Suggestions for beach day trip locations or camping (Long Branch, Highlands: hotels, house)

[Lilycharm]

Hi. Trying to save money on beach vacations year this year. In the past we have rented a house on LBI for week, but I am interested in finding out if there are decent public beaches I could drive to (we live in Bergen County).

I have been to Seven Presidents Beach last year but my little one found the surf pretty rough and the waves had little pebbles in them.

I would like to find a decent motel or hotel or bed & breakfast for a family of 4 that we could spend a night at, or are there any beaches that we could camp at.

Thank you for your suggestions!

[fred44]

Sandy Hook is nice for families, you have a choice of several beaches once on the Hook. You can even go on the bay side which is very calm, the kids can play in shallow tidal pools. It will cost you $10 per carload, which is pretty cheap.

There are a couple hotels and B&B's in the area, although not many. You can camp on Sandy Hook if you get a permit first, but from my experiences, once the sun goes down, there are LOTS of bugs. Do a search for hotels and B&B's in the Atlantic Highlands, Highlands, and Sea Bright areas. I know of a very nice hotel in Long Branch (10 mins south of Sandy Hook) right on the beach, but it's like $300+ per night. Check tripadvisor.com also for accommodations.

[Lilycharm]

Thank you, Fred. Glad to have another option to consider. Assume that it is not a trip that woud be worth driving there and back in one day, necessary to spend the night.