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...

340-acre Anne Arundel park on the South River in Annapolis. No swim beach, but home to one of the region's best off-leash dog beaches, plus ...

Undeveloped 477-acre state park on a peninsula between the Rhode River and Chesapeake Bay in Shady Side. A 1-mile trail through pine forest ...

The barrier-island beach town just north of Atlantic City — miles of quieter family sand, a vehicle-access beach on the north end for surf f...

The original American boardwalk — six miles of it, open 24/7, free, and fronted by casinos, resorts, theme parks, Boardwalk Hall, and Steel ...

Atlantic City's calm residential neighbor — a 1.5-mile wooden boardwalk that continues directly from AC's with none of the commercial frenzy...

Lucy the Elephant's hometown — the oldest surviving roadside animal attraction in America, a 65-foot elephant-shaped building you can tour, ...

Alabama's flagship public beach — wide sugar-white quartz sand at the south end of AL-59. The Hangout (the local landmark restaurant/concert...

The east-side AL gulf beach community, less commercial than Gulf Shores — wider beach, condo-and-rental territory, the Wharf shopping/entert...

7,000-acre coastal refuge protecting some of Alabama's last undisturbed barrier-island habitat. Pine Beach Trail leads roughly two miles thr...

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...

The boating side of Gunpowder Falls State Park's Dundee Creek Area, separate from Hammerman's swim beach. Public boat ramps, kayak/canoe/jon...

A small Baltimore County neighborhood park on Frog Mortar Creek in Essex, just off Middle River. Sandy strand, pier, boat ramp, and pavilion...

A 20-acre Baltimore County park at the mouth of Back River in Essex, with small sandy shoreline, fishing pier, and pavilions. Back River wat...

A 10-mile barrier beach on Cape Cod's outer arm, managed by the town of Orleans. Big Atlantic surf, white-shark advisories taken seriously, ...

A National Park Service beach in the Cape Cod National Seashore at Eastham. Often ranked among Dr. Beach's top US beaches. No private cars a...

A Cape Cod National Seashore beach in Wellfleet — named for Guglielmo Marconi, who sent the first transatlantic wireless message from this e...

The tip of Cape Cod — where the Atlantic and Cape Cod Bay meet. Whale watching from shore is realistic (humpbacks feed within a few hundred ...

A south-facing Cape Cod beach in Centerville with the warmest Cape water (no Labrador Current — this side faces Nantucket Sound). Long-time ...

A mile and a half of south-facing sand on Nantucket Sound, separated from a salt marsh by a long parking lot that holds over a thousand cars...

The bayside Dennis beach famous for its tidal flats — at low tide the sand stretches a half mile out, leaving warm pools that families wade ...

A six-mile barrier beach on Cape Cod Bay backed by one of the largest dune systems in New England, with a guarded swim area (Bodfish Beach) ...

The dramatic, ever-shifting beach below Chatham Light, where breaks in the offshore barrier let the Atlantic roll right in. Stunning to walk...

A north Falmouth beach on Buzzards Bay with warm, calm water and a sandbar that lets kids wade out far at low tide. Two parking areas split ...

Twenty-seven miles of white sand and emerald Gulf — the spring break and summer family scene of the Florida Panhandle. Pier Park is the cent...

A tiny self-described "Unforgettable Coast" town east of Panama City — wiped flat by Hurricane Michael in 2018 and rebuilding ever since. Wi...

Twelve miles of hard-packed Atlantic sand on a wooded barrier island — golf-cart-and-bike-path infrastructure, master-planned-resort charact...

451-acre Shawnee Lake ten miles west of historic Bedford along US 30. Sand-and-turf swim beach, modern bathhouses, 3.5-mile lakeside trail, ...

Three miles of southwest-Michigan Lake Michigan beach plus 260-foot dunes you can run down (Tower Hill is the climbing favorite). The closes...

A small Brazoria County beach village just south of Freeport — drivable sand, a fishing pier, and one of the more consistent Texas surf brea...

The Space Coast's flagship beach — 5 miles of Atlantic sand within sight of Kennedy Space Center rocket launches. The Cocoa Beach Pier and R...

Just north of Cocoa Beach near Port Canaveral — quieter, more residential, and the closest public beach for rocket-launch viewing. Jetty Par...

A quiet Brevard County barrier-island town just south of Indian Harbour Beach. Spessard Holland South Beach Park anchors public access — fre...

A 3-mile barrier-island park straddling the inlet between Brevard and Indian River counties — Florida's most famous surf break (First Peak /...

The Bronx's only public beach — a 1.1-mile crescent of imported sand on Long Island Sound, carved out of Pelham Bay Park by Robert Moses in ...

A 7-mile stretch of South Florida beach with the central beachfront Promenade redesigned in the 1980s into the wave-shaped wall that everyon...

A 2.5-mile-long broadwalk (no, that's not a typo — Hollywood spells it "Broadwalk") of brick and concrete fronting the beach, packed with bi...

A Blue Wave–certified one-mile stretch with nine lifeguard towers and the International Fishing Pier as the centerpiece. The Cove restaurant...

The Pompano Beach Fishing Pier is open 24 hours and anchors the "Fishing Village" redevelopment — Oceanic restaurant on the pier, the Pier 6...

A primarily residential barrier-island town with over eight miles of clean, gently sloping beach, Holden Beach is a family-oriented communit...

With 65 public beach access points—more than any other coastal community in the Carolinas—Oak Island offers easy beach entry along its full ...

The southernmost barrier-island town in North Carolina, Sunset Beach is reached by a short bridge and is known for its laid-back atmosphere,...

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 small Calvert County public beach — roughly 300 feet of soft sand on the Bay just north of Prince Frederick. Quiet, understated, and a wel...

Solomons Island's waterfront — a riverwalk/boardwalk along the Patuxent with boat ramp, fishing pier, and walkable access to the Calvert Mar...

1,600-acre Glendale Lake with nine public boat launches, three mooring facilities for sailboats and pontoons, and a full marina. Sand beach ...

Georgia's largest barrier island, accessible only by passenger ferry from St. Marys, Cumberland is a near-pristine 17-mile wilderness of und...

The southernmost beach town in Texas — 34 miles of barrier-island sand fronting clear Gulf water, a popular spring-break destination, but fa...

A wild, undeveloped Gulf beach at the southernmost tip of Texas, where State Highway 4 dead-ends into the sand just north of the Rio Grande....

"America's Greatest Family Resort" — 8 miles of lifeguarded Atlantic beach, a 2.5-mile boardwalk with amusement parks, arcades, Johnson's Po...

A paved oceanfront Promenade (no wooden boardwalk) from 29th to 57th Street, five miles of lifeguarded Atlantic sand, and a compact walkable...

"Cooler by a Mile" — Avalon juts a mile further east into the Atlantic than neighboring towns, catching cooler breezes. Quiet residential st...

Avalon's southern sister — same high dunes, same quiet residential character, plus the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary (a herons-and-egrets rook...

The Wildwoods' centerpiece — 2.5-mile boardwalk packed with amusement piers (Morey's), arcades, fried-food stands, and the famous wide white...

North end of Wildwood Island with the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse (1874) on its tip — beautiful Victorian grounds, seaside garden, and a disti...

The southern, family-focused section of the Wildwoods — no boardwalk (it ends at Cresse Ave), quieter, residential, still with the signature...

America's oldest seaside resort and a National Historic Landmark — a Victorian town of 600+ gingerbread homes, tree-lined streets, the Washi...

244 acres at the southernmost tip of NJ where the Atlantic meets Delaware Bay — anchored by the 1859 Cape May Lighthouse (199 steps to the t...

A working-class Lower Township community on the Delaware Bay with free public access to the beach from every east-west street. Calm Bay wate...

