Berkeley Island

Map(s)

Overview map (515x689), 106K size.

Berkeley Island Park & Lanoka Harbor (1107x841), 257K size.

Central section (765x819), 159K size.

Scenery

This is my favorite launch area in Barnegat Bay: Easy to go to, centrally located, and a large range of trip options.  Out of all of the launch locations for Barnegat Bay & Little Egg Harbor, this one has the least problems with those annoying greenheads ... mostly due to the winds.

Launching from Berkeley Island, you can go west, 2 mi up Cedar Creek, to the route 9 bridge.  (There is a tiny dam that prevents further up stream travels.)  Watch the area where you make the first sharp left turn (N39 52 10.0 W74 09 43.1).  There are submerged tree stumps in this area.  On a hot summer day, this is THE trip.  No where near as much powerboat activity as the bay, and the water upstream is MUCH cooler.  Example of the later: Bay is 81° F., while the water near the dam is 71° F.

Heading north, Toms River is over 5 mi away.  Scenery includes Berkeley Island Park, marshes, and some housing developments.

Heading over 4 mi to the south, will take you to Forked River.  Typical Barnegat Bay scenery: Marshes & houses.  If you are really daring, head east to cross the bay.  It is between 2 1/2 and 3 mi; not long, just trecherous because of the powerboat traffic.

Water levels were extremely low in Cedar Creek on 3-Feb-2008.  Difficult paddling near shore.  A day to stay in the channel.  Could this have been caused by heavy west winds, blowing the water out of the bay, the day before?

Attention newbies: Trixie's, across from the launch area, is now renting kayaks.

Fees

None.

Hours of Operation

24x7.

Directions

Take route 195 east, to exit 8.  At the top of the ramp, turn left.  Just beyond the route 195 intersection, turn right onto route 524.  Take route 524, 1.6 mi to Sharon Station Road (this is the first intersection).  Turn right onto Sharon Station Road, which eventully leads into route 539.  (Most maps do NOT show the two roads connecting; Sharon Station Road was diverted, recently, to make the roads connect.)  Before reaching route 539, be careful going through the route 526 intersection ... go the posted speed limit, and you will feel it in your lower back.  Also watch out for a large pothole near that intersection, on the south-bound side.

Follow route 539 to the route 70 intersection.  Shortly after crossing route 70, go straight at the light, which puts you on route 530.

Follow route 530 east-bound, to the route 618 intersection.  At this traffic light, go straight onto route 618; route 530 bears to the left.  After crossing under the Parkway, route 618 changes names to Forrest Hills Pkwy, and Veterans Blvd.  After it changes to Serpentine Dr, keep going straight, which will put you on Central Pkway; Serpentine Dr bends to the right.  Staying on Central Pkwy, you will come to the route 9 intersection.  Cross over & go straight onto Butler Blvd.  Once on Butler Blvd, look for the Bayview Ave intersection.  (You will see a sign for Berkeley Island Park.)  Turn right onto Bayview Ave.  At the end of Bayview Ave, turn left onto Brennan Concourse.

Go between 0.5 & 0.6 mi on Brennan Concourse to a small park across from Trixie's Marina.  Turn right into the park.  There is an opening in the tall grass, which forms a beach.

Parking

Decent parking, but it is on a grass & sand field. After a heavy rain, this may be muddy.

Distance to the Launch Area

Two options: Either drop off your boat next to the tall grass adjacent to the launch area, or use a cart to move your boat 50' to the beach.

Restrooms

Less than a ¼ mile down the road, is Berkeley Island Park, which has restrooms. These are closed during the 'off season'. (Off Season probably runs Oct through Apr.)

Status of Launch Area

A small, sandy beach used to launch jet skis, power boats, sail boats, surf skis, kayak, etc., etc. Kayaks, be considerate & move off to the side to allow the larger craft to launch. The sandy beach is fine for gelcoats, but depending on the conditions, the surf could swamp your boat before you get your sprayskirt on! (Hint: Canoes & sit-on-tops stay out of the bay, unless you want to sit in a puddle.)

Wind Conditions

Given that this is large bay, winds can get very nasty. They are at their meanest, when coming from the north or south, since they can build up the waves along the length of the bay.

The southerly winds at Berkeley Island Park present another problem: After you are done kayaking, getting the boat on top of the car could be a bigger challenge. The parking area is poorly protected. Once the wind speed reaches beaufort 4, a lone kayaker will have trouble car topping his/her boat. (The wind spirits think that the boat looks better on the ground in front of the car.) Just another reason to go with a buddy.

Power Boats

The sky is the limit. Power boats & jet skis abound. Stay out of the channels, indicated by red & green markers. If ever there was a place to go out in groups, this it; multiple kayaks have greater visibility than lone ones. This is the worst location of the list.

If in need of a rest, go into the residential areas. Along with being sheltered, these are no wake zones. Yield to the larger craft; just remember to be vigilent since they move quietly in these waters.

Foliage

Do not know. I have not been here in the fall. But given that this is the shore, do not expect much.

Rolling Practice?

Barnegat Bay is huge, and includes a lot of boat traffic. Some of the coves may be okay.