Island Beach State Park, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK: 
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Friends of Island Beach State Park

DIRECTIONS:

View Larger Map

TRAIL MAP:
Island Beach State Park 2010 Visitors Guide Map

HIKE DISTANCE:
My hike was 12 miles long by starting along the beach at access 6, looping around the southern inlet part of the island over to a bird ID interpretive sign, then through a network of sand roads which I did not know were restricted access until I saw the sign as I was almost back at the paved road (no signs by the inlet).  Hikes should probably be from a beach access point, around to the bird identification sign at the inlet/Sedge Island area and back.  Alternatively, you can backtrack along the beach then take access 20 (or 21 if you need a restroom) from the beach over to the paved road for access to various short interpretive trails out and back to the bay and/or beach sides.  Approximate hike distances from beach access parking lots out and back along the beach with no side trails would be as follows:

Driving south all parking/beach access points are on the left.  You will not see access numbers along the paved road.  You might have to turn into various parking lots to find which access numbers they are before you find the one you want to be at.

HIKE DESCRIPTION:
Based on the way I hiked it starting at access #6.

Four wheel drive vehicles used for fishing are allowed on the beach and there are a ton of them.  The easiest walking is along the water line on the sand but you will constantly be dodging fishing poles and trucks.  This lightens up some after access A16 but does continue the entire length of the beach.

Some prettier beach pictures with cars and tire tracks cropped out:

At the southern tip of the island a jetty goes off to the left...

...and the Barnegat Lighthouse is visible across the inlet...

Following along the inlet through a fence, it becomes much quieter with no vehicles around.

A bird identification interpretive sign at the southwest corner of the island is about as far as you can go.

In this area is where I noticed tire tracks and a network of sand roads so based on not seeing any signs saying access was prohibited, I followed the sand roads in the direction of a brown house.  The sand on this road was very loose and deep and made for difficult walking.

The sand road veers to the left of this house and passes a few more buildings.  It eventually becomes a gravel road and skirts along the bay.

It wasn't until an intersection with another gravel road that I saw the back of a sign which said access to where I had been was prohibited.

A right at that intersection brought  me to the paved Central Road at beach access A-21.  I then walked along the paved road and took various side trails.

Spizzle Creek was the first to the left but although there are no signs, I knew no dogs are allowed on this trail so we skipped it.

At A16 is the Interpretive Center which has a very interesting trail.  A right turn heads to the beach.

Once at the beach, backtrack continuing straight across the paved road on a wide mowed path towards the bay.

Back along the paved road, another interpretive trail at A13 heads towards the beach.

Another mile along the paved road comes to A7 which has beach buggy access. Tice's Shoal boardwalk trail to a viewing platform at the bay is to the left:

And the Fisherman's Walkway boardwalk to the right goes to a viewing platform at the beach:

Beach access 6, which is where I had parked, was adjacent to beach access 7 so this brought me back to my car at 12 miles.

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