A secluded two-mile Delaware Bay beach in Middle Township — NJ DEP-owned and one of the most important horseshoe crab spawning and red knot ...

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...

The easternmost town on Bogue Banks and the gateway to Fort Macon State Park, Atlantic Beach is the busiest Crystal Coast beach town, anchor...

Occupying the western 12 miles of Bogue Banks, Emerald Isle is a family-focused beach town with broad public accesses featuring picnic pavil...

A small, low-key town in the middle of Bogue Banks straddling the Salter Path community, Indian Beach offers one of the quietest stretches o...

A 56-mile string of undeveloped barrier islands stretching from Ocracoke Inlet to Beaufort Inlet, Cape Lookout is reached only by ferry. It ...

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

Town-run park at the head of the Chesapeake where the North East River empties in. Small sandy/grassy shoreline, fishing pier, pavilion, and...

A historic colonial-town waterfront park on the Northeast River with a small sandy beach, pier, and pavilion. Charlestown dates to 1742, and...

A town park on the east bank of the Susquehanna directly across from Havre de Grace. Shoreline access, boat ramp, fishing pier, trails, and ...

Rugged, undeveloped 180-acre state park on Wades Bay along the Potomac. The draw is the half-mile beach at the bottom of a short wooded trai...

A quiet 253-acre Charles County park on Nanjemoy Creek near its mouth on the Potomac. Small sandy shoreline, kayak launch, fishing pier, and...

A 2,225-acre undeveloped state park with roughly three miles of Potomac shoreline. There is no designated swim beach — access is via hiking ...

An undeveloped 600-acre state park on the Port Tobacco River (a Potomac tributary) five miles south of La Plata. Natural sand boat launch, k...

Charleston's beach — 15 minutes from downtown, scrappy-surfer character, the 1,049-foot Edwin S. Taylor Folly Beach Fishing Pier (rebuilt 20...

A seven-mile Charleston-area barrier island — wide, gradually-sloping beach with warmer water than the Lowcountry inland sound. Family-renta...

Charleston's upmarket barrier island — Fort Moultrie at the south tip, Battery Gadsden, large historic cottages, and an enforced quiet beach...

Savannah's beach — 18 miles east of downtown, a 5-mile barrier island with the historic Tybee Island Light Station (active since 1736), the ...

A pebble-and-driftwood beach on the north side of the Quillayute River mouth, across from First Beach La Push. The 1.5-mile walk north to Ho...

The most accessible of the three La Push beaches — on the Quileute Reservation at the south side of the Quillayute River mouth, with James I...

A 0.7-mile forest trail (80-ft drop) descends from La Push Rd through coastal Sitka spruce to one of the most photographed beaches on the Ol...

The longest hike of the three La Push beaches — 1.4 miles through fog-shrouded coastal forest down to a wide crescent beach with sea stacks ...

A 2-mile wilderness beach in the far northwest of Olympic NP, ending at the Point of the Arches — a 30-stack archipelago and one of the most...

A wide, flat 2-mile sand crescent on the Makah Reservation at the far northwest corner of the Lower 48 — one of the few PNW beaches gentle e...

Oregon's iconic coastal beach — the 235-foot Haystack Rock sea stack at low tide reveals a tide-pool wonderland with sea stars, anemones, an...

Oregon's oldest resort town — a 1.5-mile promenade ("the Prom"), the Seaside Aquarium (1937, the oldest privately-owned aquarium on the West...

A 9-mile stretch of Oregon coastal headland between Cannon Beach and Seaside — high cliff overlooks at Ecola Point, the secluded Indian Beac...

A 43-acre cove beach 5 miles south of Cannon Beach, named for the stagecoaches that had to "hug" the rocks around the point at low tide — wa...

A 968-acre park in the Moshannon State Forest with a sand beach on 20-acre Parker Lake. Max depth five feet at the buoy line. Rustic cabins,...

One of South Carolina's oldest state parks, Edisto Beach State Park stretches along 1.5 miles of Atlantic shoreline backed by 4 miles of ADA...

North Naples' main public beach — a wide stretch of sugar-white sand fronting the Ritz-Carlton Naples and Vanderbilt Beach Resort. The 375-s...

A 10-mile Gulf beach that fronts one of Florida's wealthiest towns — wide white sand, the Naples Pier at the heart, and immaculately maintai...

The largest of the Ten Thousand Islands at the north edge of the Everglades — Marco's 4-mile Gulf-facing Tigertail Beach and the wider South...

The most famous of Chicago's 26 lakefront beaches — at the foot of the Gold Coast where Lake Shore Drive bends west. Wide sand, the iconic C...

Chicago's flagship beach — a half-mile of sand just south of Lincoln Park, the ocean-liner-shaped beach house with a rooftop restaurant, and...

Chicago's largest beach — a wide arc of sand at the south end of Lincoln Park's Montrose Point. The Montrose Dog Beach is one of the few off...

A small crescent of sand tucked just south of the Adler Planetarium on Northerly Island in Burnham Park — sheltered by the planetarium and N...

A wide South Side beach in Bronzeville, renamed Margaret T. Burroughs Beach in 2015 for the African-American artist and historian who co-fou...

Hyde Park's neighborhood beach in Jackson Park, a short walk from the Museum of Science and Industry and the University of Chicago....

A Jackson Park beach defined by its 1919 Classical Revival beach house — a National Register pavilion with a colonnaded courtyard, interacti...

Edgewater's family beach — half a mile of sand at the far north end of Lincoln Park where Foster Avenue meets the lake....

A small beach in Streeterville next to Jane Addams Memorial Park — its unusual east-facing orientation behind the breakwater makes it the ca...

The most dramatic sea-stack beach in Oregon — Face Rock, Wizard's Hat, Cat and Kittens, and dozens more offshore monoliths protected as Oreg...

696-acre park on South Mountain at the Appalachian Trail's halfway point — the AT Museum is on-site. Two swim lakes: 1.7-acre Fuller Lake (l...

"The Weakfish Capital of the World" — a tiny Cumberland County Bay community with a public swim/wade beach, boat ramps, and a working fishin...

A remote Cumberland County Bay community — horseshoe crab sanctuary and Nature Conservancy-protected shoreline. Unpaved access roads flood a...

A mile of fine sand 8 miles south of Portland — close enough to be the city's default beach day, sheltered enough that the water warms a few...

The end of the paved road on the OBX — and the start of the 4WD-only Carova beaches where the wild Spanish mustang herd roams. Quietest of t...

A wide sand beach at the mouth of the Wild and Scenic Rogue River — named for the 1850s placer gold once washed from the sands. Gateway to R...

Oregon's southernmost coastal state park, 5 miles from the California border. Sandy beach studded with sea stacks including Bird Island (Goa...

Cleveland's in-town flagship beach — 2,400 feet of sand (1,000 ft of guarded swim area) on the Lake Erie shore just west of downtown, with t...

A 33-acre City of Euclid park on Lake Erie east of Cleveland — Sims Beach is a strolling and scenic beach (swimming, wading, and boat launch...

The heart of the Outer Banks — 11 miles of wide Atlantic sand fronted by Beach Road. Soundside one block back, Jockey's Ridge State Park (th...

The northern Outer Banks beach where the Wright Brothers first flew — though the actual flight was inland at Kill Devil Hills. Quieter and m...

Between Kitty Hawk and Nags Head — site of the actual Wright Brothers National Memorial. Five miles of Atlantic beach, busy commercial strip...

The upscale North Beaches village — boutique shops, a soundside boardwalk, and large rental homes set behind dunes. Beach access is via wood...

70 miles of barrier-island beach from south of Nags Head to Ocracoke — the first national seashore (authorized 1937, established 1953). Wild...

Wisconsin's most-visited state park (since 1909) — 3,776 acres on the Green Bay side of Door County with 8 miles of shoreline, the 1868 Eagl...

