203 beaches
Best Beaches for Wildlife-Watching Beaches
Maryland beaches are productive wildlife spots year-round, and the species shift with the seasons. Assateague's wild ponies are the headline, but the island also hosts migratory shorebirds in spring and fall that draw serious birders. Fort Smallwood has a famous hawk watch every autumn with thousands of raptors counted. Terrapin Beach and Flag Ponds are both known for osprey, eagles, and tidal-marsh species. For fossil hunting (counting it as wildlife-adjacent), Calvert Cliffs and Flag Ponds are the stars.
What to look for
Binoculars, a good tide (low tide exposes mudflats where waders feed), and early mornings. Migration peaks in April-May and September-October.
Ranked by Today's Conditions
Belle Isle State Park
Ideal for swimming.
Calvert Cliffs State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Fort Smallwood Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Mayo Beach Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Beverly Triton Nature Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Janes Island State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum
Ideal for a beach walk.
Martinak State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Westmoreland State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Deal Island Wildlife Management Area
Ideal for a beach walk.
Mariner Point Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Elms Beach Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Myrtle Point Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Piney Point Lighthouse Museum & Historic Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Greenwell State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Purse State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Friendship Farm Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Chapman State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Chapel Point State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Pickering Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Kitts Hummock Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Woodland Beach Wildlife Area
Ideal for a beach walk.
Port Mahon
Ideal for a beach walk.
Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
First Landing State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Fortescue
Ideal for a beach walk.
Gandy's Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Carolina Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Tybee Island Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Kaanapali Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
New Germany State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Cunningham Falls State Park (Hunting Creek Lake)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Trap Pond State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Killens Pond State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Jennings Randolph Lake — Shaw Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Ideal for a beach walk.
False Cape State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Orient Beach State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Crane Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Coast Guard Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Marconi Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Corolla Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Ideal for a beach walk.
Big Beach (Makena State Park)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Montrose Beach (Chicago)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Grand Isle State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Sea Rim State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Matagorda Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Goose Rocks Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Sandy Point State Reservation (Plum Island)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Sandy Neck Beach Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Lighthouse Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Topsail Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Holden Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Sunset Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Edisto Beach State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Ideal for a beach walk.
Yokohama Bay (Keawaula Beach)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Kaunaoa Beach (Mauna Kea Beach)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Anaehoomalu Bay (A-Bay)
Ideal for a beach walk.
63rd Street Beach (Chicago)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Marquette Park Beach (Gary, Miller Beach)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Assateague State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Assateague Island National Seashore
Ideal for a beach walk.
Cape Henlopen State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Assawoman State Wildlife Area
Ideal for a beach walk.
Broadkill Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Slaughter Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Prime Hook NWR — Fowler Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Big Stone Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Sandy Hook (Gateway NRA)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Stone Harbor
Ideal for a beach walk.
Cape May
Ideal for a beach walk.
Cape May Point State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Villas
Ideal for a beach walk.
Fire Island National Seashore — Watch Hill
Ideal for a beach walk.
Smith Point County Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Morro Bay (Morro Strand State Beach)
Ideal for photography.
Hammonasset Beach State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Ocracoke Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Pismo Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
West Ship Island
Great day for a beach walk.
Whitefish Dunes State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Reeds Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
South Padre Island Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Island Beach State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Brigantine
Ideal for a beach walk.
Sunken Meadow State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Race Point Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
East Matunuck State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Crystal Cove State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Bolsa Chica State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Long Beach (Alamitos Beach)
Great day for a beach walk.
Zuma Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Leo Carrillo State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Pfeiffer Beach (Big Sur)
Great day for a beach walk.
Indiana Dunes National Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Popham Beach State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Ferry Beach State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Sand Beach (Acadia National Park)
Great day for a beach walk.
Cardiff State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Point Dume State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Natural Bridges State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Mustang Island State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Padre Island National Seashore
Great day for a beach walk.
Punaluu Black Sand Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Boca Chica Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Napili Bay
Great day for a beach walk.
Kapalua Bay Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Elk Neck State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Point Lookout State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Flag Ponds Nature Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Terrapin Nature Area & Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Hart-Miller Island State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Ideal for a beach walk.
North Point State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Kiptopeke State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Savage Neck Dunes Natural Area
Ideal for a beach walk.
