Why is it illegal to walk on sand dunes at the beach?

While there are many reasons, one major one that was often cited on the coast of New Jersey is that walking on the dunes can disturb the dune grass and other plants that are put there to help combat erosion through their root systems. read more

I have been to a dozen sand dune areas and have not encountered any that were posted as illegal to walk on. As Mr. Sheehy wrote there can be adverse environmental impacts to the plant and animal life that inhabit the dunes. read more

Otherwise the dunes keep migrating. People walking on them crushes them and damages the plants, so that erosion takes place and the dunes blow away, into the housing areas, across the boardwalks built along the beaches, into shops lining the beachfronts. read more

The reason most places make walking on them illegal is that dunes serve a very important function, preventing storm surges from reaching inland, and helping protect the homes and businesses located behind them, near the ocean. read more