Avalon, New Jersey closed its beach paths between 15th and 22nd streets on March 2, 2026, for public safety after a recent blizzard worsened erosion, extending closures already in place between 10th and 14th streets since February, per the borough's erosion updates page. The storm damage traces to two 2025 events — Hurricane Erin in late August and a Columbus Day weekend coastal storm — that stripped much of the beach and dune protection roughly between 9th and 17th streets.
This is a closure-and-operations news note, not safety or engineering advice; conditions change, and the borough's updates page and on-site barricades are the authority on what is open.
Which paths are closed right now?
Per the borough's March 2 update, beach access paths between 15th and 22nd streets are closed, joining the 10th-to-14th street paths shut since February, and some north-end paths remain off limits until they are deemed safe. Officials have been blunt about barricades: going around them is dangerous and prohibited. Open paths elsewhere in town still reach the beach, but the protected dune line that visitors walked through in past seasons is visibly carved in the 20s blocks.
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What is Avalon doing about the lost sand?
The borough council approved a sand backpassing project for spring 2026, with bids opened in February, per the borough's updates. Backpassing — a method Avalon helped pioneer — mechanically moves sand from the island's wider southern beaches back to the eroded north end, with trucks working overnight. Separately, the borough has pressed for a federal hydraulic beach fill: 2026 is Avalon's year on the Army Corps' three-year cycle, but no federal funding has been appropriated, and a January 14 meeting in Washington with the Corps and the state's congressional delegation did not unlock it. Local coverage has indicated a hydraulic fill could begin around September 2026 if funding lands.
What this means for a spring trip
For visitors booking the spring season, the practical read: the beach itself remains open in front of open paths, backpass trucks work at night rather than during beach hours, and the closure map can change week to week as the borough reassesses the dune line. Checking Avalon's FAQ page — updated through March — is the fastest pre-trip step, and renters on the north end should confirm which street their beach access uses before arrival.