Seaside Heights NJ Beach Guide
Seaside Heights requires a beach badge for everyone 12 and older, and lifeguards watch the ocean beach from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day.
Seaside Heights has 15 blocks of beach from Hiering Avenue to Dupont Avenue, a busy boardwalk, free beach wheelchairs and a guarded bay beach.
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 Seaside Heights, NJ
Humidity: 95%
Wind: S at 8 mph
UV Index: 0.0
Sunrise: 6:29 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 Seaside Heights worth visiting?
Yes, if you want a lively boardwalk, free badges for kids and military families and a guarded bay beach.
- Free badges for children 11 and under
- Free badges for military families
- Free beach wheelchairs
- Guarded bay beach
Seaside Heights quick facts
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Season badge | $75, lower preseason rate by early January |
| Weekly, daily | $50 (Saturday to Friday), $13 |
| Senior season badge | $15, or two for $25 |
| Badges checked | 9 am to 9 pm Friday to Sunday and holidays, 9 am to 4 pm Monday to Thursday |
| Dogs on ocean beach | Not allowed |
| Borough Hall | 732-793-9100 |
Beach badges
Everyone 12 and older needs a badge, and children 11 and under are free. Season badges are $75, with a lower preseason rate by early January. Weekly badges (Saturday to Friday) are $50 and daily badges are $13. Seniors 65 and older pay $15 for a season badge, or $25 for two with both people present with ID. Active and retired military members and their dependents get free badges with ID. Badges are required from 9 am to 9 pm Friday to Sunday and on holidays, and from 9 am to 4 pm Monday to Thursday. Daily sales end at 5 pm. Buy badges with cash or credit card at the North Beach office on the Boardwalk at Kearney Avenue or at the beach badge booths. Lost badges are not replaced, ID does not replace a badge and all sales are final. Watch for Mom and Me, Dad and Me and Bring a Friend days. For questions call 732-793-9100.
Guarded beaches
Lifeguards are on duty from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, weather permitting. Lifeguards may leave at 7 pm Friday to Sunday and on holidays. Swim only at protected areas and only when lifeguards are present.
Stands sit on the ocean beach at most streets except Sherman Avenue, Grant Avenue and Porter Avenue. The bay beach stand is about 100 feet south of the Stewart’s Root Beer stand. Some days fewer stands open, so swim only where lifeguards tell you.
Beach Patrol headquarters is at South Beach on the Boardwalk just south of Webster Avenue, and a North Beach substation is on the Boardwalk at Kearney Avenue.
Accessibility
Beach mats
Ramps from the Boardwalk to the beach are at every street end, including ramps near both badge booths. Accessible parking is at the Hiering Avenue lot.
Beach wheelchairs
Free beach wheelchairs are loaned first come first served during beach hours at the South Beach badge booth, one block north of Franklin Avenue, and the North Beach booth across from Kohr’s between Fremont Avenue and Hancock Avenue. Leave an ID while you use one. Standard wheelchairs are available at the Visitor’s Center near Blaine Avenue.
Public restrooms
Public restrooms are on the Boardwalk at Hamilton, Hiering, Kearney and Webster Avenues. Cold shower pedestals on the boardwalk let you rinse off sand, with a limit of three minutes per person and no soap or shampoo.
Additional Seaside Heights Beach Rules
Swim only where lifeguards are on duty, put trash in the bins on the beach and boardwalk, and follow lifeguard instructions.
- Alcohol, drugs and glass are banned on the beach at all times.
- Animals are not allowed on the ocean beach or boardwalk at any time. Dogs can use the bay beach set aside for them.
- Smoking, fires, camping, drones and amplified music are banned, and so are littering and feeding the gulls.
- Coolers can be no larger than 24 inches or 36 quarts, and umbrellas no larger than 8 feet. Food trays and tables are not allowed, and bags may be searched.
- The beach closes at 8 pm, except for people surfing or fishing.
- Four wheel drive vehicles need a $15 registration from the Seaside Heights Police Department. No driving on the beach from May 15 to September 15, and never within 70 feet of the boardwalk.
Best time to visit Seaside Heights
We love September here, when the water is still warm and the boardwalk is calmer after Labor Day. 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 Seaside Heights beach tips
- Buy preseason badges by early January for the lowest rate
- Borrow a free beach wheelchair at a badge booth
- Watch for Bring a Friend days
- Pack bug spray and read our greenhead fly guide
A short history of Seaside Heights
Seaside Heights began with a family land company. The National Park Service study Resorts and Recreation says the Grosscup family formed Manhasset Realty in 1909 and laid out 855 lots. In 1915 the company held an auction, and that same year the first amusement arrived, a gasoline powered merry go round.
The study says Freeman added a Dentzel carousel the next summer. After a fire in 1955, a 1917 Illions carousel took its place, and the Dentzel and Looff carousel on the boardwalk has stood at its present site since 1932. Floyd Moreland restored that carousel after 1984, and the Water Works opened in 1987.
Then came the hardest stretch. A September 2013 release from the New Jersey Department of Human Services describes a boardwalk fire that destroyed dozens of businesses, many of which had just rebuilt after Superstorm Sandy. The state sent crisis counselors to the Seaside Heights Community Center, and an Ocean County official quoted in the release called the boardwalk part of the fabric of the Jersey Shore.
Today the boards are busy again, from the North Beach badge office at Kearney Avenue to Beach Patrol headquarters just south of Webster Avenue. We love hearing the carousel music drift across the boardwalk.
Seaside Heights beach FAQ
Do you need a beach badge in Seaside Heights NJ?
Yes. Everyone 12 and older needs a badge. Children 11 and under are free.
How much are Seaside Heights beach badges?
Season badges are $75, weekly badges are $50 and daily badges are $13. Seniors 65 and older pay $15 for a season badge.
When are Seaside Heights beach badges required?
From 9 am to 9 pm Friday to Sunday and on holidays, and from 9 am to 4 pm Monday to Thursday.
Where can you buy Seaside Heights beach badges?
At the North Beach office on the Boardwalk at Kearney Avenue or at the beach badge booths, with cash or credit card.
Do military members get free Seaside Heights beach badges?
Yes. Active and retired military members and their dependents get free badges with ID.
When are Seaside Heights beaches guarded?
From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, weather permitting.
Can you borrow a beach wheelchair in Seaside Heights?
Yes. Free beach wheelchairs are loaned first come first served at the South Beach and North Beach badge booths.
Are dogs allowed on Seaside Heights beach?
No. Animals are not allowed on the ocean beach or boardwalk, but there is a bay beach for dogs.
Where are the restrooms in Seaside Heights?
On the Boardwalk at Hamilton, Hiering, Kearney and Webster Avenues.
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