Top-Rated 30 Best Beaches in the USA to Visit this Summer!

Summer beach trips in the USA play out across four very different coasts: warm, calm Gulf of Mexico water in Florida, Alabama and Texas; Atlantic surf and boardwalk towns from Miami to Maine; cold, wild Pacific shores from San Diego to Washington; and the freshwater dunes of Lake Michigan. Add Hawaii, where the water is warm all year, and you have more choice than most countries. This guide picks 30 beaches that suit international visitors planning a summer holiday, and gives each the details that decide a beach day: where it is, what parking or entry costs, when to arrive, how to get there and the catch that brochures skip.

For the full overview, read our guide to the most famous landmarks in the USA.

If you are still building the route, start with our United States travel guide, compare flights into the main hub airports (Miami, Tampa, New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Honolulu all appear below), then come back here to choose your sand. Summer means June to August for most of the country, but several of these beaches are at their best in May or September, when water is still warm and parking lots are half empty.

How we chose these 30 beaches: We looked for public beaches that a visitor without local contacts can actually reach, with at least one quality that stands out: water clarity, sand, scenery, wildlife or a town worth staying in. We spread the list across 12 states so every major coast is covered, and we left out beaches that our dedicated guides to surfing, beach camping, Virginia, Long Beach and Panama City already cover in depth. Fees and rules were checked against park and county sources in October 2026. Parking fees in the US change every season, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the day.

In all, the list covers 30 beaches in 12 states, on four coasts plus Hawaii, and its tallest landmark is Oregon's 235-foot Haystack Rock.

Quick comparison of the best beaches in the USA

Sort by region and cost first, then jump to the full card for each beach.

The 30 best beaches in the USA to visit this summer, full guide

The cards run roughly from the Gulf Coast and Florida up the Atlantic to Maine, across to the Great Lakes and Texas, along the Pacific from San Diego to Washington, and finish in Hawaii.

Siesta Beach, Florida

Our top pick for families, Siesta Beach sits on Siesta Key, a barrier island off Sarasota, and its soft quartz sand is the reason people cross the bridge. Sarasota County describes it as nearly 100 percent quartz, which keeps it cool and powder-soft even at 2 p.m. in July. The water shelves gently, so small children can wade a long way out before it reaches their waist. Four lifeguard stations are staffed daily in summer, roughly 10 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and the county park behind the sand has a playground, concessions, showers and pickleball courts. The catch is popularity: on summer weekends the lot is full by mid-morning and the traffic on Siesta Drive backs up toward the mainland. Stay on the key or ride the free Siesta Key Breeze trolley from Siesta Village if you want an easy day.

• Location: Sarasota County, south of Tampa Bay
• Parking / entry: Free parking (about 950 spaces)
• Best time: Arrive before 9 a.m. on weekends
• How to get there: Car from Sarasota, 15 to 20 minutes

Families with toddlers will settle in here. Stay for sunset: the Sunday drum circle near the main pavilion is a local tradition.

Clearwater Beach, Florida

Another top pick, Clearwater Beach is the lively, nightlife end of the Tampa Bay coast: a wide white strip backed by high-rise hotels, beach bars and a busy roundabout. What sets it apart is its sunset festival, Sunsets at Pier 60, a free nightly street event in Pier 60 Park that runs from about two hours before sunset to two hours after, with buskers, fire jugglers, craft stalls and live music. The pier and parts of the beachfront took heavy damage in the 2024 hurricanes, and the festival returned in stages through 2025 while repairs continued, so check what is open before you plan an evening around it. The sand is fine and pale, the water calm and shallow for most of summer. Parking is the headache: metered lots fill fast, so the Jolley Trolley and the ferry from downtown Clearwater are the low-stress options.

• Location: Pinellas County, west of Tampa
• Parking / entry: Free beach, paid municipal parking
• Best time: Late afternoon into sunset
• How to get there: Tampa International Airport, about 30 to 40 minutes by car

Groups who want a beach day that turns into a night out will like it. Book a hotel south of the roundabout for quieter mornings.

North Beach, Fort De Soto Park, Florida

Fort De Soto, our third top pick, is a 1,136-acre county nature park spread over five keys at the mouth of Tampa Bay, and North Beach is the reason it keeps winning national beach rankings. The beach curls around a shallow, sheltered lagoon, so the water stays calm on days when the open Gulf is choppy. There are no hotels in sight, only sea oats, pelicans and a long view toward the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. You can rent kayaks to paddle the mangrove trail, cycle the paved recreation trail between beaches, or walk to the Spanish-American War era fort with its 12-inch mortars. Pinellas County raised the daily parking fee to 6 dollars per vehicle from January 2025, paid at kiosks or by app, and walkers and cyclists enter free. There is a separate fenced dog beach, which many Florida beaches do not offer.

