7 Incredible Vacation Spots In New Jersey
New Jersey has something for everyone. Whether you want wide-open nature, bustling main streets, coastal serenity or vibrant nightlife, the Garden State can provide it. Although you may think you have to visit the largest New Jersey cities for most of those elements, some of its smallest settlements have all your bases covered. From mini Morristown in the north to tiny Red Bank in the center to compact Cape May in the south, these communities prove that smaller often means better for a New Jersey vacation.
Red Bank
Named for the reddish banks of the Navesink River, Red Bank is a colorful getaway in Central Jersey. Matching its riverside soil are downtown buildings tinged with red, many of which house iconic businesses. Bite way more than once at Once Bitten Donuts, buy a secret stash of comics at Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, and play arcade games from yesteryears at YESTERcades. Follow the red brick road to other legendary haunts like The Dublin House and Surf Taco before catching a show at the Count Basie Center for the Arts. Still thriving after nearly a century, Basie is set to welcome Kevin James, Tom Jones, Dan Soder, Sheryl Crow, Marlon Wayans, Graham Nash, Colin Quinn, and many more performers throughout 2025. Not a bad turnout for a borough of about 13,000 people.
Cape May
Situated at New Jersey's southernmost tip, Cape May is a scenic coastal cocktail. Cosmopolites come from across the world to sample its mix of natural and commercial wonders. They start with the former, letting Cape May Beach and South Cape May Meadows and the Garrett Family Preserve be the aperitifs of their Cape May vacation, or instead pick them as nightcaps after gorging at the latter. Many of Cape May's top businesses, including Fralinger's Salt Water Taffy and The Original Fudge Kitchen, can be found at the open-air Washington Street Mall. Get arguably the best mix of nature and commerce at the Cape May Lighthouse, a historic 199-step tower offering panoramic views of Cape May Point State Park and the wider New Jersey coast, along with a museum, mini-zoo, gift shop, and seasonal events.
Lambertville
To go from a metaphoric cocktail to a real cocktail, go from Cape May to Lambertville. Sure, it is quite a drive, but once you get there, you can unwind at The Boat House, which is considered one of NJ's best cocktail bars. But there is a catch: the bar is hard to find. A private path leads to a small, cozy enclave at 8 1/2 Coryell Street that "once found - cannot be forgotten." The Boat House is a microcosm of Lambertville, itself a small, cozy enclave that sits across the Delaware River from Pennsylvania. Just over 4,000 people have day-to-day access to The Boat House and other staples like Lambertville Station and the People's Store Antiques Center, while innumerable tourists play in paradise for a weekend. Lambertville has recently gained notice as a laid-back gay getaway.
Morristown
As one of the oldest states in America, New Jersey has no shortage of centuries-old attractions. However, a high concentration of relics, even by NJ standards, is kept in Morristown. This North Jersey town boasts the Morristown National Historical Park, a preserve of four discontiguous Revolutionary War sites, including George Washington's Headquarters at the Ford Mansion. It was America's first designated National Historical Park. More Morristown relics are displayed at the Green, a current town square that has been everything from a military base to a public executions ground, and The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, whose 127 acres of vibrant foliage frame a historic Colonial Revival home.
Somerville
Somerville is a great place to visit in the summer. Though flanked by parks, farms, and golf courses, its most notable sun-kissed site is Division Street. A pedestrian-only thoroughfare, Division Street provides unpolluted access to myriad shops and restaurants. Some of the best of the bunch is Discover Chocolate, which makes single-origin chocolate from internationally sourced cacao; Mo Grill and Sweets, a highly rated halal Mediterranean grill; and the Blue Sheep Bake Shop & Ice Creamery, which handcrafts cakes, cupcakes, macarons, ice cream, and pastries. Moreover, as an already traffic-free space, Division Street hosts a number of special events. Penciled onto 2025's calendar is the Downtown Somerville Bunny Hop for April 12, Girls Night Out for May 15, and Summer Concert Series over multiple months.
Batsto
While Morristown has plenty of historic attractions, Batsto has only historic attractions. This unincorporated community, which is also called Batsto Village, exists to preserve almost two and a half centuries of American history. Nobody lives in Batsto (the last house was vacated in 1989), but many people tour its surviving buildings, including the 1852-opened Post Office, 1808-built Batsto-Pleasant Mills United Methodist Church, and the 1828-built Gristmill that helped sustain the village for decades. Unsurprisingly, Batsto has been designated a state historic site and a national historic site. It is also part of Wharton State Forest, which is within the mighty Pine Barrens, a must-see region for Jersey adventurers.
Asbury Park
Asbury Park is a small NJ beach town that rivals the world's best. Far from tropical and downright freezing in winter, Asbury Park makes up for its climatic shortcomings with big, hot attractions. The Silverball Retro Arcade lets you play through several decades of games dating to the 1950s. The Stone Pony showcases some of the best live entertainment on Earth (scheduled 2025 acts include Gary Clark Jr. and the Dropkick Murphys). And Asbury Park Distilling Co. serves hand-crafted spirits as "Asbury Park’s first and only distillery since prohibition." Many such sites occupy the Asbury Park Boardwalk, perhaps the biggest Asbury Park attraction when you consider its variety and length (roughly four miles). But the boardwalk is only the biggest if you do not count the Atlantic Ocean, which provides a picturesque backdrop to virtually all AP activities. Enroll ASAP.
True to its nickname, New Jersey is a garden that you can cultivate any way you like. From wandering the red banks of Red Bank to climbing the Cape May Lighthouse of Cape May to strolling the Asbury Park Boardwalk of Asbury Park, a Garden State vacation is vast and varied, yet some of the best spots are small and secluded. Which small settlement with big life will you visit first?