The tallest sand dunes in Wisconsin (Old Baldy tops 93 ft) along the Lake Michigan side of Door County. Long, open beach with serious rip-cu...

A small Door County park immediately adjacent to Whitefish Dunes, famous for limestone sea caves carved into Lake Michigan dolomite cliffs a...

A Cambridge waterfront park at the end of Somerset Avenue on the Choptank River. Small sandy beach, boat ramp, docks, playgrounds, pavilions...

The most-developed beach east of Jacksonville — wide hard-packed sand, the Jacksonville Beach Pier, the SeaWalk Pavilion with summer events,...

The quieter middle sibling between Jacksonville Beach and Atlantic Beach — a 1.5-mile residential beach community with a walkable village ce...

The northernmost of the three Jacksonville beach towns — bordered by the Mayport Naval Station and Hanna Park on the north end (where the su...

A mile of beach on Little Traverse Bay just outside Petoskey — one of the most reliable places on earth to find Petoskey stones (Michigan's ...

26 miles of undeveloped Lake Michigan shoreline at the very tip of the Lower Peninsula, 11 miles west of Mackinaw City. Designated a Dark Sk...

A 3,112-acre arching sand peninsula into Lake Erie, 4 miles west of the city — home to **13 beaches** and the only surf swimming in Pennsylv...

A mile-long Lake Erie beach attached to one of America's largest amusement parks (Cedar Point opened in 1870). Sand is open to the public wi...

A 290-acre undeveloped barrier-island park on the Florida–Alabama line west of Pensacola — sugar-white quartz sand, sea oats, and the federa...

The flagship Gulf Islands National Seashore beach on Santa Rosa Island — sugar-white quartz sand, emerald-clear Gulf water, and the Blue Ang...

Four miles of barrier-island sand on Ipswich Bay, managed by the Trustees of Reservations. Wide, gradual slope, fine white sand, and a 1,200...

A protected, shallow-bottomed Gloucester beach where the tide pulls way out and kids can wade for what feels like forever. Granite outcrops ...

A half-mile of sand in East Gloucester with Salt Island just offshore — at low tide a sandbar appears and you can walk out. Open-ocean swell...

A small Manchester-by-the-Sea beach famous for its squeaky "singing" sand — drag your foot and you hear it. Walkable from the commuter-rail ...

The southern tip of Plum Island, a 77-acre state reservation reached only through Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Sand, salt marsh, a...

Massachusetts' northernmost state beach: nearly four miles of sand at the mouth of the Merrimack River with one of the largest oceanfront st...

Connecticut's first state park: a mile and a half of Long Island Sound beach with two lots, a 9/11 memorial grove, and views all the way to ...

Norwalk's flagship beach: three-quarters of a mile of Sound shoreline with a splash pad, playground, skate park, and sailing school all in o...

Westport's mile-plus town beach on Long Island Sound, anchored by twin Civil War cannons and a long curve of soft sand. A skatepark, playgro...

A 22-mile undeveloped barrier island in the Forgotten Coast — Big Bend area between Panama City and Tampa Bay. St. George Island State Park ...

43-acre Hunting Creek Lake in the William Houck area, with three designated sandy swim beaches and lifeguards daily Memorial Day–Labor Day. ...

1,085-acre park in Fulton County's Allens Valley around a 42-acre lake. 500-foot sand beach open late May–late September, 8 AM to sunset. Li...

Galveston Island's east-end public beach, also called Apffel Park — and one of the few Texas beaches where alcohol is permitted on the sand ...

Galveston's family-oriented headline beach at the east end of the Seawall — no alcohol (unlike East Beach), wide sand, sand-castle tournamen...

The 10-mile-long Galveston Seawall — built after the 1900 hurricane, now lined with public beaches every few blocks, plus the Galveston Isla...

The main public beach on the Bolivar Peninsula, reached from Galveston via the free Bolivar Ferry. Drivable, dog-friendly, less crowded than...

A laid-back West End beach inside the small incorporated city of Jamaica Beach, about 17 miles down the island from the Seawall. One of the ...

A wide, low-key beach fronting the Pirates Beach and Pirates Beach West neighborhoods on Galveston's west end, between 12 Mile and 13 Mile R...

Maryland's largest freshwater lake — 3,900 acres in the Alleghenies. Two sandy swim beaches with a shower house and changing stations, 20 mi...

365-acre Garrett County park around a 53-acre mountain lake. Sandy lifeguarded swim beach in season, 20 furnished log cabins for year-round ...

455 acres around a 13-acre mountain lake four miles south of Grantsville. Sandy swim beach on the east side, 11 rustic cabins, snack bar at ...

A 140-acre Town of Oakland lake — built in 1972 as the town reservoir, now a full-on recreation park. Sandy beach and swim area, three playg...

One of the oldest summer resorts on the East Coast, Pawleys Island is a narrow 4-mile barrier island known for its weathered cypress cottage...

An unincorporated stretch of the Hammock Coast just north of Pawleys Island, Litchfield Beach is a quiet, mostly residential strand with 15 ...

One of Georgia's Golden Isles — a state-owned barrier island whose historic district was the winter retreat of Rockefellers, Morgans, and Va...

The largest of Georgia's Golden Isles — a wooded barrier island with a charming village near the St. Simons Lighthouse, miles of bike paths,...

A 6-mile beach on the south shore of Grays Harbor — drivable sand, the central canal system from Ocean Shores' planned-community 1960s desig...

A 560-acre day-use park named for the 107-ft Grays Harbor (Westport) Lighthouse — tallest in Washington, built 1898. The 1.3-mile ADA-access...

A 172-acre camping park 3 miles south of Westport, with 8,300 ft of beach frontage on a flat sandy shoreline famous for razor-clam digging i...

A small 10-acre oceanfront park in the village of Pacific Beach, on a 2,300-ft stretch of beach popular for razor clamming, beachcombing, an...

The hook of land jutting into the Gulf at Florida's Forgotten Coast — Salinas Park sits at the base of Cape San Blas with both gulfside and ...

The skinny barrier peninsula north of Cape San Blas — repeatedly ranked among "Dr. Beach's" top US beaches. Nine miles of undeveloped Gulf s...

Hampton's historic Bay beach — family-oriented, wide sand, calm water, public fishing pier, and one of the only Hampton Roads beaches with a...

A sandy, walkable beach stretching along Beach Boulevard in Old Town Bay St. Louis, anchored by the Washington Street Pier and boat launch. ...

A small pocket of crushed shell and quartz tucked between pink-granite headlands on the Park Loop Road, with water that rarely climbs out of...

A Harford County park on a peninsula jutting into the Bush River near its mouth at the Chesapeake. Sandy shoreline for wading, boat ramp, fi...

A 107-acre Harford County park at the confluence of the Gunpowder and Little Gunpowder Rivers. Wooded trails, a kayak launch, fishing pier, ...

A compact Joppatowne community park on the Gunpowder River with a small beach-access area, fishing pier, and boat ramp. Neighborhood-scale a...

A half-mile wooden boardwalk along the Susquehanna's mouth connecting Tydings Memorial Park to the Concord Point Lighthouse. No real swim be...

A 26-mile man-made sand beach along the Mississippi Gulf Coast from Pass Christian to Biloxi — restored after Hurricane Katrina to its curre...

The wider, less developed half of the Mississippi Gulf Coast public beach — Jones Park downtown, the Mississippi Aquarium near the harbor, a...

A long, calm stretch of white-sand shoreline along Scenic Drive in "The Pass," fronting the historic district and Rickey Levy Harbor. Genera...

A barrier island ~12 miles offshore in the Gulf Islands National Seashore, reached only by the seasonal Ship Island Excursions ferry out of ...

