FROM LBI LOCALS
The dog friendly guide to Long Beach Island
Restaurants, beaches, hotels, trails, and the local vendors that welcome dogs year round or in the off season. Built for locals, visitors, and their four legged best friends.
The whole guide, on one map
Everything below, plotted from the lighthouse down to Holgate. Tap a symbol for directions.
Four of our favorites come to you instead. From Head to Paws and A Purr-fect Paw groom out of a van anywhere on the island, One Dood Dog Treats bakes to order, and Coastal Canines Petcare walks the whole eighteen miles. No pin to give them.
Beach rules change by town and by season. Call ahead before you count on any of it.
Restaurants and cafés
Fifteen spots, three with an actual dog menu, and two on the mainland worth the drive over the bridge.
Viking Fresh Off The Hook
Picnic tables at the working fishing dock inside Viking Village, with seafood landed off the boats tied up beside you. Dogs are welcome at the tables.
Wally's
Casual family restaurant with a friendly patio, dog friendly outdoor seating, and water bowls. A good breakfast and brunch stop after a morning walk.
The Local Market & Kitchen
Coffee, smoothies, and fresh lunch options. Dogs are welcome on the outdoor patio.
Joe Pop's Shore Bar
The outdoor tiki bar and beach yard are dog friendly, and there is a dog menu, so yours gets to order too. Live music most summer nights.
Burger 25
Pet friendly outdoor tables and a dog menu of its own: a MilkBone Sundae, a plain Doggie Deluxe patty, and a Whip Lick cup. Burgers and thick shakes for you, open all year. 1915 Long Beach Blvd.
Greenheads
A food truck on 2nd Street that encourages you to bring the dog rather than just tolerating one. Get the award winning lobster roll while you are there.
Bird & Betty's
Dogs are welcome on the deck, which looks straight out over the bay from Dock Road. Seafood, wood fired pizza, and live music.
Guapo's Coffee House
Small batch coffee, homemade pastries, pup cups, homemade dog treats, and a rooftop with seating.
The Shell Resort
Hosts Compassion Café each season, an inclusive pop-up with homemade dog treats and dog friendly outdoor seating.
Surfside Coffee House
Bacon strips for dogs and friendly outdoor seating. Great for an early morning stop before a beach walk.
Holiday Snack Bar
An LBI classic since 1948, with outdoor picnic tables open to dogs. Burgers, shakes, and homemade pies.
Dock & Claw Clam Bar
Outdoor picnic tables with a bayside view. Classic seafood, BYOB and BYOD. Bring your own dog.
The WooHoo
Homemade ice cream with dog friendly outdoor seating. The right treat stop after the beach.
Mud City Crab House
Dog friendly tables outside and a dog menu of its own. Crab cakes and chowder on the mainland side of the bridge, and worth the drive.
Hollow Pines
The backyard is dog friendly: fire pits, bocce, and an A frame bar under the pines. From the same family as Mud City, off Route 9 in West Creek.
Most restaurants with outdoor seating will allow dogs, but call ahead and ask before you bring yours.
Beaches and off season rules
Six towns, six sets of dates, and none of them line up. The full table sits under the spots.
Barnegat Light Beach
Dogs allowed year round on leash north of the lifeguard area. A great sunrise spot.
DIRECTIONSBay Beach behind Bay Village
Bayfront area, perfect for a calm walk or a quick splash.
DIRECTIONSHolgate Beach and refuge trail
Off season access from October 1 to May 15 for leashed dogs. In season it is closed to dogs because of nesting birds. Scenic dunes and water views.
DIRECTIONSSecret Beach
At the end of Sunset Blvd. A quiet sandy inlet where dogs can roam on leash.
DIRECTIONSHolgate Bay Park
Off the Joan Road area. A good off season walking spot with bay views.
DIRECTIONSBrant Beach Dog Park
At 68th Street. Fenced and double gated with a water station and waste bags. Dogs need a township Paw Pass.
DIRECTIONSWhen dogs are allowed, town by town
Nobody remembers these, including us. Every town on the island sets its own window, and they do not line up.
Windows were pulled from town ordinances and beach patrol pages and they do move, so call the borough before you count on a date near the edge of a season. In season the answer is the Brant Beach dog park at 68th Street, which is open year round with a township Paw Pass.
FROM THE SHOP
Your dog already looks the part
Bandanas, bowls, hats, and leashes, all carrying the LBI Pups logo. Made for the dogs putting in eighteen miles of island every summer.
CHECK OUT THE SHOP →Or meet the rest of the island's dogs over at LBI Pups.
The best walks on the island
Groomed parks at one end, thorny sand trails at the other. Nine of them, north to south.
