Close to everything, in the middle of nothing loud
Twenty minutes from the boardwalk, and a world away from its parking.
Bayville is part of Berkeley Township, on the mainland side of Barnegat Bay off Route 9 and minutes from the Garden State Parkway. Toms River is a quarter of an hour north. The Route 37 bridge drops you in Seaside Heights in about twenty minutes, Island Beach State Park in twenty-five to thirty, and Long Beach Island in about forty.
The point of staying on this side is that you choose your crowd. You can do the boardwalk on a Tuesday night and be back on a quiet street by ten, and you can spend Wednesday not getting in a car at all.
Sand, in order of effort
Ten miles of undeveloped barrier island. Lifeguarded swimming areas at the north end, empty sand everywhere else. The gate closes when the lots fill — go early on weekends.
Quieter beaches immediately north of the state park, with a small boardwalk and easier parking than Seaside Heights.
Family beach towns up the barrier island — calmer, residential, good for a low-key beach day.
Down the Parkway and over the Route 72 causeway. Barnegat Lighthouse at the north end, Beach Haven at the south.
When the kids have a vote
Rides, arcades, games and the food you only eat in July. Best after six, when it's cool and lit.
A bigger boardwalk with an aquarium attached — the reliable rainy-afternoon move.
Inland in Jackson. A full day and a full commitment, for the coaster contingent.
Movies, bowling, the big county library branch, and every supermarket and store you'll need all week.
Trails, marsh and pine barrens
A preserved cranberry-packing village and pine barrens trails, right in Berkeley Township. Easy walking, genuinely interesting.
Salt marsh boardwalks and a nature center on a peninsula in the bay. Ospreys, herons, and shade.
Trails and an observation tower with a view over the pines to the bay. Short and kid-sized.
A small animal refuge in Forked River. Ninety minutes, and the under-eights love it.
Drive times
- New York City — about 90 minutes
- Philadelphia — a little over an hour
- Newark Airport (EWR) — about an hour and a quarter
- Princeton / central NJ — about an hour
- Toms River — 15 minutes · Seaside Heights — 20 minutes · Island Beach State Park — 25–30 minutes · LBI — 40 minutes
The house is off Route 9 in Bayville, minutes from the Garden State Parkway. Off-street parking means you're not fighting for a spot on the street with a car full of luggage.
Talk to the owner directly.
No management company, no call center, no service fee skimmed off the top. Off-season, weekly and monthly stays are priced case by case — call or text with your dates and group size and you'll hear back the same day.
Bringing a boat? Send its length and beam and I'll confirm the lift before you tow it.