Free Beach Parking at the Jersey Shore
21 shore towns where you can still park without feeding a meter.
Nearly two dozen Jersey Shore towns charge for beach parking, and last summer they collected about $23 million from meters and municipal lots. The towns below did not. You park on the street or in a town lot, walk to the sand, and keep the $20 a beachfront lot would have cost you.
The catch is that “free” means two different things at the shore, so this list is split in two. The first group runs no meters and no paid lots at all. The second meters the blocks nearest the beach but leaves the side streets free, so you park a little farther back and walk. Both are honest ways to skip the fee once you know which one you are dealing with.
No meters, no paid lots
Park in these 10 beach towns and you will not feed a meter or pull a ticket from a machine. Spaces are limited and they fill early on summer weekends, so treat an 8 a.m. arrival as the price of admission.
Avon-by-the-Sea
MonmouthFree street parking. Limited spaces, arrive early on weekends.
Beach badge $12/day
Ocean Grove
MonmouthFree street parking throughout town. Can be challenging on summer weekends.
Beach badge $13/day
Spring Lake
MonmouthFree parking on east side of Ocean Avenue and in municipal lots.
Beach badge $12/day
Barnegat Light
OceanFree parking. No parking on Central Ave/West 4th St June-October.
Beach badge $10/day
Beach Haven
OceanFree street and lot parking. Downtown can be busy on summer weekends.
Beach badge $10/day
Strathmere
Cape MayFree street parking. Limited spaces available - arrive early in summer.
No beach badge fee
Free if you know where to look
These 11 towns meter the blocks closest to the sand but leave the residential streets free. Walk two or three blocks back from the beach and you can usually skip the meter. Read the signs first, because the free zone and the paid zone often share a corner.
Belmar
MonmouthMetered parking east of Ocean Ave. Free parking west of Ocean Ave (fills early).
Beach badge $12/day
Bradley Beach
MonmouthMetered east of Ocean Ave ($1.50/hr). Free west of Ocean Ave.
Beach badge $12/day
Highlands
MonmouthFree street parking in town. Twin Lights has free parking. Bay beach areas have small lots.
No beach badge fee
Point Pleasant Beach
OceanLimited free street parking. Metered lots near boardwalk with varying prices.
Beach badge $13/day
Surf City
OceanMetered parking along boulevard. Free parking on side streets (check signs).
Beach badge $10/day
Margate
AtlanticMetered street parking closer to beach. Free parking on residential streets.
No beach badge fee
North Wildwood
Cape MayPaid parking near beach and boardwalk. Free parking available farther from beach.
No beach badge fee
Ocean City
Cape MayLimited free street parking away from beach. Metered spots fill early on weekends.
Beach badge $10/day
Wildwood
Cape MayFree street parking available away from boardwalk. Paid lots near boardwalk $10-25/day.
No beach badge fee
About that viral list
A widely shared list counts 17 free-parking shore towns. A few do not hold up against how these towns actually run their parking, and we would rather you know before you get a ticket:
- Bay Head and Allenhurst meter their beachfront blocks and enforce them closely. Budget for the meter here.
- Harvey Cedars, Ortley Beach, and Cape May Point mix free street parking with paid beachfront or state-park lots, so whether you pay comes down to exactly where you leave the car.
When a block is not clearly signed, assume it is enforced. A $50 ticket wipes out a whole summer of free parking.
Free parking is not a free beach day
Most of these towns still sell a beach badge to set foot on the sand, usually $5 to $13 a day, though a handful let you on for nothing. Free parking plus a badge is still a lot cheaper than a $20 lot plus a badge.
Compare beach badge pricesFree shore parking, answered
Which Jersey Shore towns have completely free beach parking?▼
Ten shore beach towns run no meters and no paid municipal lots: Avon-by-the-Sea, Deal, Ocean Grove, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Longport, Avalon, and Strathmere. You park on the street or in a town lot without paying. Spaces are limited, so arrive early on summer weekends.
Do free-parking towns still charge for beach badges?▼
Usually, yes. Free parking and free beach access are two different things. Most of these towns still sell a daily beach badge, generally $5 to $13, though a few let you on the sand for nothing. Check the badge price for your town before you go.
Is street parking really free in towns that have meters?▼
In several shore towns the meters only cover the blocks closest to the beach. Park two or three blocks back on a residential street and it is often free. Read the posted signs on the block first, because the free zone and the metered zone can sit on the same corner.
What time do free parking spots fill up at the shore?▼
On a July or August weekend, the free blocks near popular beaches are gone by 9 to 10 a.m. Weekdays are easier and you can usually find a spot into the late morning. After about 3 p.m. spaces open back up as the morning crowd heads home.
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