A half-mile crescent of fine white sand on the Big Island's leeward Kohala Coast — frequently named one of the best beaches in the United St...

One of the most accessible black-sand beaches in Hawaii — basalt sand from volcanic activity, fringed by coconut palms. Honu (green sea turt...

A quarter-mile arc of fine white sand fronting the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the Kohala Coast. Considered one of the Big Island's top swimmin...

The north section of Kekaha Kai State Park, just north of Kona Airport — vast golden sand, jewel-blue water, and a black-lava backdrop. Calm...

A crescent of white sand on the Kohala Coast fronting the Waikoloa Beach Resort, backed by two restored ancient Hawaiian fishponds. Honu hau...

One of only four green sand beaches on Earth — the color comes from olivine crystals eroded out of a 49,000-year-old tuff cone, Pu'u Mahana....

The most famous beach in the Pacific — a 2-mile strand fronting Honolulu's hotel district, the gentle reef-protected break that learners rid...

A half-mile of powder-soft sand on Oahu's windward side, looking out at the Mokulua Islands ("the Mokes"). Often ranked among the top beache...

A 2.5-mile crescent of soft sand on Oahu's windward side — wider, more facility-equipped, and family-friendlier than the more famous Lanikai...

The North Shore's iconic big-wave beach — winter swells from October to March can produce 30-50 foot faces, and the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Inv...

A 2-mile North Shore beach with deep surfing history — site of the Sunset Pro (WSL Qualifying Series, December) and longtime home of the Tri...

A protected volcanic crater bay on Oahu's southeast tip — the most famous snorkeling spot in Hawaii, with over 400 fish species in the calm ...

A 100-acre city park between Waikiki and downtown Honolulu with a half-mile of gold sand fronting a calm, reef-protected swimming channel. A...

An artificial peninsula on the Diamond Head end of Ala Moana Regional Park, completed in 1964. The man-made lagoon at its tip is walled off ...

A short, golden-sand beach on SE Oahu with one of the most punishing shore breaks in Hawaii — the wave folds directly onto hard-packed sand....

A pocket beach tucked under the 600-foot black lava cliffs at Oahu's easternmost point, opposite Manana (Rabbit) Island. Heavy shore break a...

Three miles of fine sand fronting an ironwood forest on Oahu's windward coast, sharing the beach with Bellows Air Force Station. The public ...

The last beach at the literal end of Farrington Highway on Oahu's far west coast, where the pavement runs out at Kaena Point State Park. Wid...

A quiet, undeveloped stretch of North Shore coast between Haleiwa and Kaena Point, across the road from Dillingham Airfield. Long sandy beac...

A 19-acre North Shore park at the mouth of the Anahulu River, anchoring the town of Haleiwa. Big monkeypod trees, a large grassy lawn, and a...

The most-visited beach destination on the East Coast — 60 miles of sand collectively called the "Grand Strand," anchored by Myrtle Beach pro...

The quieter northern half of the Grand Strand — four villages (Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach, Windy Hill) merged into one city. ...

A laid-back unincorporated beach community south of Surfside Beach, Garden City Beach straddles the Horry/Georgetown county line. Its center...

The main swim beach at 8,300-acre Raystown Lake — the largest lake entirely within Pennsylvania. Two sections: a shallow sandy area for kids...

300-foot sand beach on a small Rothrock State Forest impoundment south of State College. Beach volleyball court, bathhouse, and snack bar, p...

Three miles of Saginaw Bay/Lake Huron sand at the tip of Michigan's Thumb, just west of Port Austin. Designated a Dark Sky Preserve — except...

Sixteen miles of pristine, undeveloped barrier-island beach on Ocracoke Island — accessible only by ferry. The village at the south end is o...

A 26-mile barrier island that's quieter than the Space Coast and less developed than the Gold Coast — Vero is the polished old-Florida beach...

2,981 acres on the Kittanning Path, 12 miles east of Indiana PA. 720-acre Yellow Creek Lake with an 800-foot unguarded sand beach, changing ...

A 183-acre sand spit at the tip of Tawas Bay on Lake Huron — known as the "Cape Cod of the Midwest" for the constantly shifting point and an...

Louisiana's only state park on the Gulf — a barrier-island park at the eastern tip of Grand Isle with a 400-foot fishing pier, beach camping...

Texas's easternmost Gulf state park — nearly two miles of undeveloped beach paired with 4,000 acres of marsh. The Gambusia boardwalk threads...

A long flat sand beach along the southern Olympic National Park coast, 34 miles south of Forks — one of the few NPS beaches where dogs are a...

The northernmost beach in the Kalaloch stretch of Olympic National Park, named for the garnet-pink sand among the gray. Abbey Island looms o...

South Kauai's family-friendly beach — a double-crescent of sand divided by a tombolo (sandbar that connects to a small island at low tide). ...

A 2-mile crescent on Kauai's North Shore — green mountains rise straight out of the bay, the Hanalei River meets the ocean at the east end, ...

The wild western end of Kauai — 17 miles of dune-backed beach running up to the foot of the Na Pali Coast sea cliffs. The drive in is a 5-mi...

A reef-protected lagoon on Kauai's North Shore named for the underwater lava-tube tunnels that honeycomb the outer reef — among the best sho...

A protected reef-rimmed cove on Kauai's sunny south shore at Hanapepe — one of the calmest swimming beaches on the island. Named for the adj...

A quarter-mile of soft sand inside Nawiliwili Harbor in Lihue, fronting the Kauai Marriott Resort. The breakwater keeps the bay calm — easy ...

Two miles of shallow, protected lagoon behind one of the longest fringing reefs in the Hawaiian Islands — Kauai's safest year-round swimming...

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...

Rock Hall's town-run waterfront park on Swan Creek at the Chesapeake — a small sandy swim beach with some of the best westward Bay-Bridge-an...

A tiny Delaware Bay community behind Dover Air Force Base — roughly 30 houses and a handful of public parking spots. Official horseshoe crab...

A small Delaware Bay community beach three miles from Dover Air Force Base, similar in character to Pickering. Beachcombing, surf fishing, a...

The most developed Delaware Bay town in Kent County — restaurants, bars, boat rentals, and three town parks. At the mouth of the Murderkill ...

Across the Murderkill River from Bowers — quieter, residential, with a longer stretch of walkable sand and excellent surf fishing. Reached v...

A secluded Delaware Bay beach near Frederica with no marked public access, no facilities, and room for 2-3 cars at the beach-end of the road...

6,300+ acres of Delaware Bay shoreline, salt marsh, and tidal creeks near Smyrna — primarily a wildlife management area. Two boat ramps (cre...

340 acres of beach, salt marsh, and tidal creek on Delaware Bay east of Dover — best known for the state-run Port Mahon Fishing Pier (reopen...

A 66-acre pond at the center of the park plus a full-on water park with two speed slides, two spiral slides, a leisure pool, and a tot lot —...

Brooklyn's iconic 2.7-mile Riegelmann Boardwalk fronts nearly 3 miles of Atlantic beach backed by old-school amusement rides, Nathan's, and ...

A 0.7-mile stretch immediately east of Coney Island, quieter and more neighborhood than its neon neighbor. The boardwalk is lined with Russi...

A compact, tree-backed Brooklyn beach east of Brighton — calmer water, picnic tables, ballfields, and designated BBQ zones make it the famil...

70 miles of undeveloped barrier-island Gulf coast — the longest undeveloped stretch of barrier-island beach in the world. Kemp's ridley sea ...

Michigan City's flagship lakefront park — nearly two miles of Lake Michigan beach framed by dunes and the 1904 Michigan City East Pierhead L...

Ohio's longest natural sand beach — a mile of Lake Erie shoreline at the mouth of the Grand River in Mentor. The adjacent Headlands Dunes St...

