The Sea Gull Motel offers oceanfront accommodations at an affordable price. RELATED LINKS Return to Best Beaches

Accommodations

Camping is prohibited and no accommodations are available in the park, but you'll find plenty of lodging options elsewhere on the island or across the bay on the New Jersey mainland. Just north of the park entrance, the adjacent communities of Seaside Park and Seaside Heights offer a selection of basic motels and inns, along with boardwalks, arcades and other typical Jersey Shore amusements. Reliable choices include the Charleroy Motel (www.charlroy.com), the Sea Gull Motel (www.theseagullmotel.com), the Belmont Motel (www.seasideheightslodging.com) and the Sunburst Motel (www.sunburstmotel.com). For stays of a week or longer, check local listings for short-term condo and beach house rentals in the area.

Dining Options

Beach picnicking is allowed in the central and southern sections of Island Beach State Park. Open fires (including charcoal grills) are permitted south of the main swimming beach, so if you come equipped with grilling gear and provisions, you can cook up your own seaside feast. Restaurants in nearby communities probably won't win any Michelin stars, but you can get decent seafood and casual American fare at places like Klee's Bar and Grill in Seaside Heights (www.kleesbarandgrill.com) and the Atlantic Bar and Grill in Seaside Park (www.atlanticbarandgrillnj.com).

Insider Tip

Summertime visitors to the Jersey Shore should brace themselves for unpleasant encounters with hungry mosquitoes and biting flies. Mosquitoes, which feed primarily from dusk to dawn, are generally not much of a problem when the sun is high, but painful fly attacks can occur throughout the day. Greenhead flies breed in the salt marshes at the southern end of the island, so it's best to steer farther north in June and July when these annoying critters are most active. Sea breezes usually keep the beaches free of another species of biting fly, the stable fly, but when winds are blowing out of the west these small but vicious pests can make your trip the beach almost unbearable. Bring plenty of powerful insect repellant, and be prepared to cover as much exposed skin as possible when the bugs are biting.