Day Trip to Beach Haven
From New York City • 2hr drive
Beach Haven is New York's middle-distance shore bet: 2hr down the Parkway, far enough that the boardwalk crowd thins, close enough to be home by ten.
Timing it: This distance rewards discipline: on the road by 7:45 AM, beach by 10. Weekdays cut both traffic and crowds, and early September is the sweet spot — warm ocean, empty sand.
Getting to Beach Haven from New York City
car
2hr
Take the NJ Turnpike or Route 440 to the Garden State Parkway south to Exit 63, then Route 72 east over the causeway onto Long Beach Island.
💡 Parkway tolls; the causeway is free.
Doing Beach Haven without your own car?
The train and bus get you to town. A one-day rental from New York City gets you to the beaches the schedules skip.
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Your Beach Haven Day Trip Itinerary
☀️ Morning
Leave New York City
The drive runs about 2hr — leaving by 7:45 AM puts you on the sand by mid-morning, ahead of the lot-fills-up crowd.
Arrive in Beach Haven
Park first, then get badges. Local intel: Free street and lot parking. Downtown can be busy on summer weekends.
Beach time
Claim your spot while the good stretches are still open
⏱️ 2 hours
🏖️ Afternoon
Lunch
Grab a casual lunch at a local spot
See Fantasy Island Amusement Park
Fantasy Island Amusement Park is the signature stop; Thundering Surf Waterpark is worth folding in if you have the energy.
⏱️ 2 hours
Late beach or activity
Another swim or one more stop before dinner
🌅 Evening
Early dinner
Eat before the drive home to avoid rush
Head back to New York City
It's a 2hr run home — leaving by 7:30 gets you back at a reasonable hour.
Top Things to Do in Beach Haven
Fantasy Island Amusement Park
Thundering Surf Waterpark
Surflight Theatre
Taylor Avenue Bay Beach
Bay Village
Where to Eat in Beach Haven
Smokey's Bar-B-Q
Side Door Donuts & Coffee
Shore Good Donuts Inc
Shore & Anchor Kitchens
Practical Information
Parking
Free street and lot parking. Downtown can be busy on summer weekends.
Budget
Plan on $50-100 per person all-in. Known costs: $10 beach badge; the rest is gas, tolls, and food.
Day Trip Tips
- Daily beach badges in Beach Haven run $10 in season. Kids under 12 are free. Bring cash — some badge checkers don't take cards.
- Parking in Beach Haven is free — the constraint is spaces, not price, so arriving by 10 matters.
- Parkway tolls; the causeway is free.
- At 2hr each way, the early start is the whole game — every half hour past 7:45 AM costs you prime beach time at both ends.
Turn Your Day Trip into a Weekend
Evenings in Beach Haven are the reward day-trippers skip: dinner at Smokey's Bar-B-Q, a beach walk, no traffic ahead. Reserve before you leave — Beach Haven summer weekends fill early.
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