Ocean Grove NJ Beach Guide
Ocean Grove’s beach is run by the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, and everyone over age 11 needs an association beach badge or daily wristband when lifeguards are on duty.
Ocean Grove is part of Neptune Township, but the Camp Meeting Association, not the township, runs the beach, sells the badges and sets the beach rules. Badges are sold at the Beach Office on the boardwalk near Ocean and Embury Avenues.
Minimal Fly Activity
Based on current conditions, encountering flies at the beach today is low. Keep an eye on the weather for any changes and enjoy the beach!
Current Weather for Ocean Grove, NJ
Humidity: 88%
Wind: SSW at 8 mph
UV Index: 0.0
Sunrise: 6:30 AM
Sunset: 4:49 PM
Ocean Temperature
59.0 °F
Last Tide
Low Tide
11/4/2026, 10:19 PM
Next Tide
High Tide
11/5/2026, 4:25 AM
Forecast updated every 15 minutes. Last update: November 5, 2026, 2:15 am
Is Ocean Grove worth visiting?
Yes, if you want a quiet, alcohol free and smoke free family beach with free beach wheelchair help.
- Children 11 and under free
- Smoke free and vape free beach
- Beach wheelchairs at four entrances
- Off season leashed dogs from September 15 to May 15
Ocean Grove quick facts
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Season badge | $105 |
| Youth or senior season badge | $54, ages 12 to 17 and 65+ |
| Daily wristband | $13 |
| Lifeguards | 9 am to 5:30 pm |
| Beach Office | 732-988-5533 |
Beach badges
The Camp Meeting Association requires everyone on the beach over age 11 to show a valid association beach badge or wristband. Its season badge is $105, its youth and senior season badge for ages 12 to 17 and 65 and older is $54, and a daily wristband is $13. Children 11 and under are free, and all minors must be with a responsible adult. Buy badges online at oceangrove.org, by check to the association, or at the Beach Office on the boardwalk near Ocean and Embury Avenues. When lifeguards are on duty, season badge sales end at 3 pm and daily passes at 4:30 pm. There are no refunds for lost badges or bad weather. Call the Beach Office at 732-988-5533.
Guarded beaches
The Camp Meeting Association allows bathing at guarded beaches only. Its lifeguards are on duty from 9 am to 5:30 pm on weekends from Memorial Day weekend into mid June and then daily into early September. Check the association’s beach page for this season’s exact dates.
The Camp Meeting Association long closed the beach on summer Sunday mornings, but New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection has ruled that the public must be allowed on the beach at those times. Call the Beach Office at 732-988-5533 before a Sunday morning visit to check access and whether lifeguards are on duty.
Accessibility
Beach mats
The Camp Meeting Association does not publish beach mat locations. Call the Beach Office at 732-988-5533 to ask.
Beach wheelchairs
The Camp Meeting Association keeps beach wheelchairs at the Webb Avenue, Embury Avenue, Ocean Pathway and Bath Avenue entrances, with no reservation needed. Tell the attendant on arrival and a lifeguard or staff member will push the wheelchair to the beach and help with the transfer to your own beach chair.
Public restrooms
The Camp Meeting Association does not publish beach restroom locations. Call the Beach Office at 732-988-5533 to ask.
Additional Ocean Grove beach rules
Enter only through the boardwalk entrances, swim only at guarded beaches and obey the lifeguards.
- Alcohol is not allowed on the beach.
- The beach is smoke free and vape free.
- Music must be played through headsets.
- Dogs are not allowed on the beach or boardwalk in season, except service dogs. Leashed dogs are welcome from September 15 to May 15.
- Tents and canopies are not allowed more than 30 yards from the boardwalk.
- Bicycles, skateboards, scooters and skates are allowed only in the early morning hours. Check with the Beach Office for current times.
- Sport fishermen do not need a badge.
Best time to visit Ocean Grove
We love a weekday morning here, right when the lifeguards start at 9 am. For quieter weeks read our guide to the Jersey Shore after Labor Day.
More beaches to compare
- Read the ultimate Jersey Shore beach guide
- Compare breaks in our Jersey Shore surf spot guide
- Check badge costs in the beach tag price guide
Our Ocean Grove beach tips
- Kids 11 and under are free
- Buy season badges before 3 pm
- Leave the speaker at home
- Pack bug spray and read our greenhead fly guide
A short history of Ocean Grove
Ocean Grove began with a prayer meeting in the woods. The Neptune Township page on Ocean Grove says Rev. William Osburn located about 300 acres between what are now Wesley Lake and Fletcher Lake in the summer of 1869. On July 31 of that year, a group of Methodist ministers held a prayer meeting in what is now Founders Park.
By the next summer the founders held a state charter as the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. Hundreds of tents housed visitors, and the township page calls the growth of the 1870s phenomenal, a word we find easy to believe.
The township says Ocean Grove’s tree lined streets hold what it describes as the largest assemblage of authentic Victorian architecture in the nation. Ocean Grove was placed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in 1975 and the National Register in 1976. The summer tent tradition continues around the Great Auditorium, with a long waiting list, and the Historical Society of Ocean Grove maintains the old Beersheba well.
The township page says Ocean Grove has maintained much of its original character. We feel that every time we stroll past the tents, and we think you will too.
Ocean Grove beach FAQ
Do you need a beach badge in Ocean Grove NJ?
Yes. The Camp Meeting Association requires a badge or wristband for everyone over age 11 when the beach is open in season.
How much are Ocean Grove beach badges?
The association charges $105 for a season badge, $54 for a youth or senior season badge and $13 for a daily wristband.
Who runs the Ocean Grove beach?
The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association runs the beach. Ocean Grove is part of Neptune Township.
Are dogs allowed on Ocean Grove beach?
Only from September 15 to May 15, on a leash. Service dogs are allowed year round.
Is alcohol allowed on Ocean Grove beach?
No. Alcohol is not allowed, and the beach is smoke free and vape free.
Are there flies on Ocean Grove beaches?
Check our daily fly report before you head to the beach.
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