• Location: Tierra Verde, south of St. Pete Beach
• Parking / entry: 6 dollars per vehicle per day
• Best time: Weekday mornings, before the lot fills
• How to get there: Car or bike from St. Petersburg, about 30 minutes

Come here for Gulf water without the high-rises, and bring water shoes for the lagoon shell beds.

Bahia Honda State Park, Florida Keys

Most of the Florida Keys have rocky shores and mangroves, so a proper sandy beach is rare. Bahia Honda, at mile marker 37, has three of them, all with clear water for snorkelling: Sandspur Beach on the ocean side, Loggerhead Beach and Calusa Beach near the old Bahia Honda rail bridge. The water is gin-clear and turquoise on calm days, and seagrass beds just offshore attract rays, juvenile fish and the occasional nurse shark. The park runs snorkel trips to Looe Key reef when conditions allow. The old bridge, part of Henry Flagler's Overseas Railroad, has a short walkable section with one of the best viewpoints in the Keys. Florida State Parks lists entry at 8 dollars per vehicle for two to eight people plus a 50-cent Monroe County surcharge per person. Seaweed can pile up after southeast winds, so ask at the gate which beach is cleanest that day.

• Location: Big Pine Key area, Lower Keys
• Parking / entry: 8 dollars per vehicle plus county surcharge
• Best time: Spring to early summer for calmer seas
• How to get there: About 45 minutes by car from Key West International Airport

Snorkellers and photographers should arrive at opening in summer, because the gate closes when parking is full.

Grayton Beach State Park, Florida Panhandle

On the Emerald Coast of the Panhandle, Grayton Beach State Park protects a quiet stretch of sugar-white sand next to Western Lake, one of the rare coastal dune lakes that open to the Gulf after heavy rain. You can paddle a kayak on fresh water in the morning and swim in green salt water after lunch. The dunes behind the beach are tall and fenced for protection, and the nature trail through slash pines and scrub oak gives a different side of the coast in about an hour. Grayton sits on Scenic Highway 30A, which we cover from the town-hopping angle in our summer places in the USA guide; here the point is the park itself, where there are no beach-chair rental rows and no resort towers. Entry is the standard Florida state park day-use fee per vehicle. Rip currents on this coast are strong, so watch the flag system.

• Location: South Walton County, between Destin and Panama City Beach
• Parking / entry: State park vehicle fee
• Best time: May and September for warm water and fewer people
• How to get there: Northwest Florida Beaches Airport (ECP), about 45 minutes

Paddlers and couples get a natural beach on a famous coast, and the tiny Grayton Beach village has good casual seafood.

South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida

On Florida's Atlantic coast, South Beach is the most famous city beach in the country, and it earns that by mixing a wide shoreline with the pastel Art Deco district a few steps away. Lummus Park, the stretch between 5th and 15th Streets, has the candy-coloured lifeguard towers that appear in every photo, outdoor gyms and a beach path for walking and cycling. Ocean Drive behind it is loud and expensive, but the side streets (Collins and Washington Avenues) have cheaper Cuban coffee windows and casual food. The water is warm all summer, often close to bath temperature by August, and sargassum seaweed can arrive in waves from late spring. For quieter sand head south of 5th Street to South Pointe Park, where the pier looks across Government Cut at cruise ships leaving the port. Families with children usually prefer the north end of Miami Beach around 70th Street.

• Location: Miami Beach, 5th to 23rd Street
• Parking / entry: Free beach, paid garages and meters
• Best time: Early morning for empty sand and soft light
• How to get there: Miami International Airport, about 25 minutes by car or the Miami Beach Airport Express bus

On a first visit, you get beach, food and nightlife in one walkable area. See our hotel search for Collins Avenue stays.

Gulf Shores Public Beach, Alabama

Alabama has only about 60 miles of Gulf shoreline, and Gulf Shores and Orange Beach use it well, with a budget-friendly beach that suits families. The main public beach at the end of Highway 59 is free to use, with a large pavilion, restrooms, showers and seasonal lifeguards, and it sits in walking distance of casual seafood shacks and souvenir shops. The sand is the same quartz-white that made the Florida Panhandle famous, and the water turns emerald on calm days. Prices for condos and beach houses run noticeably lower than in Destin or 30A, which is why so many families from the South drive here every summer. Gulf State Park, just east, adds a fishing pier, a lake and 28 miles of paved backcountry trails for bikes. The honest caveat: June to November is hurricane season on the Gulf, and July and August are humid and stormy most afternoons.

