New Jersey

From serene to bustling, New Jersey has a range of beach experiences. Island Beach State Park, flanked by the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay, is one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches. The 1,214-hectare park offers educational programs, trails, swimming and vantage points for watching birds, especially ospreys.

Year-round resort towns such as Seaside Heights and Cape May are famous for their boardwalks, fishing piers and activities and events like the Polar Bear Plunge, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and seafood and barbecue festivals.

Nightlife doesn’t get better than in Atlantic City, where the famous beachfront boardwalk guides visitors to casinos, shops and hotels. Spend time in Newark and Jersey City for dining, shopping and culture. Combine a love of art and history at attractions such as the Newark Museum, the Morris Museum in Morristown, the New Jersey State Museum and Planetarium in Trenton and smaller venues throughout the state.

The Garden State offers activities in all four seasons, from beach vacations to winter skiing on the slopes at Campgaw Mountain in Mahwah and Mountain Creek in Vernon. Opportunities abound for golfing, riding horses, hiking, parasailing, and fishing in the ocean, bays and lakes.