Best Bike Trails @ The Shore
Looking for the best places to ride along the Jersey Shore? We’ve mapped out the top bike trails within our delivery area, from boardwalk cruises to hidden nature paths. Whether you’re bringing the family for an easy ride or looking for a longer adventure, this guide covers distance, difficulty, surface type, and what to expect.
Brick Township
DeCamp Wildlife Trail
- Distance: 3.4 Miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Surface: Packed Gravel
- Best For: Families & Nature
The DeCamp Wildlife Trail sits inside the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and offers one of the most peaceful rides at the shore. You’ll cruise through pine-oak forests and salt marshes with constant wildlife sightings (osprey, herons, egrets). The trail is wide, flat, and rarely crowded, making it perfect for families or anyone looking to escape the boardwalk scene.
Parking: 365 Mantoloking Rd, Brick Township
What to Know
- Open sunrise to sunset year-round
- 10 mph speed limit (it’s a refuge, not a racecourse)
- No water fountains, bring your own
- Best on a hybrid or mountain bike, but cruisers can handle it
- Spring and fall offer the best wildlife viewing
Why We Love It
This trail is the closest to our storefront, making it easy to pick up a bike and head out. Note that you will have to ride about 1.5 miles down Mantoloking Road to get to this trail, making it about a 6.5 mile ride overall. There is a wide shoulder and sporadic sidewalks all the way down the road. It’s close, it’s easy, and it’s one of the few places at the shore where you can ride through actual nature instead of just next to it.
Seaside Park
Island Beach State Park
- Distance: 8.5 Miles
- Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
- Surface: Packed Road
- Best For: Beach Access
Island Beach State Park stretches 10 miles down a barrier island. Ride the paved road through pristine beach and dune environment with ocean on one side and Barnegat Bay on the other. Limited traffic (it’s a state park), incredible scenery, and beach access points along the way.
Parking: 2401 Central Ave, Seaside Park, NJ 08752
What to Know
- Vehicle entrance fee required
- Road is shared with cars (bike lanes both ways)
- Exposed with limited shade, sun protection essential
- Can be windy
- Restrooms and facilities at designated areas
Why We Love It
Where else can you ride 10 miles along an undeveloped barrier island? This is as close to “remote beach riding” as you’ll get in New Jersey.
What to Know
- Mix of paved and natural surface trails
- Can connect trails for longer rides
- Popular with mountain bikers on the unpaved sections
- Playground and picnic areas if you’re bringing kids
Why We Love It
This park gives you options. Stick to the paved loop for an easy ride, or hit the dirt trails if you’re on a mountain bike and want something more challenging.
Howell Township
Manasquan Reservoir Trail
- Distance: 5 Mile Loop
- Difficulty: Easy – Moderate
- Surface: Paved & Gravel
- Best For: Families & Nature
The Manasquan Reservoir loop is the go-to ride for anyone wanting more distance without difficult terrain. The paved and gravel 5-mile path circles the reservoir with water views the entire way. It’s popular with serious cyclists but accessible enough for families. Expect other riders, runners, and walkers sharing the path.
Parking: Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center, 311 Windeler Rd, Howell
What to Know
- Well-maintained
- Some gentle hills, nothing steep
- Can get busy on nice weekends
- Portable restrooms at the trailhead
- $5 parking fee for non-residents Memorial Day to Labor Day
Why We Love It
When customers ask for a “real ride” instead of a short boardwalk cruise, we send them here. It’s long enough to feel like exercise but easy enough that anyone can finish it. The views don’t hurt either.