Franklin Point State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Ferry Point Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Wells Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Tunnels Beach (Makua)
Great day for a beach walk.
Reid State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Hanauma Bay
Great day for a beach walk.
Makapuu Beach Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Carpinteria State Beach
Ideal for photography.
La Jolla Shores
Great day for photography.
Presque Isle Park (Marquette)
Great day for photography.
Glass Beach (Fort Bragg)
Great day for photography.
St. Clement's Island State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Papakolea Green Sand Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Lanikai Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Waimea Bay Beach Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Hookipa Beach Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Honolua Bay
Great day for a beach walk.
Ocean Beach (San Francisco)
Great day for photography.
Gold Beach (South Beach Park)
Great day for photography.
Harris Beach State Park
Ideal for photography.
Monterey State Beach
Great day for photography.
Hanalei Bay
Decent day for photography.
Heceta Head Beach (Devils Elbow)
Ideal for photography.
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
Great day for photography.
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
Great day for sunbathing.
Cape San Blas (Salinas Park)
Great day for sunbathing.
T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
Great day for sunbathing.
Honeymoon Island State Park
Great day for sunbathing.
Jekyll Island Beach
Great day for sunbathing.
Amelia Island Beach
Great day for sunbathing.
Stuart Beach (Hutchinson Island)
Great day for sunbathing.
St. George Island
Great day for sunbathing.
Maumee Bay State Park
Great day for sunbathing.
Dauphin Island Public Beach
Great day for sunbathing.
La Jolla Cove
Great day for photography.
Poipu Beach Park
Decent day for photography.
Melbourne Beach (Spessard Holland South)
Great day for sunbathing.
Oceanfront Park Beach (Boynton Beach)
Great day for sunbathing.
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Great day for sunbathing.
Captiva Island Beach (Alison Hagerup Beach Park)
Great day for sunbathing.
Sanibel Island Beach
Great day for sunbathing.
Caladesi Island State Park
Decent day for sunbathing.
Vero Beach
Decent day for sunbathing.
Bahia Honda State Park
Decent day for sunbathing.
Marco Island Beach
Decent day for sunbathing.
Cumberland Island National Seashore
Decent day for sunbathing.
Cannon Beach (Haystack Rock)
Ideal for photography.
Ecola State Park
Ideal for photography.
Nehalem Bay State Park
Ideal for photography.
Cape Lookout State Park
Ideal for photography.
Hug Point State Recreation Site
Ideal for photography.
Yachats State Recreation Area
Ideal for photography.
Bandon Beach (Face Rock)
Great day for photography.
Long Beach (Washington)
Great day for photography.
Cape Disappointment State Park
Great day for photography.
Parker Dam State Park
Mixed conditions today.
Jupiter Beach
Decent day for sunbathing.
Sebastian Inlet State Park
Decent day for sunbathing.
Bathtub Reef Beach (Hutchinson Island)
Decent day for sunbathing.
Ocean Reef Park (Singer Island)
Decent day for sunbathing.
Sombrero Beach
Decent day for sunbathing.
Grayton Beach State Park
Mixed conditions today.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Mixed conditions today.
Hamlin Beach State Park
Decent day for photography.
Perdido Key State Park
Skip the beach today.
Henderson Beach State Park
Skip the beach today.
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
Skip the beach today.
Lovers Key State Park
Skip the beach today.
Nye Beach (Newport, OR)
Skip the beach today.
Tawas Point State Park
Skip the beach today.
Third Beach (La Push)
Skip the beach today.
Shi Shi Beach
Skip the beach today.
Hobuck Beach
Skip the beach today.
Wilderness State Park
Skip the beach today.
Kalaloch Beach
Skip the beach today.
Ruby Beach
Skip the beach today.
Rialto Beach
Skip the beach today.
First Beach (La Push)
Skip the beach today.
Second Beach (La Push)
Skip the beach today.
Selkirk Shores State Park
Skip the beach today.
Headlands Beach State Park
Skip the beach today.
Presque Isle State Park
Skip the beach today.
Sandy Island Beach State Park (Sandy Pond)
Skip the beach today.