• Location: Baldwin County, Alabama
• Parking / entry: Free beach, paid parking lots
• Best time: May, early June and September
• How to get there: Pensacola International Airport, about 1 hour

Families watching costs do well here. Condos in Orange Beach give quieter sand east of the centre.

Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Kiawah Island in the South Carolina Lowcountry is mostly private resort land, and Beachwalker Park is the only public beach access on the whole island. That gives day visitors some of the widest, flattest sand on the East Coast, and plenty of wildlife: at low tide the beach stretches out so far that families cycle on the hard-packed sand. The Kiawah River mouth at the western end draws dolphins that sometimes herd fish onto the mud banks, a behaviour called strand feeding that the Lowcountry is known for. Charleston County Parks runs the site, with seasonal lifeguards, restrooms, outdoor showers and a boardwalk over the dunes. The lot holds about 150 cars and is often full by 10:30 a.m. on summer days, so arrive early or plan a weekday. Parking is paid, and the rate changes by season. Loggerhead turtles nest here from May, and nests are roped off.

• Location: Kiawah Island, 25 miles south of Charleston
• Parking / entry: Paid parking, rate varies by season
• Best time: Before 10 a.m. or after 3 p.m.
• How to get there: Charleston International Airport, about 50 minutes

It makes a good nature-focused side trip from Charleston. During turtle season, keep lights off near the dunes at night.

Ocracoke Island beaches, North Carolina

Ocracoke is the end of the line on the Outer Banks: a remote island reached only by ferry, with about 16 miles of undeveloped beach protected inside Cape Hatteras National Seashore. There are no hotels on the sand and no houses behind the dunes, just sea oats, wild horses in a fenced pasture and long empty shoreline. The National Park Service runs one lifeguarded beach in summer near the airstrip, with parking and showers; everywhere else you swim at your own risk. Ocracoke village sits at the southern end around Silver Lake harbour, with a small lighthouse dating from 1823 and a handful of seafood restaurants. Most people take the North Carolina state ferry from Hatteras village, about an hour across Hatteras Inlet. On busy summer days the ferry line can be long, so go early. Our beach camping guide covers pitching a tent on the Outer Banks.

• Location: Hyde County, southern Outer Banks
• Parking / entry: No beach fee; ferry from Hatteras
• Best time: Late May to June and September
• How to get there: Ferry from Hatteras village, about 1 hour

If an empty Atlantic beach is the goal, this is it. Pack food and cash for the village, where choices are limited.

Cape May, New Jersey

At the very southern tip of the Jersey Shore, Cape May's beaches face south, so you can watch both sunrise and sunset over water. The Victorian town is a national historic landmark district packed with houses painted in four or five colours, many of them now bed-and-breakfasts. The main city beaches line Beach Avenue with a paved promenade behind them. Like most of the Jersey Shore, Cape May requires beach tags in summer; for the 2026 season the city charged around 10 dollars for a daily tag, with weekly and seasonal options, and tags are now available digitally. Just west, Sunset Beach in Lower Township is famous for the concrete ship wreck of the SS Atlantus and for Cape May diamonds, small pieces of quartz polished by the surf. In the evenings the flag-lowering ceremony at Sunset Beach draws a crowd every summer night.

• Location: Cape May County, southern New Jersey
• Parking / entry: Beach tags required in summer
• Best time: June and September for lower rates
• How to get there: About 1.5 hours from Philadelphia, 2.5 to 3 hours from New York

Couples who like history and quiet evenings will feel at home. Book B&Bs early, as many require multi-night stays in July and August.

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Rehoboth Beach is the classic boardwalk town of the Delaware coast, about a mile of wooden walkway lined with fries stands, arcades and saltwater taffy shops. The beach itself is wide, the waves moderate, and city lifeguards cover the main stretch during the summer season. What makes Rehoboth different from its neighbours is the town: walkable streets with independent restaurants, a strong arts scene, and Delaware's lack of sales tax, which turns the outlet malls on Route 1 into an afternoon of tax-free shopping. Cape Henlopen State Park, just north, adds a quieter beach, the World War II observation towers and the Great Dune. Rehoboth gets crowded with Washington and Baltimore weekenders, so midweek stays are calmer. If you are comparing Mid-Atlantic coasts, our Virginia beaches guide covers the next state south.

• Location: Sussex County, Delaware
• Parking / entry: Free beach, metered street parking in summer
• Best time: Weekdays in June and September
• How to get there: About 2.5 hours from Washington DC

It suits anyone who likes a walkable beach town. A park-and-ride from Route 1 skips the meter hunt.

