Gentle, toddler friendly beaches in NJ - do they exist?

I love the jersey shore and if given the option, would run off to lbi for the week in a heartbeat. But now that I have a 2 yr old, I find myself very conscious of strong waves and rip currents that exist at most beaches I've visited (long branch, ship bottom, wildwood, beach haven, seaside, pt pleasant, etc). I'm a CT native and haven't been to the majority of NJ beaches, so I'd love some suggestions on any shore point which either a protected inlet or less strong waves for an upcoming trip.
We visited the cape last year and loved the vast beaches with large shallow tidal pools. Alas, it's too far to travel this summer. Where in NJ do you take your small children to swim?

I've taken my kids to 7 Presidents and they love it. Has a nice snack bar, great play ground and the handful of times I was there I didn't think the waves were crazy

http://www.monmouthcountyparks.com/page.aspx?Id=2535

Avon-by-the-Sea is one of the beaches that has a big jetty on one end so the water is calmer in that area. It is not the prettiest area of the beach because that's where all the fishermen fish off the other side of the jetty. But it is nice and full of families with little kids. If you're facing the beach, go all the way to the right, just before the bridge. There's a ticket booth there. $10/day. Also there's a nice little gazebo at the end of the beach where little ones can take a nap if they have to as well.

Sandy Hook has lovely little inlets on the bay side. See lots families there.

@noo2wood Never considered that area! Is there anything else if note in town or nearby to see? Shops, attractions, etc

@boomie Yes, I enjoyed taking my pup swimming there last month. But we had a hard time finding a spot for my son to swim and run around. Is there a specific bayside spot you can suggest? It was tough figuring out where to park and where to head once parked.

I think Belmar has a small beach on the Shark River Inlet, adjacent to Route 35 and the Belmar Marina...

Love Avon. It's actually $9, which is a little more than some of the others nearby.
There's a playground and nice bathrooms. The water behind the jetty is great for little kids as it's protected a bit from the waves and later in the summer there are fishermen catching bait in that area and boats going in and out the inlet are fun to watch. Get there early. We got there at 10 on Saturday and had to park three blocks away.
At Sandy Hook, Horseshoe Cove is a nice spot, but again, go early because parking there is limited.
Bay side at Area C would be my next choice. Bay side at Area B seems to get the most trash and currents are stronger there.

Try Round Valley Reservoir, about an hour west of here on Route 78. There's a small beach area, with bathhouse facilities, lifeguards and a playground - and it would be similar to the inlets described in the initial post.

http://www.njparksandforests.org/parks/round.html

[Edited to add] Although I don't know if you were looking for a day trip or a vacation week, my suggestion was for the day trip.

nohero said:

Try Round Valley Reservoir, about an hour west of here on Route 78. There's a small beach area, with bathhouse facilities, lifeguards and a playground - and it would be similar to the inlets described in the initial post.

http://www.njparksandforests.org/parks/round.html

[Edited to add] Although I don't know if you were looking for a day trip or a vacation week, my suggestion was for the day trip.

And again, you absolutely must get there early, like when they open. The parking lots at the state parks with swimming lakes fill up fast and once they're full, they don't let anyone in for the rest of the day, even after people start leaving.

Cape May might fit the bill for a vacation. The beach near the lighthouse is very calm. A little far for a day trip

Another + for Avon by the Sea. We used to take our kids there all the time.

The sheltered area is at the southern end. It does get a little windy at that end, though.

We go to LBI with a toddler and he just plays in the sand at the ocean with a tiny bit of splashing at the edge of the waves. We always stay somewhere with a pool so he can get some swimming time.

Went to wildwood last year and it was very toddler friendly but I just didn't like it there.

Check for when low tide is. Go then. The water is calmer and sometimes you'll get a nice sandbar.

Also Beach Haven has a bayside beach with a playground.

Thank you all for the great suggestions and detail it sounds like I have a great short list to work with. Now I just need to calculate drive times!
We're hoping to go early and start at the furthest point's beach, drive more during my son's nap time, stop at another point in the afternoon for an activity of some sort, dinner then drive home.

What ace11 says - it's all about the tide. Find out when tides are low on the ocean and plan your time on beach around it. Makes a huge difference.

Also, on LBI, at least, there are also beaches on the Bay side, which have no waves/undertow. You might have to drive to one of those, but most of them have parking.

debpod,

Avon doesn't have a lot of activities like, say, Point Pleasant, and not that much in town, but my kids have certainly never needed anything other than the beach itself. There is a restaurant and food stand on the boardwalk. And since you're near the jetty, the kids can play near the rocks, perhaps even find sea life that gathers near the rocks, and of course swim and jump in the calm waves, and play in the large stretch of flat, prime castle-building wet sand when the tide goes out. Older kids can also go a little further up the beach where the waves are big to boogie board.

