Avalon NJ Beach Guide
Avalon sits on Seven Mile Island with natural dunes, white sand and gentle surf, and its Beach Patrol dates to 1905. The town is widely known as “cooler by a mile.” We think it is a great pick for families who want easy swimming and a calm beach day.
No Fly Activity
Based on current conditions, you are fly free! It’s the perfect time to head out and enjoy the beach!
Current Weather for Avalon, NJ
Humidity: 95%
Wind: SE at 3 mph
UV Index: 0.0
Sunrise: 6:30 AM
Sunset: 4:53 PM
Ocean Temperature
61.0 °F
Last Tide
Low Tide
11/4/2026, 10:57 PM
Next Tide
High Tide
11/5/2026, 5:16 AM
Forecast updated every 15 minutes. Last update: November 5, 2026, 2:00 am
Is Avalon worth visiting?
Yes, if you want a quieter, family focused beach with natural dunes, protected swimming and free surf chair reservations. Our beach tag price guide lists what Avalon and other towns charge.
- Natural dunes and white sand
- Free surf chair reservations
- Off season beach driving permits
Avalon quick facts
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Beach tags | Required for ages 12 and above, from the weekend before Memorial Day through Labor Day |
| Tag prices | Daily $10, weekly $18, seasonal $37 pre season or $42 |
| Where to buy | Borough Hall, 3100 Dune Drive, the Beach Tag Booth at 30th Street and the beach, the Chamber of Commerce, or online |
| Lifeguard hours | 10 am to 5 pm |
| Guarded season | Early June to late August, with limited beaches in late May, early June, late August and early September |
| Beach hours | Closed overnight until 4 am |
| Surf chairs | 9th, 30th and 80th streets, 609-967-7587 |
| Dogs | Not on the beach March 1 to September 30, never on the boardwalk or dunes |
| Beach driving | $50 permit, September 15 to March 15 |
Beach tags
Beach tags are required for all beachgoers aged 12 and above from the weekend before Memorial Day through Labor Day. A daily tag is $10, a weekly tag is $18, and a seasonal tag is $37 through May 31 and $42 from June 1. Avalon tags are also honored in Stone Harbor.
Beach tags are sold at the Avalon Tax Collector’s Office inside Avalon Borough Hall, 3100 Dune Drive, in early spring, and at the Avalon Beach Tag Booth next to Community Hall at 30th Street and the beach, open 10 am to 4 pm on spring weekends and daily from late April through the summer. Call the booth at 609-967-5928. The Avalon Chamber of Commerce at 2989 Ocean Drive also sells seasonal tags, with a small fee for credit cards. You can also order seasonal tags online at jerseycapetags.com and have them delivered to your home.
Guarded beaches
For your protection, bathing and swimming are permitted only at protected beaches while lifeguards are on duty 10 am to 5 pm. All protected beaches are guarded from early June to late August. In late May and early June, and again from late August into early September, a limited number of lifeguards are assigned to one or more designated beaches as staffing allows. Kayaks (inflatable or not) and bodyboards or bellyboards with skegs are not allowed on any Borough beach from 10 am to 5 pm unless otherwise noted. Stand up paddleboard beaches are 17th, 19th, 20th, 39th, 62nd, 63rd, 64th, 66th, 67th and 68th Streets. Check with the Beach Patrol for current paddleboard rules. By ordinance, Avalon’s beaches are closed to the public overnight until 4 am.
- Guarded beaches are 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th to 16th, 18th to 21st, 24th to 30th, 32nd, 33rd, 35th, 38th, 40th, 43rd, 50th, 57th, 61st, 65th, 69th, 73rd, 76th and 79th streets
- Raft beaches (use of rafts and inflated objects) are 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 23rd to 29th, 32nd, 33rd, 35th, 38th, 40th, 43rd, 50th, 57th, 61st, 65th, 69th, 73rd, 76th, 78th and 79th Streets.
- Surf fishing beaches are 41st, 42nd, 44th to 49th, 51st to 56th and 58th to 60th Streets, but not near the lifeguard stands
Beaches at 23rd and 78th Streets open depending on lifeguard availability, and 14th to 16th Streets are guarded on a trial basis when lifeguard availability allows. Catamarans are not permitted.
Accessibility
Access to boardwalks and beaches
- Handicap ramps at 21st, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 29th, 30th, 32nd, 80th streets, and 8th and Avalon Avenue
- Ramps to boardwalk and beach requiring a companion’s assistance at 22nd Street
- Hard packed gravel paths from street to beach are located at 9th to 20th, 32nd to 40th, 44th, 48th, 50th, and 57th to 79th streets
- Accessible bay front piers at 20th and 5th Avenue, 23rd, 33rd, 37th and 57th streets, and 8th Street Pier at the bayside
Avalon keeps its beach paths open, but storms and erosion can close a path until the beach or path is repaired.
Surf chairs
Surf chairs are at 9th, 30th and 80th streets. Reservations are free. Call Beach Patrol at 609-967-7587 between 10 am and 5 pm. Chairs cannot be reserved for more than one day at a time.
Comfort stations
Public restrooms are located at Borough Hall (32nd and Dune Drive), the Public Safety Building (30th and Dune Drive), Community Hall (30th and the beach), the Tennis Buildings (8th and 39th Streets), 10th and Dune Drive, and 29th Street and the beach on the boardwalk.