Jones Beach State Park, New York

Jones Beach on Long Island opened in 1929 as Robert Moses's grand public beach for New Yorkers, and its huge scale still impresses: about 6.5 miles of Atlantic sand, a two-mile boardwalk and Art Deco bathhouses built from local sandstone, with a 231-foot water tower styled like a church bell tower. On a hot Saturday more than 100,000 people can spread out here, yet you can still find space by walking east from the main fields. Parking in summer costs around 10 dollars per vehicle, collected at the field entrances. The Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater hosts big summer concerts, and the park's air show on Memorial Day weekend is a fixture. Without a car, take the Long Island Rail Road to Freeport, then the seasonal NICE n88 bus. The water stays cool until July, so the swimming season peaks in August.

• Location: Wantagh, Nassau County, Long Island
• Parking / entry: About 10 dollars per vehicle in summer
• Best time: Weekdays in late July and August
• How to get there: About 45 minutes by car from Manhattan, longer in summer traffic

From New York City, this is the easy beach day. Field 6 is usually the quietest family section.

Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Coast Guard Beach in Eastham is the Cape Cod most people picture: a high bank of dunes, a long Atlantic beach, seals offshore and the white former Coast Guard station on the bluff. It belongs to Cape Cod National Seashore, so the dunes are protected and the view north runs for miles without a single house. From late June to Labor Day, beach parking is reserved for residents, and visitors park at the Little Creek lot about half a mile inland and ride the free shuttle. Fees are collected at Little Creek and are card or mobile only. Grey seals haul out on the sandbars of nearby Nauset, and their numbers have brought great white sharks back to these waters in summer, so obey any posted swimming closures. The water is cold, mid-60s Fahrenheit at best in August.

• Location: Eastham, outer Cape Cod
• Parking / entry: National Seashore beach fee in summer
• Best time: Late August, when the water is warmest
• How to get there: About 2 hours from Boston by car

Dune walks and big Atlantic views are the reward. Swim only near lifeguards and stay close to shore.

Ogunquit Beach, Maine

Ogunquit, in southern Maine, takes its name from an Abenaki phrase usually translated as beautiful place by the sea, and its three-mile sand beach on a long sandbar is rare on Maine's rocky coast. The Ogunquit River runs behind the barrier beach, so families can pick between cold surf on the ocean side and warmer, calmer river water that children love at high tide. The town beach at the end of Beach Street has the most facilities, while Footbridge Beach and Moody Beach further north are quieter. The Marginal Way, a paved cliff walk of about 1.25 miles, links the village to Perkins Cove, a tiny harbour with lobster shacks and a drawbridge for pedestrians. Parking in the main lots is paid and fills early in July and August. A seasonal trolley loops through town and saves the hunt for a space.

• Location: York County, southern Maine
• Parking / entry: Paid town parking lots
• Best time: Late July to August
• How to get there: About 1.5 hours from Boston

Beach and village combine well here. After the Marginal Way walk, have lobster rolls in Perkins Cove.

Sand Beach, Acadia National Park, Maine

Wedged between pink granite cliffs on the Park Loop Road on Mount Desert Island, Sand Beach is a small cove in Acadia National Park and one of very few sandy beaches on the island. The sand is partly made of crushed shells, which gives it a pale, slightly coarse texture. Swimming here is an act of courage in cold water: the National Park Service notes it rarely rises above 55 degrees Fahrenheit, even in August. Most visitors come for the setting, then climb the Great Head Trail from the eastern end for views back over the beach, or walk the Ocean Path south toward Thunder Hole. Acadia charges a private vehicle pass, 35 dollars for seven days, bought online or at park stations. The Sand Beach lot fills by mid-morning in summer; the free Island Explorer bus stops here from late June.

• Location: Park Loop Road, Bar Harbor area
• Parking / entry: 35 dollars per vehicle for 7 days
• Best time: Early morning, July and August
• How to get there: Bar Harbor, about 10 minutes by car or Island Explorer bus

Hikers can work it into a park day. Bring a fleece, because mornings on the Maine coast are cool.

West Beach, Indiana Dunes National Park

An hour from downtown Chicago, the Indiana shore of Lake Michigan has sand dunes that rise close to 200 feet in places, and West Beach is the national park's main freshwater swimming beach, with dune hikes behind it. The water is warmer than you might expect by August, with no salt and no jellyfish, but storms can push in strong rip currents, so the lifeguarded area matters. Behind the beach, the Dune Succession Trail climbs a long stairway through four stages of plant life, from bare sand to oak forest, ending with a view of the Chicago skyline across the lake on clear days. The park charges 25 dollars per vehicle for a one-to-seven-day pass, sold at West Beach in season or online, and the national park pass does not cover neighbouring Indiana Dunes State Park, which has its own fee.

