Island Beach State Park is warning mobile sport fishing vehicle drivers that beaches remain extremely narrow in places after last weekend’s nor’easter, with standing water possible around high tide.
SEASIDE PARK, NJ — Beach erosion from last weekend’s nor’easter is still creating problems at Island Beach State Park, where officials are warning beach buggy drivers that some stretches may become difficult to pass around high tide.
In an update issued Friday, park officials said the beach is “very narrow in many areas” and advised mobile sport fishing vehicle permit holders that standing water could develop around high tide.
Drivers were urged to use caution.
The park reported a Friday high tide of 12:38 p.m., with low tide not arriving until 7:41 p.m.
High tides at Island Beach State Park this week
| Date | Morning high | Afternoon/evening high |
|---|---|---|
| Mon. Oct. 5 | 3:16 a.m. — ~4.1 ft | 3:36 p.m. — ~4.7 ft |
| Tue. Oct. 6 | 4:22 a.m. — ~4.3 ft | 4:41 p.m. — ~4.8 ft |
| Wed. Oct. 7 | 5:21 a.m. — ~4.7 ft | 5:38 p.m. — ~4.9 ft |
| Thu. Oct. 8 | 6:13 a.m. — ~5.0 ft | 6:29 p.m. — ~5.0 ft |
| Fri. Oct. 9 | 6:59 a.m. — ~5.3 ft | 7:14 p.m. — ~5.0 ft |
| Sat. Oct. 10 | 7:41 a.m. — ~5.4 ft | 7:57 p.m. — ~4.9 ft |
| Sun. Oct. 11 | about 8:15 a.m. — ~5.4 ft | about 8:32 p.m. — ~4.7 ft |
The highest predicted tides of the week are Saturday and Sunday morning, around 5.4 feet, with Friday morning close behind at roughly 5.3 feet.
For today, Monday, Oct. 5, the next high tide is approximately 3:35–3:36 p.m., around 4.8 feet.
Nor’easter Cut Into the Beach
The warning comes after the storm reshaped sections of the shoreline along the barrier island.
Island Beach State Park stretches for nearly 10 miles between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay, and its beaches and dunes are continually reshaped by storms, waves and tides. New Jersey describes it as one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches on the North Atlantic coast.
For surf fishermen using four-wheel-drive vehicles, the loss of usable beach width can become especially noticeable around high tide, when the ocean pushes farther toward the dune line.
Judge’s Shack Survived the Storm
Park officials also noted that the well-known Judge’s Shack survived the nor’easter, although erosion was clearly visible around the area.
The Judge’s Shack is a historic fishing shack inside Island Beach State Park and one of the surviving structures tied to the barrier island’s long history of surf fishing and seasonal beach camps. New Jersey’s Historic Preservation Office lists “The Judge’s Shack” as a recognized historic property within the park.
Before Island Beach became a state park, fishermen had used the barrier island for generations, building simple shacks from driftwood and other available materials. The state purchased much of the former Phipps estate in 1953 and opened Island Beach as a state park in 1959. The properties were deeded that when the owner passed, the land would be returned to the state. Many of the old fishing shacks have since been demolished, including a large home at the south end of the park.
The Judge’s Shack became one of the best-known remnants of that older fishing culture.
What Is the Judge’s Shack?
The small weathered structure sits near the ocean and has endured decades of coastal storms.
It is associated with Judge Richard Hartshorne, a New Jersey jurist and avid surf fisherman who used the shack as a fishing retreat during the mid-20th century. Over time, the building became a local landmark and a symbol of the old beach-fishing camps that once dotted Island Beach.
Fishermen use it as a point of reference.
“They’re biting just south of the judge’s shack” is a common use of the site as a geographic reference point, along with parking lot numbers and entrances.
Its survival after major storms is frequently noted by anglers and park visitors because erosion can leave the shack looking increasingly exposed as the shoreline changes around it.
Beach Driving Remains a Longtime Island Beach Tradition
Vehicle access for surf fishing predates state ownership of Island Beach.
The Phipps family, which previously owned the land, allowed fishermen to drive onto the beach with permits. New Jersey continued the practice after buying the property, and mobile sport fishing vehicle permits remain part of Island Beach State Park today.
With the beach narrowed by the latest storm, drivers should pay close attention to tide times before heading south along the oceanfront.
Conditions that are passable at low tide may become significantly tighter once the water begins moving back toward the dunes.
