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Nude Beach Ranked Among NJ's Best Secret Beaches

It's no longer a secret.

Sedge Island

Sedge Island

Photo Credit: NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center

Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center

Photo Credit: NJ Department of Environmental Protection

Three Jersey Shore sites have made a list of the top “100 secret beaches” in the United States, according to the Family Destinations Guide.

And you probably won't want to bring children to one of them: It's New Jersey's only nudist beach.

The Guide said it surveyed 3,000 families nationwide to compose a list of hidden beaches that people liked the most.

Ranked 5th on the list is Sedge Island, which the Guide calls “a truly exclusive destination.”

Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, pointed out, however, that there is no public beach on Sedge Island, only a sandbar.

"People don't use that island as a beach," Hajna said. "It could be a flawed ranking."

Sedge Island is in Barnegat Bay off Island Beach State Park in Ocean County.

You can only get there by boat or with reservations on the Sedge Shuttle after parking at the state park. It's a 1.2 mile journey by water.

Sedge Island has no boardwalk or commercial development and offers "a peaceful retreat for those looking to escape the crowds and enjoy the natural beauty of the area,” the Guide says.

Sedge Island is known for fishing, birding, kayaking, and salt marsh exploration.

It's also home to the state's Natural Resource Education Center.

"We do not want to encourage people going to the island unless arrangements are made with staff to visit the nature center," Hajna said.

Pearl Beach is 49th on the list.

It is at Cape May Point about a mile south of Sunset Beach in Cape May County.

Pearl Beach doesn’t have boardwalks and is one of the least crowded beaches in the state.

Gunnison Beach in Sandy Hook, Ocean County,  ranked 65th. 

It's the Garden State's only "clothing optional" beach. It's located in Middletown Township in Monmouth County.

It is on federal land — part of the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area managed by the National Park Service.

The beach is 4.5 miles from the front entrance. Look for the north end of Parking Lot G — if you dare.

The water is more than a half-mile from the parking lot. 

Your only warning is a sign that says "Beyond This Point You May Encounter Nude Sunbathers" near the beach's walkway.

Gunnison also was recently ranked 11th on a top 100 list of best skinny-dipping spots in the world by My Dating Adviser, a dating advice website, according to the Asbury Park Press.

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