• Location: Portage, northwest Indiana
• Parking / entry: 25 dollars per vehicle, 1 to 7 days
• Best time: Weekdays in July and August
• How to get there: South Shore Line train from Chicago to Dune Park or Portage/Ogden Dunes

It works as a car-free day trip from Chicago. Pack sturdy shoes for the dune stairs.

Glen Haven Beach, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan

On the northwest coast of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore protects 35 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and dunes that sit on bluffs about 450 feet above the water. Glen Haven Beach, beside a restored lumber-era village and the Cannery Boat Museum, is a favourite for its clear turquoise lake water and pebbly shallows. A short drive away, the famous Dune Climb is a steep sand slope that families scramble up for the view over Glen Lake. The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive adds overlooks above the lake. The park sells a 25-dollar weekly vehicle pass, card only, and you can buy it online up to six months ahead. Lake Michigan water here warms slowly; late July and August are your best bet for comfortable swimming, and the nearby towns of Glen Arbor and Traverse City fill quickly in cherry season.

• Location: Glen Arbor area, northwest Lower Michigan
• Parking / entry: 25 dollars per vehicle for 7 days
• Best time: Late July to August
• How to get there: Cherry Capital Airport, Traverse City, about 45 minutes

Freshwater swimming plus sand dunes makes a strong family day. Do the Dune Climb early, since the sand gets hot by noon.

South Padre Island, Texas

A few miles from the Mexican border, South Padre Island is the southern tip of the long Texas barrier island and a spring break town with the clearest, greenest, warmest Gulf water in Texas. The town has around 2,000 permanent residents, but beachfront condos and resorts line the central strip, and beach access points every few blocks keep the sand public. Isla Blanca Park on the southern tip has the calmest water near the jetty. Sea Turtle Inc., a rescue and rehabilitation centre for sea turtles, runs public education sessions, and in summer it holds hatchling releases at dawn on the beach. The wider Padre Island National Seashore further north is a separate park and its camping side is in our beach camping guide. Avoid mid-March if you want peace, when spring break crowds take over.

• Location: Cameron County, far south Texas
• Parking / entry: Free beach accesses; county park fee at Isla Blanca
• Best time: May, June and October
• How to get there: Brownsville or Harlingen airports, 40 minutes to 1 hour

For warm, clear Gulf water in Texas, nowhere beats it. Ask Sea Turtle Inc. about public hatchling release schedules.

Coronado Beach, California

In San Diego, Coronado Beach is the broad, flat stretch in front of the historic Hotel del Coronado, the red-roofed Victorian resort that opened in 1888 and has hosted presidents and film crews ever since. The sand glitters in sunlight because of tiny flakes of mica mixed in with the grains. The waves are mild, the beach is wide even at high tide, and lifeguards cover the central section year-round. Walk north past the hotel to reach Central Beach and the Navy property, or south toward Silver Strand State Beach for quieter sand. Dogs are allowed off leash at the northern Dog Beach. You can reach Coronado by driving the 2-mile bridge across San Diego Bay, or take the ferry from downtown and rent a bike at the Ferry Landing. Morning fog, nicknamed June Gloom, often covers the coast until noon in early summer.

• Location: Coronado, San Diego County
• Parking / entry: Free beach, free street parking
• Best time: August to October for the warmest, sunniest days
• How to get there: About 15 minutes from San Diego International Airport

Families and couples get an easy, safe Pacific beach. Have a drink on the Hotel del terrace at sunset.

La Jolla Shores, California

La Jolla Shores is the gentle side of La Jolla, in north San Diego, and the place for kayaking and snorkelling. Its mile-long beach faces the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park, where the seafloor drops into a deep canyon close to shore, and the protected waters attract leopard sharks that gather in the shallows during the warmest months. They are harmless to people, and snorkelling among them is a summer highlight. Kayak tour companies launch from the beach to paddle past the sea caves below the cliffs toward La Jolla Cove, where sea lions bask on the rocks. The waves are some of the most beginner-friendly in San Diego, so surf schools set up here every morning. The Kellogg Park lawn behind the sand has picnic areas, restrooms and showers. Parking near the beach is scarce in summer. Come before 9 a.m., or use rideshare from your hotel.

