Where you can find free parking at the Jersey Shore

Just stepping onto a New Jersey beach can feel like Pac-Man devouring your wallet.

The beach fee in Ocean City is $10. Manasquan is $12. Seaside Heights charges $13. You multiply that by a few people and you’re feeling tapped out before dinner.

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Photo by E. Vitka on Unsplash

So, I was wondering about parking. It’s always a challenge in Jersey Shore towns and we’re used to paying. Whether it’s a parking app going onto your debit card or one of those gravel lots in Seaside where someone whose skin looks like Tan Mom waving you in with a stick, we just assume it’s yet one more ding to your pocketbook.

I started Googling to see if there were any free parking areas in a handful of shore towns, and I came up with a few. Now heed this warning. Do NOT take this as gospel. This is only what I found from a few online sources and they could be outdated. So I implore you to check by calling the township before going. But for what it's worth, here’s what I saw online.

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Photo by Mick Kirchman on Unsplash

Where you can park free at the Jersey Shore

Long Beach Island 

LBI has some free parking according to app.com.

At the southern end of Holgate you’ll find free parking in a lot with bathrooms and beach access.

Point Pleasant Beach 

While lots here are said to cost up to $25 a day and metered parking up to $4 per hour, there are some side streets that offer free parking if you hunt.

Wildwood 

Some free street parking can be found west of the boardwalk. Well, hey, I guess everything is ‘west’ of the boardwalk, but it’s west of the metered areas if that helps.

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Photo by Dan Mall on Unsplash

Cape May

There aren’t any meters to deal with on Beach Avenue at the east end of town and that the beaches right there tend to be less crowded as well.

Strathmere 

A real estate site says there’s free street parking here.

Somers Point 

At William Morrow Beach not only is the beach free, the parking is also free.

Again, check with your town before going. Happy summer!

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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