A municipal park in Gary's Miller Beach neighborhood — 1.4 miles of white-sand Lake Michigan beach, dunes, lagoons, and oak savanna, entirel...

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 ...

A sheltered crescent cove at the foot of the 1894 Heceta Head Lighthouse — one of the most photographed scenes on the West Coast. The aquedu...

Oregon's second-largest state-park campground, tucked into the Oregon Dunes 3 miles south of Florence. Two freshwater lakes for swimming (Cl...

The end-of-the-road Captiva beach at the north tip of the island past South Seas — wide white sand, west-facing for spectacular sunsets, and...

The shelling capital of the world — Sanibel's east-west orientation collects shells from the Gulf onto every tide. The "Sanibel Stoop" is a ...

Estero Island's anchor — the central public beach next to the rebuilt-after-Ian Times Square pedestrian zone. The 560-foot fishing pier reop...

A four-island barrier-island park south of Fort Myers Beach — once reachable only by boat (hence the name; couples paddled out for privacy),...

The southernmost Lee County beach — the main Bonita Beach Park has lifeguards and pavilions, but the real draw for many is the adjacent Boni...

A National Lakeshore on the northeast Lake Michigan shore (northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Leelanau County) — 35 miles of beach, towe...

The village-run public beach in Empire — a 6.7-acre park where South Bar Lake meets Lake Michigan, with views straight out to South Manitou ...

The historic beach district of Newport — Hotel Sylvia (formerly Sylvia Beach Hotel, with author-themed rooms), Nye Beach Cafe culture, and t...

A crescent of fine white sand tucked into the rocky midcoast, run by Bristol Parks & Rec with a small admission. The water stays cold but th...

A rocky, ocean-front park at the mouth of the Yachats River — a tiny town ("at the foot of the mountain" in Siletz) wedged between Cape Perp...

A 2,700-acre USFS scenic area where the Coast Range plunges 800 feet straight into the Pacific — the highest viewpoint on the Oregon Coast (...

Eleven miles of bay-protected calm-water beach along the Long Beach harbor — sheltered by the breakwater that creates LA's busiest port. Bel...

The 2.5-mile Venice Boardwalk — Muscle Beach, the skate park, the basketball courts immortalized in "White Men Can't Jump," and a 24/7 stree...

Three and a half miles of wide sand fronting downtown Santa Monica — the iconic Santa Monica Pier with the 1922 carousel and Pacific Park am...

Two miles of wide Malibu sand — the largest county beach in LA. Big Pacific surf, fewer crowds than Santa Monica, and the dolphin pods are e...

A small, dramatic pocket beach in Malibu — sea stacks, sea caves, and arch rock formations make it the most photographed beach in California...

A 1.5-mile beach with sea caves, tide pools, an offshore reef break, and a campground in the canyon behind. Less polished than Zuma, wilder ...

Two miles of wide sand with the 1,300-foot Hermosa Beach Pier feeding directly into Pier Plaza's restaurants and bars. Home to the LA County...

Horseshoe-shaped Redondo Pier complex with restaurants, an arcade, and sportfishing docks, fronted by a wide sandy beach popular with surfer...

Three-mile beach in Pacific Palisades running from Santa Monica north to Sunset Boulevard. Site of the volleyball scenes from the original "...

Dramatic headland and adjacent Westward Beach famous from "Planet of the Apes." Sandstone cliffs, tidepools at low tide, and seasonal gray-w...

A 1,300-acre park on Maumee Bay just east of Toledo — two swim beaches (one on Lake Erie, one on the calmer inland lake), a 2-mile boardwalk...

The flagship public beach in the middle of Anna Maria Island — at the foot of the Manatee Avenue bridge from Bradenton, with full-day lifegu...

The south end of Anna Maria Island — a wide stretch of Gulf beach shaded by mature Australian pines (rare and beloved for the rare-in-Florid...

Longboat Key is 10 miles of mostly-private Gulf shoreline with about a dozen tiny public-access points scattered along Gulf of Mexico Drive ...

A 3.5-mile crescent in Marin County, half an hour over the headlands from the Golden Gate. One of the few northern California beaches actual...

A 323-acre city park on an oval peninsula jutting into Lake Superior at the north end of Marquette — pebble beaches (Black Rocks for the loc...

The main Martin County beach on the southern end of Hutchinson Island — wider than the Stuart-area beaches farther north, with the Elliott M...

The signature beach of southern Hutchinson Island — a natural Sabellariid worm reef just offshore breaks summer waves, creating a calm "bath...

A 5,300-acre Michigan DNR park wedged between Lake Michigan and 5,000-acre Hamlin Lake, with 7 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, dunes, and ...

A 23-mile drive-on Gulf beach at the mouth of the Colorado River, anchored on the west end by Jetty Park and the Matagorda Bay Nature Park. ...

Three miles of golden sand on West Maui — fronting the resort strip that put Maui on the global map in the 1960s. Black Rock at the north en...

A half-mile crescent of upscale South Maui beach, fronted by the Four Seasons and Grand Wailea resorts. Excellent snorkeling at the southern...

"Oneloa" — a 1.5-mile undeveloped beach in South Maui state park land. Shore-break can be powerful (broken-bone reputation in winter). Less ...

The windsurfing capital of the world — Hookipa's combination of steady trade winds, large reef-break waves, and a clifftop spectator lookout...

A long, wide sandy beach a mile west of Paia on Maui's north shore. The protected coves at each end — Baldwin Cove and Baby Beach — are calm...

A half-mile of golden sand on northwest Maui at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, repeatedly named one of America's best beaches by Dr. Beach. Less ...

A quarter-mile crescent of soft sand on West Maui, ringed by low-rise condos. A reef thirty yards out protects the bay; honu feed inside it ...

A 45-acre Marine Life Conservation District on Maui's northwest shore — no fishing, no taking anything. Summer brings 50-foot visibility and...

The southernmost and family-friendliest of the three Kamaole parks in Kihei — wide sandy beach, sheltered swimming, a sloping grass lawn for...

A protected, palm-fringed crescent between two rocky points on the Kapalua resort coast — repeatedly ranked among America's best beaches. Ca...

Former town dump (1906–1967) where decades of wave action polished broken bottles into smooth sea glass blanketing the cove. Part of MacKerr...

The most photographed beach in America — Ocean Drive's Art Deco district, the iconic candy-striped lifeguard towers, palm-tree-and-turquoise...

A 1.4-mile Miami-Dade county park between Bal Harbour and Sunny Isles — best known for two things: the designated off-leash dog beach (betwe...

A 2-mile beach on the north end of Key Biscayne — calm, shallow water shielded by a long sandbar, thirteen elevated lifeguard towers, and th...

The southern tip of Key Biscayne — a 400-acre state park anchored by the 1825 Cape Florida Lighthouse (oldest standing structure in Miami-Da...

Connecticut's largest shoreline state park — 2 miles of Long Island Sound beach in Madison. Calmer sound water (not open Atlantic), nature c...

Milwaukee's flagship Lake Michigan beach — a half-mile of sand below the East Side bluffs. The Dock at Bradford Beach (tiki bar), volleyball...

A 4,500-acre Corps of Engineers reservoir on the North Branch Potomac straddling WV and MD. Shaw Beach is the designated sandy swim area, re...

A 14-mile barrier island at the mouth of Mobile Bay — Civil War-era Fort Gaines, the Estuarium, and the quieter Alabama Gulf alternative. Th...

A 6-mile barrier-beach peninsula at the mouth of NY Harbor — part of Gateway National Recreation Area. Seven lettered beaches (A-E plus Nort...

The reborn Jersey Shore resort — Stone Pony and Convention Hall bookend a mile of boardwalk with mini-golf, splash parks, restaurants, and t...

