Paddle TodayFind the best paddle near you today

Live score, water level, and weather.

See all 2 routes on Toms River

New Jersey | Ocean County / Toms River tidal reach

Toms RiverPine Beach Municipal Boat Ramp to Gilford Park public boat ramp

A bounded lower Toms River tidal planning reach between the current Pine Beach municipal boat-ramp record and the public Gilford Park ramp setting.

Route location

Loading the route map.

Open access map

Plan this route

DistanceApproximately 3.4 tidal river miles
DifficultyModerate
Typical time2–4 hours depending on tide
ShuttleCar shuttle
A USGS channel cross-section on the Toms River in New Jersey.
Route photoToms River same-river channel context for the Pine Beach to Gilford Park planning reachPhoto by U.S. Geological Survey

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
View Primary Source
Embed this route

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distanceApproximately 3.4 tidal river milesPine Beach Municipal Boat Ramp to Gilford Park public boat ramp
DifficultymoderateThe named source describes recreational moving water. Shallow sections, current, strainers, bridges, cold water, and access restrictions remain material.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage only at Pine Beach and Gilford Park after confirming current legal parking, permit/fee requirements, seasonal hours, access, carry, and landing conditions. Arrange the shuttle before launching; do not unload on public roads, bridge shoulders, or private shoreline.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current NJDEP public-access and water-quality notices, Pine Beach permit/parking rules, Gilford Park/Gilford Yacht Club ramp fee and seasonal controls, New Jersey boating/PFD requirements, NOAA tide and weather guidance, posted fishing-hour restrictions, and any closure or ramp-maintenance notice. The current layer and 2015 municipal plan do not guarantee current unrestricted independent paddlecraft use.
CampingDay tripNo on-route camping is identified. Municipal ramps, piers, beaches, and tidal shoreline do not grant overnight camping or parking rights; use separately managed lodging or a lawful designated campground.
SeasonMar-NovSpring through fall is the practical planning season. Check current flow, recent rain, debris, water temperature, daylight, and park alerts before every launch.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A bounded lower Toms River tidal planning reach between the current Pine Beach municipal boat-ramp record and the public Gilford Park ramp setting.

Access map

Skip map

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

End of map
Start

Put-in

Pine Beach Municipal Boat Ramp
Open mapDirections to put-in

NJDEP’s current layer identifies both hard endpoints as public Boat access, but Pine Beach is permit-controlled and TRT25315 is seasonal; verify current municipal permission, parking, hours, fee, ramp sharing, carry, waterline, and safe landing.

Finish

Take-out

Gilford Park public boat ramp
Open mapDirections to take-out

Toms River Township’s municipal access plan identifies the Gilford Yacht Club ramp as public for a fee, but the document is dated and describes adjacent-site parking arrangements; confirm the current operator/municipal controls before relying on it.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Choose a shorter tripOptional

Access planner

Choose your launch and take-out

This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.

On-water distance3.4 miMixed access
On-water time2–4 hours depending on tideFull route option
ShuttleCar shuttleChoose a shorter in/out pair for a shorter day.

Pine Beach Municipal Boat Ramp to Gilford Park public boat ramp is about 3.4 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.

Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • NJDEP’s current layer identifies both hard endpoints as public Boat access, but Pine Beach is permit-controlled and TRT25315 is seasonal; verify current municipal permission, parking, hours, fee, ramp sharing, carry, waterline, and safe landing.
  • Toms River Township’s municipal access plan identifies the Gilford Yacht Club ramp as public for a fee, but the document is dated and describes adjacent-site parking arrangements; confirm the current operator/municipal controls before relying on it.
  • The Henley Pier record is retained as an intermediate bailout anchor, not an entitlement to use every Pine Beach pier or shoreline. Preserve the posted no-fishing-midnight-to-5:00am restriction and do not infer overnight access.
  • Do not substitute the nearby Mill Creek small-craft record, visual/fishing shoreline points, private marinas, or the South Toms River for either hard endpoint without a separate route package.

Watch for

  • USGS 01408500 upstream Toms River discharge/gage-height trend as proxy context, NOAA Toms River tide benchmark, wind, recent rain, water quality, and visual depth
  • tide reversal, low-tide mud/shoals, shallow water, wakes, bridge/dock hydraulics, debris, submerged obstructions, cold-water immersion, erosion, and missed Gilford take-out
  • Pine Beach permit/parking and ramp condition, Henley bailout landing, Gilford seasonal hours/fee/parking/ramp sharing, daylight, closure notices, and shuttle failure

Plan this paddle

Choose your trip times

No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.

