The Jersey shore is a legendary summer
destination for millions of visitors every year. But not for
dogs, who are, with rare exception, banned from the wide, white
sand beaches during the resort season. But just about right smack
in the middle of the Jersey shore is a stretch of 10 miles of
dunesland that has somehow survived without a boardwalk or beachhouse
and looks pretty much like it has for thousands of years. And
dogs are allowed on the beach year-round (the rangers are quick
with a biscuit at the entrance booth as well).
Henry Phipps, compatriot with Andrew
Carnegie in building U.S. Steel in the late 1800s, purchased
the island in 1926 with visions of a grand shore resort but the
stock market crash halted his assault after erecting a handful
of rambling houses. The Phipps estate sold the property to New
Jersey in 1953 and the Island Beach State Park opened to the
public in 1959.
Your dog can't go everywhere on the ten
miles of beach - they have to use the southern end of the park
past the last bathing pavilion. But there is plenty of tail-friendly,
dune-backed beach here. Parking is limited, however, and if you
don't arrive early enough you may be shut out from the series
of small roadside lots. From the last parking lot to the southern
tip of the island is a hike of over one mile on the piles of
white sand.
There are a series of short nature trails (less than one mile)
as you drive down the main park road to its end at Barnegat Inlet
but once your dog gets that whiff of salt air in her nose, she
may not be in any mood to tarry. Get to the beach!
Visit the website: island.html
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