The image that came to symbolise Hurricane Sandy was a roller coaster standing in the surf. The Jet Star, at the end of a pier in Seaside Heights, was swept into the ocean by the storm in October 2012, and it stood there for months, half-submerged, before it was finally removed. This stop lies just south of Seaside Heights, at Seaside Park, where the boardwalk ends and the barrier island becomes wilder.
Island Beach State Park, a few kilometres south, is one of the last undeveloped barrier islands on the New Jersey coast, ten miles of dunes, beaches and maritime forest between the ocean and Barnegat Bay. It has lifeguarded swimming beaches in summer, a nature centre and fishing spots, and it is a beautiful, peaceful place, especially in the early morning or evening.
At the southern tip of the park, across Barnegat Inlet, the red and white Barnegat Lighthouse, known as Old Barney, stands on the northern end of Long Beach Island. It can be seen from the park but reached only by a long drive around the bay.
For a swim, the ocean beaches are wide and sandy, with lifeguards in summer. The water is warm by August, but rip currents are common, so swim only where lifeguards are present.
Seaside Heights, a few minutes north, has the boardwalk, the pizza and the noise; Island Beach, to the south, has none of these, and that is precisely its charm. The park charges an entry fee per vehicle in summer, and on hot weekends it can fill and close its gates by mid-morning, so arrive early. Fuel is easier on the mainland side of the bridge.