Wildwood Boardwalk NJ
Whether you are looking to get away for the day or weekend, the famous Wildwoods are the place to be in summer. The Wildwood Boardwalk spans 38 blocks and is loaded with shops and family fun. Dive in to see the wonders of this piece of Americana.
The Wildwood Boardwalk
This Jersey shore boardwalk has something for everyone. The boardwalk features on site dining, shops, water parks, hotels, a convention center, entertainment venues, and two amusement parks.
If you are like me and want to beat the crowds, hit the boardwalk early. Enjoy a beautiful walking session with the kids or explore the boardwalk by bike. Just note, during the busy summer season, the boardwalk does close to bikes around 1 PM daily.
If walking, running, or biking are not your thing, feel free to hop on the tram on non-rainy days. The tram does not operate during inclement weather. Even if you don’t ride the tram around the boardwalk, you will never forget “watch the tram car please” after your visit to the Wildwoods boardwalk!
Wildwood Beach
Just a short walk off of the Wildwood Boardwalk is an expansive beach. All of the Wildwoods feature soft, sandy beaches that are perfect to relax by the sea with the family and friends.
Growing up in coastal New England, I have always been a sucker for sunrises over the Atlantic Ocean. Sunsets are a close second. The beauty of Wildwood NJ is that you get both! A pure sensory overload, below is a typical sunrise one might experience at this popular New Jersey coastal beach.
On some days, the raging waters make for excellent surf conditions! Boogie boarding, body surfing, and traditional surfing are popular water activities on the Jersey shore. There are even designated ‘surf areas’ to keep swimmers safe from getting hit!
If you are not a beach goer, I still recommend taking a trip to the beach to see the sand castles. Every year, Wildwood hosts a sand castle competition around the week of July 4th. Be sure to mark it on your calendar so you don’t miss it!
Below is an example of one of my favorites from my last trip to Wildwood. I can’t imagine what it must feel like to lose such a master piece when it rains!
Amusement Piers
The Wildwood Boardwalk features two amusement parks and several water parks. My personal favorite is Morey’s Piers – Adventure Pier. But the Mariner’s Amusement Pier is better suited for family fun.
Adventure Pier
The Great White is a wooden roller coaster just rough enough to be a good time! I enjoy wooden roller coasters wherever I can find them as they are slowly getting decommissioned at the parks near me.
If wooden roller coasters are not your thing, Adventure Pier features other rides to enjoy with your friends. The Skyscraper is another favorite of mine. To those into thrills, this ‘coaster’ features an open cage that spins while the main ride is also spinning. In New England, we have the ‘Zipper’ at local fall fairs. The Skyscraper is a much larger (and open/cage less) version!
To those that are not into heights or coasters, Adventure Pier also features the Grand Prix Raceway for families to compete with one another. Zipping around the pier in speedy go karts is always a blast in the summer time!
Be sure to save some money by buying tickets in bulk! Also look into buying day passes. If you plan on spending a lot of time on the pier riding rides, this is the best option to enjoy all of the thrills. Otherwise, single tickets are over a dollar a piece and many of the rides are 8-17 tickets. Some are even more!
Mariner’s Pier
The Mariner’s Amusement Pier, also by Morey’s Pier, features a number of awesome rides for the kiddos to enjoy that they may not be able to ride on Adventure Pier. I look forward to my children getting a little older so they can start riding rides with me!
Mariner’s Amusement Pier is also much larger and features 24 rides and three places to dine and drink! Feel free to stop at Wilhelm’s Bier Garten in the middle of Mariner’s Amusement Pier. This Bier Garten will have you nostalgic for Oktoberfest!
Food Along Wildwood Boardwalk
The 38 block boardwalk is loaded with food options for every member of your family. From ice cream, to pizza, fried food, seafood, and more it is tough to hit everything! You might have to ride the tram service back to your hotel!
Growing up in Southern CT near some of the best pizza on the East Coast, naturally my family gravitates toward the pizza places. A popular destination that my family goes to every year would be Macks.
Located less than three blocks from the Wildwood Convention Center, Macks is conveniently located near the southern end of the boardwalk. This is great for our family as we have been staying in Wildwood Crest for decades and hope to keep the trend going as our children get older.
Be sure to bring your cash as Macks is a ‘cash only’ venue. Well worth it though! The grease definitely settles your stomach if you had a rough night prior on the boardwalk!
Reasons To Visit Wildwood NJ Boardwalk
The Wildwoods Boardwalk in New Jersey features something for everyone. If you like the East Coast beaches, the Wildwoods has plenty of beachfront.
If you want a quieter scene, enjoy the many beaches that Wildwood Crest has to offer. Plus, Wildwood Crest has its own boardwalk with plenty of parks to spend time with the family!
I enjoy the ‘workout park’ at the end of my morning boardwalk runs! Centennial Park also has a summer food truck agenda that is worth the visit!
If you are looking for a fun night out, the main boardwalk in Wildwood is the perfect place to be. Always packed, this is an awesome place to grab a bite to eat and catch a few rides.
If the ocean is too cool for your taste or if the waves are too rough, the boardwalk water parks are an awesome way to cool off.
To those looking for an easy adventure, Cape May is only a few miles south! The shops there are worth the visit.
Being the coffee junkee that I am, I always grab a few bags from ‘Love the Cook’ in Cape May. To those looking for some beef jerky, my wife’s family has been going to ‘The Beef Jerky Experience Cape May’ for many years. We may or may not have filled a seat up in our car between the coffee bags and beef jerky!
FAQs
You’ll find answers to questions people often ask about visiting Wildwoods. Leave us a comment if you have another question.
The boardwalk is about 2.5 miles long.
Get there early to avoid the crowds and find a spot on the beach. You should also bring plenty of sunscreen and water because it can get hot walking along the boardwalk.
The Wildwood Boardwalk is safe, but it is important to be aware of your surroundings and take precautions when walking at night. There are plenty of police officers and security guards patrolling the boardwalk, so you can feel safe knowing that help is close by if needed.
Related
If you want to venture out a little further from the boardwalk, check out some of these areas too.
- Head up the eastern coast and take a day trip to NYC!
- Take the ferry from Cape May to see the lighthouses in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
- Go to Southern New England and check out the best things to see in Connecticut.
