Toms River sits at a useful crossroads for day trips into three very different landscapes: the Pine Barrens to the west, the barrier island beaches to the east, and the developed Shore towns running north and south along the coast.
The Pine Barrens begin almost immediately west of town. This vast, strange, nearly empty wilderness — a million acres of pygmy pines, cedar-black rivers, and sandy tracks — is one of the most unexpected landscapes in the densely populated American northeast. Wharton State Forest, accessible in under an hour, offers canoeing on the Mullica and Batsto rivers, hiking through the pines, and a visit to the restored 19th-century ironworks village of Batsto. The pinelands silence, once you're a few miles in from any road, is remarkable.
Long Beach Island lies about 40 kilometres south of Toms River on Route 72. A long, narrow barrier island accessible by a single causeway, it has a different character from the Seaside Heights strip — quieter, more residential, with good beaches and the historic Barnegat Lighthouse at the northern tip. The lighthouse is open for climbing in season and the views from the top are excellent. The small commercial centre at Beach Haven at the island's southern end has decent restaurants and a relaxed atmosphere.
Point Pleasant Beach, about 20 kilometres north on Route 35, has a boardwalk with a gentler tone than Seaside Heights, and the Jenkinson's Aquarium is a reasonable stop with children. The inlet between Point Pleasant and Manasquan offers good fishing and charter boat access to offshore waters.
Atlantic City is about 80 kilometres south via the Garden State Parkway — a straightforward drive of about an hour. The casinos, the original boardwalk, and the beach are all accessible as a day trip, though most people who go to Atlantic City tend to stay the night.