• Location: La Jolla, north San Diego
• Parking / entry: Free beach, limited parking
• Best time: July to September for leopard sharks
• How to get there: About 25 minutes from downtown San Diego

First-time snorkellers and kayakers start here. Book a guided cave kayak for a morning, as the wind rises after midday.

Santa Monica State Beach, California

Santa Monica is the city beach where most visitors to Los Angeles first touch the Pacific, with its famous pier. The beach is enormous, around 3.5 miles long and in places several hundred feet deep, so even on a hot Sunday there is room to spread out away from the pier. The 1909 Santa Monica Pier carries Pacific Park with its solar-powered Ferris wheel, and marks the official end of Route 66. A paved beach path, the Marvin Braude bike trail, runs south through Venice Beach and its skate park. Water quality can drop after rain because of storm drains, so check the local beach report card before swimming near the pier. The Metro E Line runs from downtown LA to Downtown Santa Monica station, a few minutes' walk from the sand, which saves the cost and stress of beach parking. For a quieter city beach further south, see our Long Beach guide.

• Location: Santa Monica, west Los Angeles
• Parking / entry: Free beach, paid lots
• Best time: Late summer, after June Gloom clears
• How to get there: Metro E Line from downtown Los Angeles

No car? This is the easiest beach day in LA. Rent bikes and ride the beach path to Venice.

El Matador State Beach, Malibu, California

Of the three small pocket beaches that make up Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach on the western Malibu coast, El Matador is the most photographed: dark sea stacks, arches and caves rising from a narrow strip of sand below sandstone cliffs. Getting down takes effort. A dirt path drops down the bluff to a steep wooden stairway, and the climb back up is a workout in the afternoon heat. There are no lifeguards and no facilities on the sand, and at high tide the beach almost disappears, so check a tide chart and come around low tide. The small paid lot on the Pacific Coast Highway holds only a few dozen cars and fills early on weekends; roadside parking along the highway is common but requires care getting out of the car. Sunset is the busiest hour, with photographers and wedding shoots.

• Location: Western Malibu, Pacific Coast Highway
• Parking / entry: Small paid state lot
• Best time: Low tide on a weekday
• How to get there: About 45 minutes from Santa Monica via PCH

Photographers and couples love the arches. Wear shoes with grip, because the bluff trail is loose.

Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, California

Hidden at the end of Sycamore Canyon Road in Big Sur, Pfeiffer Beach is reached by an unsigned, narrow single-lane road that leaves Highway 1 about a mile south of the Big Sur Station. In places the sand is streaked purple from manganese garnet washed down from the hills, best seen on the northern end after storms. The big draw is Keyhole Arch, a rock with a tunnel worn through it. In the weeks around the winter solstice the setting sun shines through the hole, but in summer the rock is just as dramatic at golden hour. The Forest Service lists a day-use fee of 15 dollars per vehicle, and RVs and trailers are not allowed on the road. The surf is powerful and cold, with strong rip currents, so come for walking and photography and stay out of the water. Highway 1 through Big Sur closes after landslides; check road status first.

• Location: Los Padres National Forest, Big Sur
• Parking / entry: 15 dollars per vehicle day-use fee
• Best time: Late afternoon on a clear day
• How to get there: About 45 minutes south of Carmel on Highway 1

On a Pacific Coast Highway road trip, it is a photographer's stop. The lot is small, so arrive outside the 4 to 7 p.m. rush.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Cannon Beach is the postcard of the Oregon coast: a wide, flat beach dominated by Haystack Rock, a 235-foot basalt sea stack. At low tide you can walk to its base and look into tide pools full of ochre sea stars, green anemones and nudibranchs, part of a protected marine garden where you cannot take anything or climb the rock. From roughly April to August, tufted puffins nest on its grassy upper slopes, and volunteers often set up spotting scopes on the beach. The town behind the sand has galleries, bakeries and good seafood without the strip-mall feel of other coast towns. Do not expect warm water: the Pacific here stays in the 50s Fahrenheit through summer, so plan on walks, kite flying and bonfires. Ecola State Park, just north, has trails with views of the whole bay.

• Location: Clatsop County, north Oregon coast
• Parking / entry: Free beach, town parking
• Best time: Low tides in late spring and summer
• How to get there: About 1.5 hours from Portland

Families and nature photographers should check a tide table and plan the visit around the low.

Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington

The northernmost of the Kalaloch area beaches in Olympic National Park, Ruby Beach is wild coast piled with driftwood, and it looks nothing like the rest of this list. Huge bleached logs pile up against the bluff, and offshore sea stacks rise out of the mist, with Abbey Island and the old Destruction Island lighthouse visible on clear days. The name comes from reddish garnet grains in the sand. A short, steep trail drops from the Highway 101 parking area to the beach; Cedar Creek reaches the ocean here, and you may need to wade it at high water. Swimming is dangerous and the water is cold all year, so treat this as a walking and tide-pooling beach, and never climb on stacked logs, which waves can roll without warning. Visitors need an Olympic National Park pass or an America the Beautiful pass, even though there is no entry kiosk at the beach.

• Location: Highway 101, western Olympic Peninsula
• Parking / entry: Olympic National Park pass required
• Best time: Low tide, July to September
• How to get there: About 3.5 hours from Seattle

Road-trippers on the Olympic loop can combine it with the Hoh Rain Forest, about an hour away.

Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii

A two-mile crescent on Kauai's north shore, Hanalei Bay is framed by green mountains streaked with waterfalls after rain. In summer the bay is usually calm enough for swimming, stand-up paddling and children, while in winter it turns into one of the island's big-wave surf spots. The historic Hanalei Pier, built in the 1890s for the rice trade, is the centre of local life, with families fishing and jumping off its end. Black Pot Beach Park near the pier has lifeguards, restrooms and the easiest parking, and the small town of Hanalei has food trucks, shave ice and shops. The north shore highway beyond Hanalei is subject to a reservation system for Haena State Park, so if you plan to go on to Ke'e Beach or the Kalalau Trail, book well ahead. Rain is frequent here, even in summer, but showers pass quickly.

• Location: Hanalei, north shore of Kauai
• Parking / entry: Free beach parks
• Best time: May to September for calm water
• How to get there: About 1 hour from Lihue Airport

In summer it suits families and paddlers. Never swim near the river mouth after heavy rain.

Poipu Beach Park, Kauai, Hawaii

On Kauai's sunny south shore, Poipu Beach Park is the island's easiest beach for families, with monk seals on the sand and snorkelling off the reef. A sandbar called a tombolo joins the shore to a small rocky islet, and on calm days it creates two bays: a protected keiki (children's) pool on one side and a reef good for beginner snorkelling on the other. Hawaiian monk seals, one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world, often haul out on the sand to rest, and volunteers rope off an area around them; federal and state law requires you to keep your distance. Green sea turtles feed on the nearby rocks. The park has lifeguards, restrooms, showers and a grassy picnic area. The south shore gets more sun than the north, so it is the safer bet for a beach day on a rainy week. Summer swells can pick up on the south side, so check the lifeguard board.

• Location: Koloa district, south shore of Kauai
• Parking / entry: Free county beach park
• Best time: Morning, when winds are lighter
• How to get there: About 25 minutes from Lihue Airport

Young children and wildlife lovers both get something here. Respect the roped areas around resting seals.

Lanikai Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

Lanikai Beach is a narrow strip of soft white sand on Oahu's windward coast, facing twin islands, the Mokuluas (Moku Nui and Moku Iki), in water that shifts from pale aqua to turquoise. It sits inside a residential neighbourhood, so there is no parking lot, no lifeguard and no restrooms; you walk in through public access paths between houses. The nearest facilities are at Kailua Beach Park, about a mile north, and that is also where kayakers and paddleboarders launch to cross to the islands. The Mokuluas are a protected seabird sanctuary, so landing rules are strict and Moku Iki is closed to visitors. Sunrise over the islands is the reason to come early, and the Lanikai Pillbox hike above the neighbourhood gives the classic view. Street parking rules in Lanikai have tightened, so the simplest plan is to park in Kailua and walk.

• Location: Kailua, windward Oahu
• Parking / entry: Free; no beach parking lot
• Best time: Sunrise on a weekday
• How to get there: About 30 minutes from Honolulu by car

Sunrise watchers and kayakers get the best of it. Rent kayaks in Kailua and launch from Kailua Beach Park.

Kaanapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii

Running about three miles along West Maui, north of Lahaina town, Kaanapali Beach looks across the channel to Lanai and Molokai. It was planned as one of Hawaii's first resort areas, so the sand is backed by hotels linked by a paved beachwalk, but the beach itself is public with access points and garages along the way. At its northern end, Puu Kekaa (Black Rock) is one of the best shore snorkelling spots in Maui, with turtles and reef fish close to the rocks. Every evening at sunset, the Sheraton Maui runs a free cliff dive ceremony from Black Rock, a tradition dating back to the hotel's opening in 1963 that honours a leap by the Maui chief Kahekili. Winter brings humpback whales into the channel. Lahaina town was devastated by the August 2023 wildfire, and the community asks visitors to respect closed areas.