My must-have is always the big shovel for building elaborate Tolkien-esque civilizations that the calm tides can weave their way in and out of.

One of the many things I miss about LI. The sound/Northshore beaches that are protected vs the open Ocean beaches. If you are up for a drive the other way-Sunken Meadow, Crab Meadow are lively, calm LI beaches with great facilities like playgrounds, food stands, sunken meadow has a great long boardwalk. Crab meadow gets a great tide pool area a foot deep or so for a few hours each day that my niece & nephews love playing in.

Lately, we've been going to Sea Bright because the beach is right in the middle of town. But we go more because I'm often playing music there at one of the beach bars, rather than actually making use of the towns stores and restaurants. But it's nice to know that they're there in case we want sushi or something other than hotdogs and chicken tenders.

Went there yesterday and my five-year-old kept giving me (and everyone else on the beach) a heart-attack because she would run right into, and then away from the waves which were still at hurricane-level heights and roughness.

noo2wood said:

debpod,

Avon doesn't have a lot of activities like, say, Point Pleasant, and not that much in town, but my kids have certainly never needed anything other than the beach itself.

I'm with you - all I need is the beach. But I'm just not sure how long my 2 yr old will hang on the beach without some other diversions. Last year at the cape he was so young and could have stayed in the tidal pools all day.

conandrob240 said:

One of the many things I miss about LI. The sound/Northshore beaches that are protected vs the open Ocean beaches. If you are up for a drive the other way-Sunken Meadow, Crab Meadow are lively, calm LI beaches with great facilities like playgrounds, food stands, sunken meadow has a great long boardwalk. Crab meadow gets a great tide pool area a foot deep or so for a few hours each day that my niece & nephews love playing in.

Yes! I grew up on LI sound beaches in CT, so I'm used to finding quiet spots with relative ease. Crab meadow sounds like we'd love it. Maybe we can try it out that later this summer. We had talked about doing a few days out near Montauk, but we're both weary of the traffic to go out that far.

phyllis said:

Also, on LBI, at least, there are also beaches on the Bay side, which have no waves/undertow. You might have to drive to one of those, but most of them have parking.

Yes - I do truly love lbi, so I'd be willing to give the bay side there a shot. I think since it's pretty far down, that will be our morning stop and we can drive back towards home and choose one of the other spots suggested here.

If u r willing to leave at 6 or 7 am on a Sat or Sunday, u should be fine with traffic. Coming back, not a good time any time of the day

Another big plus 1 on Avon. You can go to the Columns for lunch, or take a walk or bike ride down the boardwalk and check out Ocean Grove and Asbury Park. Plenty to do.

The cove with the L jetty is one of the greatest things you'll find for kids. Bring a net, catch some fish or crabs.

I see people talking about fishermen- for the most part they fish the inlet side. Rarely is someone such a jackass that they keep a line on the beach side when kids are around.

I am familiar with every beach mentioned on this thread except for bay side LBI....avon wins IMO by a landslide.

Thanks
we are going on a weekday next week, so hopefully it'll just be the usual GSP madness without lots of added beach volume.
Avon definitely sounds like our afternoon stop! I love catching crabs and other sea creatures. Hoping to foster that same interest with my very curious toddler. Does the dollar store around here sell beach stuff like nets?

The inside of the T jetty in Loch Arbour @ the Beach Club of the same name . 1st town north of Asbury Park

The inside of the L jetty in Allenhurst is also a very good spot

Weekday, morning GSP traffic should not be a problem. For a day trip there is no purpose to going south of Point Pleasant, especially with a 2y.o.

debpod said:

Thanks
we are going on a weekday next week, so hopefully it'll just be the usual GSP madness without lots of added beach volume.
Avon definitely sounds like our afternoon stop! I love catching crabs and other sea creatures. Hoping to foster that same interest with my very curious toddler. Does the dollar store around here sell beach stuff like nets?

If not amazon has a ton of them.

Time for a secret, since you're rolling Avon.... The Norwood Inn. Take the kids on a weekend in the later afternoon. Weekdays too, just less people and consequently kids.

Go sit at the picnic tables in the fully fenced, massive back yard. Order a beer, the crab pretzel, and the shrimp boil. It's a giant play date. Your kids will have a blast making new buddies and you will get a few hours of blissful summer relaxation, local style.

Best thing about Avon is it lacks the things that attract "goin' down da shore" types.

debpod,

As you drive into the town of Avon, I believe there is a beach store in town that sells stuff like nets/shovels, etc. I believe there is also a store on the boardwalk that does the same.

Avon-by-the-Sea is terrific for small children. Ample beach but not huge, mostly families with children, clean, handy facilities and concessions that won't break the bank. Very good spot, and it has been for decades.

Awesome - thanks again everyone!