Wildwood Crest, NJ

Wildwood Crest is a summer vacationer’s dream. Enjoy both family activities and adult nightlife in this small resort community on New Jersey’s southern shores.

The 5-mile (8-kilometer) white-sand beach is a highlight, free to access from early morning to late evening. Find your spot on the beach and plant an umbrella. Then swim, sunbathe, collect shells and build sandcastles, all under the watchful eye of the lifeguards that are on patrol from mid-morning to early evening. Watch exciting lifeguard competitions several times during the summer.

After relaxing on the beach, enjoy some of the other activities on offer. Burn calories at daily Zumba, kickboxing, Pilates, yoga and aerobics classes at the Wildwood Crest Beach Pier or Centennial Park for a small fee. Visit an amusement or water park.

Walk the 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) boardwalk. Rent bikes to tour the area or participate in a mini-triathlon competition. If you have the energy, try surfing, parasailing, jet skiing, fishing and crabbing, ultimate Frisbee, soccer-tennis or kite flying.

There are history and culture options too. View the replica Vietnam Memorial, Wyland’s Whaling Wall, or the doo-wop district, home of Chubby Checker and the Twist.

Visit the Sunday farmer’s market or one of the many festivals, including Christmas in July with crafts, Santa, and a boat parade crabbing festival and seafarer’s festival. Show off your talents at the sand sculpting, sidewalk chalking, or nightly talent competitions, all free to enter. Or, register your little one in the Baby Parade, a free annual event since 1909.

The Jersey Shore comes alive with evening entertainment options. Enjoy the nightclub and pub scene. Or, grab a blanket and take the family to a free Saturday concert under the stars. Watch a first-run movie on an outdoor screen (for a fee).

To access beach and city attractions, use metered parking on some streets or one of the many user-pay parking lots. Be sure to follow parking requirements to avoid being towed or paying high fees. Dolly the Trolley provides free evening service along the boardwalk.