1.3 miles of lifeguarded Monmouth County sand with a classic 1.3-mile boardwalk, bars and restaurants walking distance, and one of the bigge...

The "Irish Riviera" — a picturesque two-mile boardwalk along an affluent Jersey Shore town with manicured streets, grand Victorian homes, an...

A mile of Atlantic sand fronted by a small boardwalk, a rock jetty at the inlet that's one of the best surf breaks in NJ, and a walkable dow...

One of the few sandy-bottom beaches in the Florida Keys — most of the Keys have rocky or mangrove shoreline, but Bahia Honda has three actua...

Key West's longest beach — half a mile of imported sand fronting South Roosevelt Boulevard. Calm Atlantic water, food trucks at the east end...

Marathon's flagship free city beach — a wide curve of imported sand at the end of Sombrero Beach Road, palm-shaded picnic pavilions, and one...

A tiny Islamorada roadside beach at Mile Marker 73.5 with a 1,300-foot wooden boardwalk winding through the mangroves to a shallow tidal fla...

A Lake Ontario state park 25 miles west of Rochester with a mile of swimmable south-shore beach, the Devil's Nose bluffs at the east end, an...

The Big Sur beach with the famous Keyhole Arch and the purple-streaked sand (manganese garnet from the cliffs above). Reached via the narrow...

A wide crescent of fine white sand at the foot of Ocean Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea — backed by cypress trees and the village. Dramatic Mont...

A mile of crescent sand along Monterey Bay near Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row — calm bay water (the Pacific is sheltered by the Monterey...

6,000-acre resort state park on Cacapon Mountain in WV's Eastern Panhandle. 6-acre lake with a wide sandy swim beach, lifeguards, row and pa...

Nantucket's most popular south-shore beach: wide, with real Atlantic surf and a long soft-sand walk down from the parking lot. Concessions, ...

The far west end of Nantucket — heavy surf, strong rip currents, and the island's best sunset. Reachable by a 5.5-mile bike path from town; ...

Old-school Atlantic boardwalk city on a Nassau County barrier island, 50 minutes by LIRR from Penn Station. Three miles of white-sand munici...

The flagship Long Island ocean park: 6.5 miles of Atlantic beach across eight fields, a 2-mile boardwalk, and more than 6 million visitors a...

The northernmost barrier island in Florida — 13 miles of Atlantic beach with Spanish-moss-draped oaks, the historic seaport of Fernandina Be...

A DNREC access area on the Delaware River near Port Penn — free parking, a boat launch, restrooms, showers, and accessible beach access. Fis...

A 4-mile barrier-island beach 15 minutes east of Wilmington — one of the cleanest beaches in the Southeast (consistently rated A+ by NRDC). ...

A working-class North Carolina beach south of Wilmington with a 1950s amusement boardwalk vibe — Britt's Donuts (open since 1939), a fishing...

Quietest of the Pleasure Island beaches just south of Carolina Beach. The 711-foot Kure Beach Pier is the oldest on the Atlantic coast. NC A...

A half-mile crescent of sand on Long Island Sound with a striking 1930s WPA-era stone pavilion overlooking it. The 160-site campground in th...

A small Newport News city park on the east bank of the James River in historic Hilton Village. Small sandy shoreline and a James River fishi...

A Newport News waterfront park on the lower James River at Hampton Roads — small beach, public boat ramp, saltwater fishing pier, basketball...

7.3 miles of free Chesapeake Bay shoreline on Norfolk's north edge — three distinct beach parks (Ocean View Beach Park, Sarah Constant, Comm...

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 ...

Five miles of undeveloped Texas barrier-island Gulf beach — drivable south of the state park, walk-on within the park boundaries. The town o...

The fishing-village beach town at the north tip of Mustang Island — accessible via the free Port Aransas Ferry from Aransas Pass. Drivable b...

Home of Jenkinson's Boardwalk — the classic Jersey Shore experience with amusement park rides, an aquarium, arcades, mini-golf, and a mile o...

Mile-long boardwalk with rides, games, pizza joints, arcades, and the Funtown Pier — iconic Jersey Shore since forever (and the "Jersey Shor...

Seaside Heights' quieter southern neighbor — no boardwalk rides or arcades, just lifeguarded residential-town beach south to the gates of Is...

10 miles of virtually undeveloped barrier beach below Seaside Park — one of the last pristine stretches of Atlantic barrier on the East Coas...

The northern tip of Long Beach Island, anchored by "Old Barney" — the 1859 lighthouse you can climb (217 steps to the top) for panoramic vie...

The southern hub of Long Beach Island — restaurants, bars, the Fantasy Island amusement park, the Bay Village shops, and miles of lifeguarde...

A nearly 3,000-acre park with 3 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and nearly 2,000 acres of open sand dunes — the only dunes east of Utah whe...

The "World's Luckiest Fishing Village" — known for the deep East Pass into the Gulf which means trophy-class deep-water fish are reachable i...

A 208-acre slice of undeveloped sugar-white quartz sand right in the middle of Destin — 30-foot dunes, sea oats, and a mile of Gulf frontage...

The northernmost and least developed of the three Topsail Island towns, North Topsail Beach has a remote, dune-lined feel with miles of rela...

A mile of sand at the south end of Orange County — fronted by sandstone bluffs and the historic San Clemente Pier in town. Trestles surf bre...

California's first state beach (1931) — a mile of sand at Dana Point Harbor with a beachfront campground, the gentle Doheny surf break (ment...

The 1-acre pocket beach at the heart of Laguna's downtown village — basketball, volleyball, the historic 1930s lifeguard tower (Laguna's fir...

3.2 miles of sand and 2,400 acres of backcountry between Newport and Laguna — historic district of 1930s/40s beach cottages (some rentable),...

Six miles of Pacific sand on the Balboa Peninsula — two piers (Newport and Balboa), the iconic Balboa Pavilion and Fun Zone, the bodysurfing...

"Surf City USA" — 10 miles of broad sand fronted by the historic Huntington Beach Pier and the Main Street walkable village. U.S. Open of Su...

Three miles of state beach between Huntington and Sunset — quieter than Huntington Beach proper, fire rings allowed in the evening (a rare S...

Quiet, old-fashioned beach town centered on the 1,865-foot Seal Beach Municipal Pier. Sheltered by the Long Beach breakwater, the water here...

A 1,500-foot natural sand beach on Lake Ontario separating North/South Sandy Pond from the open lake — part of the Eastern Lake Ontario Dune...

A Lake Ontario state park where the Salmon River meets the lake — wooded campgrounds and cabins on bluffs above a sand-and-cobble beach, wit...

One of Michigan's most popular state-park beaches — wide Lake Michigan sand fronting the iconic "Big Red" Holland Harbor Lighthouse. Sunsets...

A 48-acre state park beach at the mouth of the Grand River — wide Lake Michigan sand, the iconic red Grand Haven South Pier Lighthouse at th...

A 28-mile sand peninsula along the Washington side of the Columbia River mouth — one of the longest drivable beaches in the United States. D...

Where Lewis and Clark first saw the Pacific in 1805 — the cape at the south end of the Long Beach Peninsula, two historic lighthouses (Cape ...

Jupiter's 2.5-mile main beach, with the iconic Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse (1860) at the north end and the dog-friendly Jupiter Beach to the so...

A 2-mile-long public beach at the heart of one of Florida's most walkable beach towns — Atlantic Avenue runs from the beach into a downtown ...

A West Palm Beach county park on the south end of Singer Island with a rock formation offshore that creates one of South Florida's most acce...

The municipal beach centered on the Lake Worth Pier — 1,300 feet long, the longest pier in Palm Beach County. The Casino Building (a 1922 Me...

A small town beach just south of Lake Worth Beach — Lantana Ocean Rescue is based here, all guards are also state-certified EMTs. The Dune D...

