Belmar is the busy, youth-heavy beach town on the south side of the Shark River inlet, the loud middle between quieter Avon and Spring Lake.
Monmouth County·North Shore·Official site ↗
141 Miles verified June 8, 2026. Hours and prices may have shifted.
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NJT station, 10-min walk to boardwalk; Route 67 bus
Easy train-to-beach walk, plus bus connections south
Belmar
NJ Transit 67 — Belmar
Belmar is the busy, youth-heavy beach town on the south side of the Shark River inlet, the loud middle between quieter Avon and Spring Lake. The draw is a wide clean beach, a 1.3-mile boardwalk, a marina on the Shark River, and a downtown bar and restaurant strip that runs harder than its neighbors. It pulls a summer crowd that comes to surf, fish, and go out at night.
History The Lenni-Lenape fished the south shore of the Shark River long before settlers arrived, and salt works ran along the river by the 1750s until a British raid destroyed them in 1778. The town was incorporated in the 1880s as Ocean Beach and renamed Belmar, meaning beautiful sea, around 1890. It grew into a rail-served summer resort. Its defining modern moment came in October 2012, when Sandy destroyed the boardwalk and the borough rebuilt all 1.3 miles by the next Memorial Day.
What makes it unique Belmar carries a split identity. By day it reads as a family beach and fishing town: clean sand, surf breaks, and a marina full of head boats. By summer night it becomes one of the louder nightlife and rental scenes around, which is why it feels rowdier than buttoned-up Spring Lake or residential Avon. People come for that energy or steer around it.
Interesting facts
Summary Belmar suits people who want an active beach day, fishing, boating, and a night out within walking distance, not quiet or polish. The beach and boardwalk stay open year-round; the crowds are a summer thing.
No upcoming events.
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Source ↗Dogs allowed on-leash Oct 1–Apr 30 only. Never on boardwalk except crossing to beach
Tents banned Memorial Day–Labor Day. Umbrellas max 6ft, baby shelters max 3ft high/4ft across
No open flames, firepits, cooking, or barbecuing on beach
Surfing in designated areas only when lifeguards on duty
Smoking banned on all NJ public beaches (state law since 2019). Fines $250–$1,000
Glass containers prohibited on beach
Alcohol prohibited on beach (local ordinance)
Main Beach
Beachfront metered
Metered parking along Ocean Ave and beachfront areas
Side streets
Free parking on neighborhood side streets (outside ParkMobile zones)
NJ Transit lot
Free parking at NJ Transit train station in downtown Belmar
77°
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued August 9 at 2:24PM EDT until August 10 at 7:00PM EDT by NWS Upton NY
Tonight
74°
Mostly Clear
Monday
90°
Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Monday Night
73°
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
Tuesday
89°
Sunny
Tuesday Night
71°
Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers
Wednesday
85°
Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny
How Belmar ranks across the 141 Miles editorial indexes.