Beach vehicle permits
Avalon offers beach vehicle permits that permit driving on the beaches between the dates of September 15 and March 15 of each year. The annual permit is $50, paid by cash or check, and the vehicle must display a descriptive decal, which shall be affixed to any corner of the rear window of the vehicle. All vehicles must obey a speed limit of 15 mph. The permitted locations for entry to and exit from the beach by vehicles with valid permits are 9th, 20th, 32nd, 38th, 60th, and 79th streets when conditions permit. Vehicles are not allowed on the beach between midnight and 6 am. Vehicle permits are available by visiting the Avalon Construction Office at Avalon Borough Hall, 3100 Dune Drive weekdays between 8:15 am and 4:15 pm.
More Avalon Beach Regulations
Picnicking on the beach is permitted. Please place refuse in trash and recycling containers. Smoking is prohibited on Avalon beaches. Prohibited activities also include fires and open flames, alcoholic beverages, bottles, glass, sharp objects, loud noise, indecent language or actions, the deliberate release of balloons, sky lanterns, and any store purchased fireworks or related items. No sleeping on the beach or boardwalk from sunset to sunrise. Use beach paths. Trespassing on dunes and in areas posted for endangered beach nesting birds is strictly prohibited.
Dogs on Avalon beaches
Dogs are not permitted on the Avalon beach between March 1 and September 30. Dogs are prohibited from the boardwalk and the dunes at all times. When dogs are allowed, keep them on a leash no longer than six feet and pick up after them right away.
Surfing in Avalon
- Surfing at 11th, 13th, 17th, 19th, 20th and 30th Streets, between 16th and 17th, either side of the 12th Street lifeguard stand, and 63rd Street, but not near bathers
- Stand up paddleboards at 17th, 19th, 20th, 39th, 62nd, 63rd, 64th, 66th, 67th and 68th Streets
- Kayaks at 57th Street and the Bay
- Compare breaks in our Jersey Shore surf spot guide
Best time to visit Avalon
Summer brings full lifeguard coverage, while the weeks after Labor Day are quieter. We cover those weeks in our guide to the Jersey Shore after Labor Day.
Our Avalon beach tips
- Leave rafts for the raft beaches
- Reserve a surf chair one day at a time
- Stay on beach paths and off the dunes
- Plan dog walks for October through February
- Pack bug spray for the bay side and read our greenhead fly guide
A short history of Avalon
Avalon’s first visitors came by excursion. The National Park Service study Resorts and Recreation says excursions reached Avalon as early as 1888, and that the groves at nearby Peermont drew 700 excursionists in a single day. Avalon sits on the northern half of the island long known as Seven Mile Beach.
A storm mitigation report funded by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection uses state aerial photographs to trace the town’s growth. It says Avalon was sparsely populated in 1949, with houses in two clusters, and that by 1954 new housing had made those settled areas denser.
The March 1962 northeast storm stalled for 36 hours, the report says, and its waves washed over the inlet beaches and the open street ends. Afterward a rock seawall and bulkhead were built along the inlet, and the report credits a community effort with building dunes far stronger than those before the storm. It adds that between 1962 and 1969 an explosion in construction virtually filled in the map of Avalon.
The 1983 report called the fifty foot dunes between 38th and 56th Streets the best natural storm protection and the envy of other coastal communities. Today Avalon still keeps its dunes off-limits, so enjoy them from the beach paths.
Avalon beach FAQ
Do you need beach tags in Avalon?
Yes. Beach tags are required for all beachgoers aged 12 and above from the weekend before Memorial Day through Labor Day. A daily tag is $10, a weekly tag is $18, and a seasonal tag is $37 through May 31 and $42 from June 1. Avalon tags are also honored in Stone Harbor.
Where can you buy Avalon beach tags?
Tags are sold at the Avalon Tax Collector’s Office inside Avalon Borough Hall, 3100 Dune Drive, at the Avalon Beach Tag Booth next to Community Hall at 30th Street and the beach, and at the Avalon Chamber of Commerce at 2989 Ocean Drive. Seasonal tags can also be ordered online through jerseycapetags.com and delivered to your home.
When are Avalon beaches guarded?
Lifeguards are on duty 10 am to 5 pm. All protected beaches are guarded from early June to late August. In late May and early June, and again from late August into early September, a limited number of lifeguards are assigned to one or more designated beaches as staffing allows.
Where can you surf in Avalon?
Surfing beaches are 11th, 13th, 17th, 19th, 20th and 30th Streets, between 16th and 17th, either side of the 12th Street lifeguard stand, and 63rd Street, but not near bathers. Stand up paddleboards are allowed at 17th, 19th, 20th, 39th, 62nd, 63rd, 64th, 66th, 67th and 68th Streets. Check with the Beach Patrol for current paddleboard rules.
Are dogs allowed on Avalon beaches?
Dogs are not permitted on the Avalon beach between March 1 and September 30. Dogs are prohibited from the boardwalk and the dunes at all times. When dogs are allowed, keep them on a leash no longer than six feet and pick up after them right away.
Can you get a beach wheelchair in Avalon?
Yes. Surf chairs are available at 9th, 30th and 80th streets. Reservations are free. Call Beach Patrol at 609-967-7587 between 10 am and 5 pm. Chairs cannot be reserved for more than one day at a time.
Can you drive on the beach in Avalon?
Avalon offers beach vehicle permits for driving on the beaches between September 15 and March 15 of each year. The annual permit is $50, a decal goes on a corner of the rear window, and all vehicles must obey a 15 mph speed limit.
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