Boynton Beach's ocean park is actually in the Town of Ocean Ridge — a quiet residential stretch with a boardwalk through the dunes, full-day...

The central town on Topsail Island, Surf City is the busiest of the three Topsail communities, with a fishing pier, family-friendly restaura...

The quietest of the three Topsail Island towns, Topsail Beach occupies the south end of the island and is almost entirely residential, with ...

Florida's most-visited state park — a 4-mile barrier island at the end of the Dunedin Causeway. Bird-rich (osprey, herons, eagles) with an O...

A 3-mile undeveloped barrier island reachable only by ferry (from Honeymoon Island) or by private boat — "Dr. Beach" #1 USA in 2008. Soft wh...

Consistently ranked the #1 beach in America by Tripadvisor — 3 miles of sugar-white sand, calm Gulf water, the Pier 60 sunset celebration ni...

Seven miles of white-sand Gulf beach with the pink Don CeSar resort as its landmark. Less commercial than Clearwater Beach, more upscale tha...

The 61st U.S. national park (redesignated from a national lakeshore in 2019) — 15 miles of southern Lake Michigan shoreline with massive dun...

A 40-acre Queen Anne's park at the north end of Kent Island bordered by Kent Narrows, the Chester River, and Piney Creek. A 530-foot boardwa...

A Chester River marina with a sandy beach, pool, and beach bar — Key West-casual vibe 4 miles upriver from Chestertown. Beach is open to mar...

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...

The only legal surfing beach in NYC and the East Coast's longest urban beach, stretching roughly seven miles along the Rockaway Peninsula. D...

New Hampshire's flagship beach — a 1-mile sand strand backed by Ocean Boulevard, arcades, fried dough, free summer concerts at the Seashell ...

A crescent of pristine sand on the Rye coast, looking out at the Isles of Shoals 6 miles offshore. Quieter, prettier, and more upscale than ...

A small, sand-and-cobble beach in the heart of Rye Beach village — surfable on a north or east swell and one of New Hampshire's most consist...

A compact ocean-facing strip along NH-1A with a bathhouse and metered roadside parking, popular for its no-frills accessibility right off th...

Maine's first state-owned saltwater beach — 1.5 miles of barrier-island sand on the rugged Mid-Coast. Two beaches (Mile and Half-Mile), a sa...

A three-mile sweep of sand at the mouth of the Kennebec River where shifting channels and offshore islands rearrange the shoreline year to y...

Across the bay from downtown San Diego, fronting the iconic Victorian-era Hotel del Coronado. The sand contains mica which makes it sparkle ...

The mile-long sandy crescent that defines beach-day La Jolla — gentlest waves in San Diego county, the launch point for the kayak tour to th...

A small, dramatic cove with the clearest water in San Diego (part of the Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve and La Jolla Underwater Park). Cali...

A 2-mile boardwalk along a barrier sand bar between the Pacific and Mission Bay — Belmont Park amusement park at the south, residential beac...

The north end of the Mission/Pacific boardwalk continuous stretch — Crystal Pier at the heart, surf scene at the south end (PB Point), colle...

The southernmost beach city in California — 3 miles of sand 5 miles north of the Mexican border. Working-class surf town, the IB Pier, and f...

Quiet, upscale beach town between La Jolla and Encinitas — wide sand south of the racetrack (the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club horse races every...

Encinitas's main beach — a wide pocket of sand at the end of B Street with a grass picnic area on the bluff, beach volleyball, and the surf ...

A long, wide beach fronting downtown Carlsbad Village — sandstone bluffs to the north, the Power Plant Cove just south, and the 1.5-mile Car...

Three and a half miles of sand fronting Oceanside's revitalized downtown — the 1,942-foot Oceanside Pier (one of the longest wooden piers on...

Mile-long, gently sloping sandy beach next to Kellogg Park, prized for beginner surf lessons, kayaking to the sea caves, and family-friendly...

Bohemian beach town anchored by the half-mile Ocean Beach Pier (one of the longest concrete piers on the West Coast). Home to the famous off...

Popular reef break and longboard surf spot stretching along Old Highway 101 in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. Backed by the San Elijo Lagoon ecological...

Sprawling state beach famous for the world-class Trestles surf break and miles of undeveloped coastline below coastal bluffs. Includes Bluff...

A mile of San Francisco sand with the most iconic Golden Gate Bridge view in the city — the bridge towers straight ahead from the south end ...

Three and a half miles of broad sand along the western edge of San Francisco — wind, rip currents, and cold water make it unswimmable but th...

Twenty-three miles of wide, drivable Central Coast sand — Pismo State Beach allows ORV traffic in the southern Oceano Dunes area. The town h...

Three miles of state beach framed by the 581-foot volcanic plug of Morro Rock at the south end — one of the most iconic California coastal v...

Sheltered, south-facing cove in San Luis Bay known for some of the warmest water on the Central Coast. Anchored by the historic 1,685-foot w...

Wide sandy beach in the quiet town of Cayucos centered on a 953-foot wooden fishing pier originally built in 1875. Gentle surf and warm-ish ...

Four miles of beach along the San Mateo coast — Francis Beach (with the campground), Venice Beach, Dunes Beach, and Roosevelt Beach. The tow...

Crescent-shaped Linda Mar beach tucked into a coastal valley, one of the Bay Area's premier beginner surf spots. Backed by restaurants and s...

Mile-long beach billed as the "World's Safest Beach" for its gentle shelf and minimal rip currents. Year-round tidepools and a popular ocean...

South-facing crescent at the foot of the Santa Barbara bluffs next to the harbor. Calm water, a grassy park, and a beachfront restaurant mak...

Palm-lined cove on the Gaviota coast with a small creek mouth and a popular beachfront campground. Often paired with neighboring El Capitan ...

A half-mile of sand fronting the historic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk — California's oldest amusement park (1907), the Giant Dipper wooden co...

Compact sandy cove featuring an iconic natural sea-arch bridge and one of California's largest monarch butterfly overwintering groves (Oct–F...

Picturesque half-moon beach fronting the colorful Venetian Court cottages in Capitola Village, one of the oldest seaside resorts on the Paci...

A quieter Gulf Islands National Seashore beach between Pensacola Beach and Destin — "Florida's most relaxing beach" per the tourism board, a...

Sarasota's main public Gulf beach — at the south end of St. Armands Circle (the shopping/dining island). Year-round lifeguard staffing, a 25...

Famous for its 99% quartz sand — chemically pure, brilliantly white, and cool to the touch even in summer because quartz reflects heat rathe...

1,144 acres around 52-acre Locust Lake in the Ridge-and-Valley. Unguarded sand beach with max depth 5.5 feet (lifeguards discontinued 2008)....

1,600-acre Schuylkill County park built around 96-acre Tuscarora Lake. Sand beach with designated swim area and lifeguards 11 AM–7 PM throug...

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...

1,200-foot sand beach on 63-acre Laurel Hill Lake in the Laurel Highlands. Lifeguarded 11 AM–7 PM Memorial Day weekend–Labor Day. Maximum de...

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

A southeast-Michigan state park 10 miles north of Port Huron — the closest Great Lakes beach to Metro Detroit. The park is split into two un...

The Atlantic beach for America's oldest continuously-inhabited European city. Wide hard-packed sand (drivable in designated zones), the St. ...

Over 500 feet of Chesapeake shoreline in southern St. Mary's with unsupervised swimming, crabbing, and fishing. Large playground, picnic pav...

193 acres on a peninsula where the Patuxent estuary meets the Bay. Sandy beaches, soft kayak/canoe launch, ~2.5 miles of trails through wood...

Six acres on the Potomac anchored by Maryland's oldest lighthouse (1836). Small sandy beach, boardwalk, pier, and kayak launch with museum e...

