey state park that covers the former borough of Island Beach and it’s New Jersey’s largest reserve of undeveloped barrier island which is one of the largest in the country.
Island Beach State Park is operated by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry and remains one of the few undeveloped barrier islands in the northeast.
About the Park
The park is sectioned into two areas, The Island Beach Northern Natural Area and Southern Natural Area.
The Island Beach Northern Natural Area encompasses 659 acres while The Southern Natural Area covers 1,237 acres. Island Beach State Park encompasses a wide array of wildlife and plant communities including New Jersey’s largest osprey colony, shorebirds, waterfowl, migrating songbirds, peregrine falcons, and wading birds.
The plant community has over 400 identified plants in the Emily DeCamp Herbarium while also having the largest expanses of beach heather in the state. You can find the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone, the park with 1,600 acres of open waters, creeks, and ponds.
With the ocean and the white sand as a captivating backdrop, people come to the park to enjoy nature at its most majestic while also engaging in many recreational activities available.
At the park’s designated recreation area, there are two areas for swimming called Swimming Area 1 and Swimming Area 2 which covers about a mile of ocean beach for swimming with trained lifeguards on duty. Boaters can take the boardwalk from Barnegat Bay to the main road for accessing the beach.
The park also provides the environment for activities like
- Crabbing
- Saltwater fishing
- Hiking
- Horseback riding
- Windsurfing
- Kayaking
- Sailboarding
- Waterfowl hunting
- Canoeing
- Picnicking
- Scuba diving
There are more areas to enjoy nature in the town such as John C. Bartlett, Jr. County Park and Double Trouble State Park.
Governor’s state-owned vacation home
As one of few states to maintain an official state-owned vacation residence for its governor, New Jersey’s Governor vacation home is located on Island Beach State Park. The house is built in the Cape-Cod style and has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an additional room for the security detail. It is the only house close to the ocean at about 200 feet from the beach.
If you live here or you’re visiting and you have difficulties with your plumbing, contact Proficient Plumbing & Heating and we will fix them as quickly as possible.
Here’s the map for Island Beach State Park:
As you can see, Island Beach State Park is about a half hour from our head office in Brick, New Jersey!