Trip schedule

Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.

Browser plans

Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.

Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.

Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.

Gauge detail

Water-level history and forecastDetailed view

Gauge

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

------------

Weather

Hourly forecast

Checking weather.

Loading today's forecast.

Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--

Route gallery

Photos

Check each caption: some photos show the surrounding area rather than this exact trip.

A USGS channel cross-section on the Toms River in New Jersey.
Toms River same-river channel context for the Pine Beach to Gilford Park planning reachPhoto by U.S. Geological Survey
USGS official Toms River channel-study image

Sources

Data and sources

Read the access and hazard notes and check the linked guides. We do not issue a daily score for this trip.

NotesWhat to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • Named moving-water corridorLower Toms River tidal reach from Pine Beach to Gilford Park

    The current NJDEP access inventory provides a same-river Pine Beach public Boat anchor and a seasonal public Boat record at Riverside Drive/Garfield Avenue; the municipal access plan adds the Gilford-area public-ramp-for-fee context.

    Source

  • Public endpoint evidenceNJDEP PBP01215 Pine Beach Municipal Boat Ramp and TRT25315 Riverside Drive/Garfield Avenue public Boat access records

    PBP01215 includes permit/parking controls; TRT25315 is seasonal and the municipal plan describes the adjacent Gilford Yacht Club ramp as public for a fee. Confirm current independent paddlecraft use, carry, waterline, parking, and landing.

    Source

  • On/near-water coordinate evidenceCurrent NJDEP public-access coordinates for PBP01215 and TRT25315

    These are official access-area anchors rather than surveyed wetted-edge points. Preserve permit, seasonal, fee, parking, and current landing caveats.

    Source

  • Proxy flow and tidal evidenceUSGS 01408500 Toms River near Toms River, NJ, clearly labeled upstream route-context proxy plus NOAA Toms River tide context

    Use current discharge/gage height and tide predictions with wind, recent rain, water quality, visual depth, and day-of landing checks; no numeric recreational cutoff is inferred.

    Source

  • Route-specific access and low-tide guidanceNJDEP Pine Beach ramp guide and Toms River Township municipal access plan

    The NJDEP guide supplies dated Pine Beach ramp context; the township plan documents the Gilford-area public ramp-for-fee arrangement. Neither certifies current depth, seasonal operation, or independent paddlecraft permission.

    Source

  • Camping postureNearby basecamp only

    No municipal ramp, pier, beach, yacht-club, or tidal shoreline camping entitlement is claimed.

    Source

  • Live gaugeUSGS 01408500, Toms River near Toms River, NJ

    Clearly labeled proxy station: use current trend as regional planning context only; it does not establish a route-specific safe-flow cutoff.

    Source

  • Approved route imageryRights-cleared same-river or same-water-trail context image

    Approved USGS Toms River technical channel image used as clearly labeled same-river context; it does not depict the Pine Beach or Gilford Park ramp, current tide, depth, access, or safety conditions.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

Reports

Paddler reports

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

Share your trip

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or explore different rivers within 75 straight-line miles.

More in New Jersey

All 33 routes
New Jersey route guideBrowse every tracked New Jersey route.Ocean County / Toms River tidal reachJump to routes in this region.

More on Toms River

All 2
Pine Beach Municipal Boat Ramp to Henley Pier public boat accessOcean County / Toms River tidal reachModerate · Approximately 0.8 tidal river miles

Nearby routes within 75 miles

Cedar CreekOre Pond Canoe Access to William J. Dudley Park · about 4 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 6.4 river milesManasquan RiverHospital Road access to Brice Park at Allenwood–Lakewood Road · about 15 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 2.1 freshwater-tidal river milesWading RiverHawkin Bridge to Godfrey Bridge · about 26 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 5.5 river milesOswego RiverHarrisville and marked Oswego River water trail · about 26 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 5 miles round trip

Quick answers

Toms River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Pine Beach Municipal Boat Ramp to Gilford Park public boat ramp route on the Toms River?

This planning route has no live Paddle Today score. Review the linked water-level sources, current access notices and route-specific hazards before travel.

Where does the Pine Beach Municipal Boat Ramp to Gilford Park public boat ramp route on the Toms River start and end?

This route starts at Pine Beach Municipal Boat Ramp and ends at Gilford Park public boat ramp, Approximately 3.4 tidal river miles on the water.

Is the Pine Beach Municipal Boat Ramp to Gilford Park public boat ramp route on the Toms River suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a moderate route. Review the difficulty notes, hazards and current access conditions against your group's skills. No live score assesses this trip.

Flag a change

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.

Report a changeEmail update