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park
Scenic trails with lighthouse views. Leashed dogs are allowed in many areas.
DIRECTIONSTebco Bay Trail
A small local path behind the marinas that ends at a rocky bayfront. Buggy in summer, but scenic and quiet.
DIRECTIONSRosema Roundabout to Star Avenue
A narrow trail through tall dune grass that opens onto a stunning bay view. Very scenic. Watch for thorns.
DIRECTIONSSouth Long Beach Blvd to West Beck Avenue
An unmarked trail out to side streets and a small bay overlook. There is a water fountain and waste bags at the trailhead.
DIRECTIONSBayview Park route
West Beck to West Susan to South West Ave, following neighborhood streets to Bayview Park behind the boardwalk. Open fields, a playground, and a soccer area.
DIRECTIONSBrant Beach Dog Park
Fully enclosed at 68th Street, with water and shaded benches.
DIRECTIONSSecret Beach
A favorite quiet spot on Sunset Blvd. Calm water, soft sand, and sunset views.
DIRECTIONS
Where to stay
Four island hotels that take dogs. Policies and fees change, so confirm when you book.
The Hideaway
Boutique inn that allows one small dog, under 40 lbs, in select rooms. Quiet, coastal, and stylish.
CLEANING FEE APPLIESDrifting Sands Oceanfront Hotel
Dogs allowed on the lower floors of certain buildings. Oceanfront and central to the island.
$75 FOR ONE DOG · $150 FOR TWOIsland Guest House Historic Inn
Dog friendly boutique inn with a pet package: bowls, treats, and waste bags.
$50 PER ROOMSpray Beach Oceanfront Hotel
Allows two pets up to 50 lbs. The outdoor dining area on site is dog friendly too.
Shops, treats, and groomers
A shop, a baker, two grooming vans that come to you, and a pet hotel off island.
Buddy's Pet Stop
Local boutique with natural treats, toys, and LBI themed pet gear. Friendly staff and a biscuit bar inside Schooner's Wharf.
buddyspetstop.comOne Dood Dog Treats NJ
Authentic small batch dog treats with minimal, all natural ingredients. Custom orders available for picky pups.
@1dooddogtreatsnjFrom Head to Paws Mobile Grooming
Cage free mobile grooming van offering a full service wash, haircut, and blow out right to your door.
fromheadtopaws.comA Purr-fect Paw Mobile Pet Grooming
Full service grooming on wheels. Great for vacationers, or for dogs who prefer one on one care.
Lucky's Bed & Biscuit
Boarding, daycare, and grooming at the Manahawkin pet hotel, with a boutique at 414 N Bay Ave in Beach Haven and a shuttle between the two.
luckysbb.com
Vets nearby
Save these before you need them. One of them never closes.
Ocean County Veterinary Hospital
The closest emergency room that never closes, about forty minutes north of the causeway. Walk in emergencies, overnight critical care, and specialty surgery. 838 River Ave.
OPEN 24 HOURS CALL (732) 341-4700 DIRECTIONSBarnegat Animal Clinic
Full service hospital with multiple veterinarians and emergency support. 530 N Main St.
CALL (609) 698-2141 barnegatanimalclinic.comJersey Shore Veterinary Hospital
Advanced diagnostics and surgery. 770 Lighthouse Dr.
CALL (732) 363-3200 jsves.comOcean Acres Veterinary Office
Comprehensive vet care with holistic options. 440 S Main St.
CALL (609) 756-0156 oceanacresvet.comPut the 24 hour number in your phone before the season starts. The three Barnegat and West Creek practices keep regular hours, so nights, Sundays, and holidays mean the drive to Toms River.
Before you go
Five short ones, and the pavement rule is the one people forget in July.
Off season beach access
Roughly October through May, but every town sets its own window and they do not line up. Barnegat Light closes six weeks before Long Beach Township does. The dates by town are up in the beaches section.
Leash and bags, every time
Always leash your dog and carry waste bags. Many LBI spots provide them, but do not count on it.
Check the pavement in summer
Before a summer walk, place your palm on the asphalt and hold it for five to seven seconds. If it is uncomfortable for you, it is too hot for your dog.
Know where the 24 hour vet is
There is no emergency room on the island. The closest one that never closes is Ocean County Veterinary Hospital in Toms River, about forty minutes off the causeway, so save the number and the route before you need either.
Best photo spots
The lighthouse, Bayview Park, and the Rosema trails are the three that pay off at golden hour.
Come October, the beach is theirs again.
Eighteen miles of island and a dog with opinions about all of it. LBI Pups makes the bandanas, totes, and gear for the ones who earned it.
From LBI Locals · © 2026
