Lavallette, New Jersey

A shore weekendon the island.

A pocket guide for the Catalani family - badges, beaches, bay swimming, playgrounds, food, and one-tap directions. Built for the phone you'll actually be holding on the sand.

Wed, Jun 24 - Fri, Jun 26, 2026Peak summer - everything open

01Welcome

Three quiet days on a classic Jersey Shore island town.

Lavallette sits on the barrier island between the Atlantic and Barnegat Bay, just north of Seaside. It's small, walkable, and refreshingly old-fashioned: a long ocean beach with a non-commercial boardwalk (no rides, no arcades - just benches, gazebos, and the surf), wide bay sunsets a few blocks west, and a grid of streets you can cross the whole island on in ten minutes.

You're arriving Wednesday, June 24 and leaving Friday, June 26, 2026 - right in the heart of the season. Beach badges are active, lifeguards are on the stands, and the kitchens and ice cream windows are all open. A few habits that make the town easy: buy badges and the parking sticker the morning you arrive, claim a beach spot before 10am on a sunny day, and save the bay for late afternoon when little kids are tired of the waves and the sunset rolls in.

Quick orientation

East is the ocean and boardwalk. West is the bay - calmer water, sunsets, and the playgrounds.
Grand Central Avenue is the main north-south street and where most of the food lives.
Streets are numbered by avenue name - bay beaches and parks are an easy stroller push from anywhere in town.

02Explore the town

The whole weekend on one map.

Tap any pin for the name, a quick note, and directions. The whole island is small - badges to the bay to dinner is a short walk or drive. The map pairs with the Apple and Google Maps buttons further down.

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EssentialsBay beachesPlaygroundsFood & drink

03Before the sand

Badges, parking, and lifeguards.

By late June the full badge program is in effect - so handle this first thing. Everything below is a short walk or drive from wherever you're staying.

Daily badge

Ages 12+ since Jun 15

$20

Weekly badge

Best for a multi-day stay

9-5

Lifeguards

On duty daily

Beach badges

Required for everyone 12 and older starting June 15, so they're in effect for your whole trip. Kids under 12 are free. Daily badges are $7, weekly badges are $20 - the weekly pays for itself by day three. Buy them at the Municipal Building (Grand Central Ave & Brooklyn Ave); grab them the morning you arrive.

Parking

Street parking is generally free, but the bay front lots require a municipal parking sticker - pick one up when you get your badges if you plan to drive down to the bay. Otherwise park on a side street and walk; nothing in town is far.

Lifeguards

Guards are on the ocean stands from 9am to 5pm. Swim in front of a staffed stand, especially with kids, and check the flag for the day's surf conditions before you go in.

Municipal Building

Badges & stickers

Buy beach badges and bay-lot parking stickers here. Grand Central Ave & Brooklyn Ave.

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04Where to play

Ocean beaches, bay swimming, and playgrounds.

Lavallette ocean beach with gentle waves and a quiet, ride-free wooden boardwalk.

Golden sunset over the calm water of Barnegat Bay on the west side of Lavallette.

Ocean beaches

Lavallette has a long, wide stretch of ocean beach backed by a calm, non-commercial boardwalk - no rides or arcades, just a clean walk with benches and gazebos. Great for body-surfing, sandcastles, and a morning stroll. Set up near a guarded stand.

Bay beaches for swimming

Two small bay beaches give you flat, shallow, warm water that's ideal for little kids - one at Washington Avenue and one at Reese Avenue. Bring water shoes; the bay bottom can be soft. Late afternoon here is unbeatable.