All Beaches

The Virginia half of Assateague Island, accessed through Chincoteague. Miles of wild Atlantic beach, the iconic Chincoteague ponies (differe...

Mountain lake beach at Lake Habeeb, not technically Chesapeake (freshwater mountain lake), but included because it's one of the best swimmin...

A 786-acre state park on the Chesapeake Bay near the Bay Bridge. The swimming beach is the most popular day-use beach on the upper Bay, with...

A 100-acre former military fort on the Patapsco River where it meets the Bay. Small protected beach, fishing pier, hawk watch, and stunning ...

A 77-acre Anne Arundel park on the South River at Mayo Peninsula. Includes a beach, fishing pier, and woodland trails. Requires an advance p...

Restored nature park with a 0.5-mile sandy beach, wetlands, and meadow trails. Low-key, quiet, and requires advance reservations which keeps...

A 236-acre park on the Bay in Pasadena with rocky beach, fishing pier, dog beach, walking trails, and a formal garden. Swimming is not permi...

Part of Gunpowder Falls State Park. A 1,500-foot sandy swim beach on Dundee Creek with lifeguards, bathhouse, and paddle boat rentals. Popul...

A 375-acre Baltimore County park with a small swim beach, boat launch, dog park, and fishing pier on Back River. A genuine neighborhood beac...

Boat-access-only island state park in the upper Chesapeake. A full mile of sandy beach and primitive camping only reachable by private boat....

A 1,310-acre Baltimore County state park on a peninsula where the Patapsco meets the Bay. Site of the Battle of North Point in the War of 18...

A charming Chesapeake Bay town with a 0.5-mile boardwalk, sandy beach, fishing pier, and walkable downtown full of restaurants, ice cream, a...

A hidden gem in Chesapeake Beach known for fossil hunting along the cliffs. Low-key, less crowded than Calvert Cliffs State Park, and still ...

A 1/2-mile sandy Calvert County beach with a netted swimming area (jellyfish barrier), fishing pier, and on-site campground. One of the few ...

World-famous for Miocene-era fossils. A 1.8-mile hike through woodlands leads to a small beach at the base of the cliffs where you can sift ...

327-acre Calvert County park with 3,000 feet of sandy beach, fossil cliffs, freshwater ponds, and wooded trails. Closer to the water than Ca...

Small community beach next to the Cove Point Lighthouse. Access is through the Calvert County Park Office — passes required — but worth it f...

560-acre archaeological park on the Patuxent River with a sandy beach, museum of Maryland archaeology, and 3+ miles of trails. The beach is ...

A 260-acre park on the Patuxent River with a small sandy beach, fishing pier, canoe/kayak launch, and several miles of wooded trails. Quiet ...

A 107-acre park on the Choptank River at Watts Creek. Freshwater-tidal river beach, camping, boat ramp, and some of the best inland-bay bird...

At the very top of the Chesapeake Bay where freshwater inflow is highest — minimal jellyfish, good swimming. Home to the Turkey Point Lighth...

A rare Chesapeake beach with minimal jellyfish due to freshwater inflow from the Sassafras River. 300 feet of sandy swimming beach plus 700 ...

A historic Chesapeake Bay steamboat resort destination that is now a quiet waterfront community. Public beach access, marina, and a couple o...

Small-town Chesapeake charm. Rock Hall Town Beach is a compact sandy stretch in the heart of a working waterman town known for crab houses, ...

A 2,285-acre island refuge at the mouth of the Chester River. Several beach-access trails through woods lead to quiet shoreline. Not a swimm...

A 733-acre Virginia park on the Rappahannock River near its mouth at the Bay. Seven miles of shoreline, salt-marsh and forest trails, kayak ...

562-acre Virginia Eastern Shore state park facing west across the lower Chesapeake. Famous for the "concrete ships" — nine WWII-era concrete...

Half-mile sandy beach fronting the historic Eastern Shore town of Cape Charles. Renovated waterfront, restaurants, a working harbor, and gen...

A 298-acre natural area on the Virginia Eastern Shore with 50-foot dunes, over a mile of quiet Bay beach, and a forested trail in. No amenit...

Small sandy public beach at the northernmost tip of Virginia's Northern Neck, where the Potomac empties into the Bay. Across the water from ...

Kent Island beach with a dedicated off-leash dog beach and fishing pier. Sits in the shadow of the Bay Bridge with dramatic views. One of th...

276-acre nature park at the foot of the Bay Bridge on Kent Island. 4,000 feet of sandy beach, wetlands, trails, and dramatic Bay Bridge view...

A 3,100-acre park on the lower Eastern Shore, much of it a salt-marsh island accessible only by boat or kayak. Camping, kayak trails through...

A 13,000-acre WMA on the lower Eastern Shore with extensive salt marsh, some sandy beach access, and world-class waterfowl viewing. Skipjack...

Southernmost tip of Maryland's western shore, where the Potomac meets the Chesapeake. 1,100 acres of beaches, marshland, Civil War history (...

Delaware's "Nation's Summer Capital." A 1-mile boardwalk, tax-free outlet shopping, a thriving restaurant scene, and classic Atlantic beach....

Delaware's party beach, just south of Rehoboth. Small town, big nightlife, young crowd. Also unusually dog-friendly for an Atlantic beach — ...

Family-focused Delaware beach town. No alcohol on the beach, a small quiet boardwalk (about a half mile), and a reputation for being the cal...

The Delaware state park just north of the Maryland line. Quieter than the resort towns, with three miles of undeveloped beach. Good surfing ...

The Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic at Cape Henlopen — 5,193 acres of dunes, maritime forest, and protected beaches. WWII watchtowers still ...

Delaware Bay (not ocean) beach in the historic town of Lewes. Calmer than Atlantic beaches, shallower water, friendly to families with small...

Six miles of Atlantic coastline and Rehoboth Bay frontage between Dewey Beach and Bethany. Family-oriented with two lifeguarded swim areas (...

The inlet connecting Indian River Bay to the Atlantic, spanned by the 2,600-foot Indian River Inlet Bridge. A major fishing destination — su...

A historic Eastern Shore community with a small sandy beach near the former ferry landing that once connected Claiborne to Baltimore. Tiny, ...

A small sandy town beach in the historic village of Oxford, a waterman community on the Tred Avon River. Walking distance to restaurants and...

Small sandy access point on the Miles River in St. Michaels. More a spot for wading, watching boats, and eating crab cakes from nearby resta...

1,321-acre park on the Virginia side of the Potomac, a mile downriver from George Washington's birthplace. Swim beach, fossil beach (Miocene...

Virginia town on the Potomac with two miles of sandy beach — the state's second-longest public beach after Virginia Beach. Small-town vibe, ...

Two miles of undeveloped Atlantic beach on the Maryland side of Assateague Island. Wild ponies roam freely. Camping is beachfront. Dramatica...

Maryland's main Atlantic resort town. 10 miles of free public beach, 3-mile boardwalk, hundreds of restaurants, amusement rides, and the bea...

The federally managed Maryland side of Assateague. Wilder and quieter than the state park, with OSV (over-sand vehicle) access, wilderness c...

Small sandy beach on Chincoteague Bay in the unincorporated Eastern Shore community of Public Landing. Calm water, quiet, and a great altern...

Coastal bay wildlife area on the back bay behind Ocean City. Not a swim beach but a superb kayak put-in with marsh paddling and bird-watchin...