• Location: Kaanapali, West Maui
• Parking / entry: Free public beach, paid resort garages
• Best time: Morning for snorkelling, sunset for the ceremony
• How to get there: About 45 minutes from Kahului Airport, or 10 minutes from Kapalua

Couples on a resort stay should snorkel at Black Rock before the wind picks up around noon.

Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area, Big Island, Hawaii

The largest white-sand beach on the Big Island, Hapuna is a half-mile of pale sand on the dry Kohala Coast of Hawaii Island, where the lava fields meet clear blue water. The summer sea is usually calm enough for swimming, and gentle shore break makes it a good spot for bodyboarding. Lifeguards are on duty, and the park has picnic pavilions, restrooms and showers. In winter, the surf can be dangerous. Hawaii State Parks charges non-residents 5 dollars per person to enter plus a 10-dollar vehicle parking fee, card only, and visitors from out of state are asked to reserve parking online ahead, as the lot fills on busy days. Hawaii residents enter free with ID. Bring shade; there is little natural cover on the sand. Mauna Kea Beach, a short drive north, is the quieter alternative with resort-controlled public parking.

• Location: South Kohala, west Hawaii Island
• Parking / entry: 5 dollars per person plus 10 dollars parking for non-residents
• Best time: Morning, before the afternoon wind
• How to get there: About 35 minutes from Kona International Airport

Swimmers and families should book the parking reservation online before leaving the hotel.

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How to choose a US beach by coast and water temperature

Water temperature decides more summer beach days in the US than anything else. The Gulf of Mexico and South Florida run warm from June, often in the mid-80s Fahrenheit by August, so Siesta, Fort De Soto, Gulf Shores and South Padre suit anyone who wants long swims. The Atlantic warms as you go south: Jones Beach and Cape May are pleasant by late July, while Cape Cod and Maine stay bracing even in August. The Pacific coast from San Diego northward is cold all year because of the California Current, and the beaches in Oregon and Washington are for walking, tide pools and scenery. Lake Michigan is a surprise for many visitors, fresh water that becomes comfortable by late summer.

Budget follows a similar map. Florida's Gulf Coast, Alabama and Texas give the most beach for the money, with free sand and modest parking fees. New England, Malibu and Hawaii cost more for rooms and food, and national park beaches add an entry pass. If you plan several park visits in one trip, the America the Beautiful annual pass covers national park entry fees (it does not cover state or county parks). For a coast-by-coast road trip, combine this list with our best surf spots in the USA if anyone in your group surfs, and our Panama City Beach guide for a longer Panhandle stay.

Families with young children do best on gently shelving, lifeguarded beaches: Siesta, North Beach at Fort De Soto, Coronado, La Jolla Shores and Poipu. Couples usually prefer the scenery of El Matador, Pfeiffer, Cannon Beach and Lanikai, or the evenings in Cape May and Kaanapali. Travellers without a car can reach Santa Monica by Metro, Indiana Dunes by the South Shore Line from Chicago, and Jones Beach by train and bus from New York.

Read this before you swim: Rip currents are the main danger on US beaches, on the Gulf and the Great Lakes as much as on the open ocean. If you are caught in one, do not swim against it: swim parallel to the shore until you are free, then head back in. Swim near a lifeguard stand when one is staffed, and follow the flag colours (red means dangerous surf, double red means the water is closed). Summer is also hurricane season on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, from June 1 to November 30.

Summer beach tips for visitors to the USA

Arrive before 9 a.m. or after 3 p.m. on summer weekends, because at the most popular US beaches the parking lot decides your day. Carry a card as well as cash, since many park and city meters are card or app only, and check posted alcohol rules, which differ from town to town.

• Parking is the real queue. At the most popular beaches the parking lot decides your day. Arrive before 9 a.m. on summer weekends or after 3 p.m., when the first wave of families leaves.
• Carry a card as well as cash. Many national parks, state parks and city meters are now card or app only. Download the local parking app the night before.
• Plan around the light. On the Pacific coast, morning fog often clears by midday. On the Gulf and in Florida, afternoon thunderstorms build after 2 p.m. in July and August.
• Know the alcohol rules. Many US beaches ban alcohol and glass containers, and fines are real. Check posted signs at the entrance; rules differ from town to town.
• Give wildlife space. Sea turtles, monk seals and nesting shorebirds are protected by law. Stay behind roped areas and keep beach lights off at night in nesting season.
• Book stays early. Beach towns fill for July 4 and every summer weekend. Compare rooms on our hotel page well ahead, and look at Sunday to Thursday nights for better rates.

Planning a trip to United States? Read our United States travel guide, compare hotels in United States or search flights.