62-acre island in the Potomac reachable only by water taxi from the St. Clement's Island Museum — the 1634 landing site of Maryland's first ...

A 596-acre working-farm state park with about a mile of Patuxent River shoreline, a small sandy beach, and miles of hiker/biker/equestrian t...

A newer 163-acre St. Mary's County waterfront park on the Patuxent River in Hollywood, opened after a Navy REPI partnership protected the pr...

Five miles of Atlantic beach at the western tip of Fire Island, reached by the Robert Moses Causeway from Babylon. Five numbered fields, a d...

NPS-managed barrier-island outpost reached only by ferry from Patchogue or by boat. Wilder and quieter than the state parks: a guarded swim ...

Suffolk County's largest oceanfront park, at the eastern end of Fire Island where the William Floyd Parkway crosses the Smith Point Bridge. ...

North Shore state park on Long Island Sound with a 3/4-mile beach and a three-quarter-mile boardwalk backed by bluffs and the Nissequogue Ri...

A wide Atlantic ocean beach at the foot of the Ponquogue Bridge, anchored by a large pavilion with restrooms, showers, changing rooms, and a...

East Hampton Village's flagship Atlantic beach — wide, manicured sand with a classic shingled 1902 pavilion, routinely ranked among the top ...

Southampton Village's showpiece — a half-mile of wide white sand backed by grass-topped dunes and estate hedgerows, named Dr. Beach's #1 bea...

Montauk's de facto downtown beach, a short walk from the hamlet center, restaurants, and the IGA. Wide Atlantic sand with a lifeguarded swim...

The East Coast's most storied surf break — a long, consistent right point that made Montauk a surf town and still draws a dawn lineup from A...

A 45,000-foot sand spit on Gardiners Bay at the tip of the North Fork — a National Natural Landmark and Audubon Important Bird Area with a r...

The oldest public beach in the United States, established 1896 — a 3-mile crescent on Boston's north shore, served directly by the Blue Line...

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...

The quiet residential Atlantic beach south of Bethany — less commercial than Bethany proper, no boardwalk, and strictly "carry-in, carry-out...

A tiny Delaware Bay beach community east of Milton with miles of quiet sand and horseshoe crab spawning in spring. No boardwalk, no hotels, ...

An official horseshoe crab sanctuary since 2004 — the tiny town banned harvest to protect the spawning that draws red knots and thousands of...

A beach unit of the 10,000-acre Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge on Delaware Bay. Horseshoe crab sanctuary and piping plover nesting site...

Home to the northernmost natural stand of baldcypress trees in the United States — a genuinely unique cypress swamp you paddle through on re...

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...

The Eastern Shore terminus of the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry — the nation's oldest privately operated ferry, running since 1683. Small waterfront...

A 3-mile beach below the sandstone Cape Kiwanda headland — the only Oregon beach where dory boats launch directly off the sand into the surf...

A wide, 7-mile stretch of soft sand at the foot of Neahkahnie Mountain — laid-back, no-stoplight beach town consistently ranked among the pr...

A 7-mile flat sand beach with the iconic Twin Rocks sea stack offshore — a former rail town turned low-key family beach. Multiple public acc...

A 4-mile sand spit between the Pacific and Nehalem Bay, just south of Manzanita — one of the biggest state-park campgrounds on the coast wit...

A sand spit between Netarts Bay and the open Pacific, with the 800-ft Cape Lookout headland jutting two miles into the ocean to the south. T...

1.5 miles of sandy Chesapeake Bay frontage at the spot where English colonists first landed in 1607. One of Virginia's most-visited state pa...

A residential Bay-side neighborhood on the VA Beach side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel — every street ends at the beach, so access is ...

The Atlantic resort strip running from Rudee Inlet to 42nd Street, anchored by a 3-mile concrete boardwalk with a parallel bike path. Dense ...

A quiet 5-mile residential Atlantic beach 15 miles south of the Virginia Beach resort strip, bracketed by Back Bay NWR. No hotels or boardwa...

A 9,250-acre USFWS refuge south of Sandbridge with roughly 3 miles of undeveloped Atlantic beach backed by dunes, marsh, and maritime forest...

A 4,321-acre hike-in-only state park stretching 5.9 miles down the Atlantic shore to the North Carolina line, reached by foot, bike, boat, o...

A locals' Chesapeake Bay beach in the Chesapeake Beach neighborhood of Virginia Beach, tucked up against the south end of the Chesapeake Bay...

The "World's Most Famous Beach" — 23 miles of hard-packed sand wide enough to drive on (designated zones, $20 daily permit). The boardwalk, ...

A 13-mile Atlantic beach south of Daytona — known for both world-class surf and an unfortunate "Shark Bite Capital" reputation (Volusia Coun...

Just east of Destin — gateway to the 30A beach communities. Wider, less commercial, with the Silver Sands outlets behind and the start of th...

A 1,640-acre 30A preserve named for its 25-foot "topsail" dunes — coastal dune lakes (a globally-rare landform shared with only a handful of...

The original 30A new-urbanist beach town — pastel cottages, pedestrian-only town square, and the Truman Show town (literally — it was filmed...

The east-30A new-urbanist village with West Indies-style architecture — quieter and more residential than Seaside, with a tighter walkable c...

Dr. Stephen Leatherman ("Dr. Beach") has ranked Grayton Beach State Park among the best in America repeatedly. A coastal-dune lake (Western ...

42-acre man-made freshwater lake with a white-sand swim beach on South Mountain northeast of Boonsboro. Popular with DC/Baltimore day-trippe...

Rhode Island's flagship state beach in Westerly — a wide barrier-beach strand on the open Atlantic. The Westerly barrier-beach system stretc...

A half-mile of sand at the center of Narragansett village, with the Towers (1880s casino remnants) framing the south end. Rhode Island's pre...

A South Kingstown state beach with body-surfing-friendly waves and easier crowds than Misquamicut on busy weekends. Backed by the Succotash ...

Rhode Island's flagship ocean beach: wide sand, dependable surf, an observation tower, and a long boardwalk between the North and South lots...

Tucked behind the Galilee breakwater, "Sand Hill Cove" has the calmest, shallowest water of any RI state beach — the local family pick when ...

The compact RI state beach right next to the Galilee port — sit on the jetty boardwalk and the Block Island ferry passes a stone's throw awa...

A 1,200-foot crescent of Long Island Sound sand wrapped around the historic 1928 Playland amusement park — boardwalk, pier, and the Dragon C...

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, ...

A small Wicomico County park at the mouth of the Nanticoke River where it meets Tangier Sound. Modest sandy beach, fishing/crabbing pier, an...

A small Wicomico County public landing on the Nanticoke River in the village of Tyaskin. Boat ramp, small shoreline, fishing pier — a rural,...

A small Wicomico County community-scale waterfront access on the Nanticoke near Nanticoke village. Modest shoreline, primarily used by local...

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...

2,338 acres in northern York County built around 340-acre Pinchot Lake. ADA-accessible swim beach in the Quaker Race Day Use Area, plus boat...

Seven miles of hard-packed sand backed by the famous Pier and a vintage seaside amusement park. A classic New England summer destination — p...

A 3.5-mile sand barrier between the Ogunquit River and the Atlantic, reached via a wooden footbridge from the town center. The name means "b...

Seven miles of Atlantic sand from Wells Harbor north toward Drakes Island, set against the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge salt marsh...

A 1.5-mile arc of sand fronting Route 1A in York Beach, with Nubble Light at the south end. One of the more accessible Maine beaches — Route...

Three miles of soft sand sheltered by an offshore barrier reef, giving Goose Rocks unusually calm, shallow water by Maine standards. Residen...

A short, soft-sand frontage on Saco Bay backed by an unusual stand of tupelo trees at the northern edge of their range. Boardwalks through t...