North America's Top 50+ Beaches
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Pfeiffer Beach // USA
Robert Brett Pfeiffer Beach is in the Big Sur area of California. Roughly a mile long, it is located down a twisting and unmarked two-mile paved road that is unsuitable for RVs and trailers as it has only five points at which vehicles are able to pass one another in opposite directions.
However, this beach more than makes up for the slight difficulty… read more »
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Point Reyes Beach // USA
John Uhrig The main beach at Point Reyes can be arbitrarily divided into North Beach and South Beach. However, a more appropriate name is the Great Beach which fairly accurately sums up this 12 mile long stretch of unbroken golden sand.
On one of the frequent wild and windy days, where you feel the full force of the Pacific waves pounding unabated into… read more »
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Miners Beach // USA
John Uhrig Miners Beach is one of the finest stretches of the Lake Superior shoreline. Set within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, this mile-long sandy beach is backed by dense forest and rugged sandstone cliffs. The contrast between the golden sand, turquoise water, and the towering rock formations makes it a favourite with photographers.
The beach is popular for… read more »
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Gibson Beach // USA
Eric Chan This is a top spot for nature lovers. Gibson's Beach is the southernmost beach in Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and can be reached by car in around 10 minutes from Carmel. The scenic drive alone is well worth the time spent.
It's a wide sandy stretch about a quarter of a mile long and access to the beach can be… read more »
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Gray Whale Cove State Beach // USA
Christopher Michel When you hear that Gray Whale Cove State Beach is on an area of coastline known as "Devil's Slide" this should help convey that the descent to the beach is steep and tricky.
Just 18 miles south of San Francisco, situated between Pacifica and Montara, this state beach is popular for whale watching during the spring migratory season,… read more »
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Clam Beach // USA
Colby Gutierrez-Kraybill Clam Beach County Park lies just off (Redwood) Highway 101 to the north of Arcata. It is a long stretch of fine golden sand backed by low sand dunes.
The beach here is a popular stopover for camping with parks for both RVs and tents. Facilities include plenty of picnic areas, firepits, and restrooms.
As the name might suggest, Clam beach is popular… read more »
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Lighthouse Field State Beach // USA
Don DeBold Lighthouse Field State Beach lies at the north end of Monterey Bay in downtown Santa Cruz, and can be accessed via West Cliff Drive. A protected state park covering 15 hectares, it overlooks the famous Steamer Lane surf break, making it incredibly popular with experienced surfers and body boarders.
The beach itself is formed of flat, lightly-coloured sands surrounded… read more »
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Cowell Beach // USA
loboford220 Cowell Beach is located on the westside of Santa Cruz's wood-built municipal wharf in the downtown district. Stretching from the wharf to the cliffs overlooked by West Cliff Drive, this broad sweep of golden sand is popular for a number of reasons.
Beyond the delights of its sands, it is close to the amusements of the boardwalk, and is also popular… read more »
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Dockweiler State Beach // USA
Alistair McMillan This vast beach, which sits just three miles away from Los Angeles' international airport is a near-four mile stretch of soft golden sand on California's south east coast.
Its proximity to the airport makes it a top spot for seeing the aeroplanes take off, but there's a lot more to this beach than plane spotting.
Among the many amenities here, you'll… read more »
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Redondo Beach State Park // USA
ChildofMidnight This 1.5 mile-long stretch of shoreline is jam-packed with activities and facilities, which keep visitors coming back time and time again.
At the far north of the beach you'll find the magnificent pier. It's a great place for a spot of fishing, and there are plenty of bars, shops and restaurants here too, with plenty of variety on the menus. Naturally… read more »
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Bowling Ball Beach // USA
Brocken Inaglory The intriguing name of this California beach comes from the rounded boulders up to a metre in diameter which sit on its cliff-lined sands. Part of Schooner Gulch State Beach, Bowling Ball Beach lies a short distance south of Point Arena along Highway One. To reach it from the highway, you need to take the right-hand trail.
The unusual geological phenomenon… read more »
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Montara State Beach // USA
Vadim Manuylov Located a little over 30 kilometres south of San Francisco, west of Highway 1 and nestled between bounding low hills, this beach boasts a sandy shore and high bluffs. Montara Mountain, also known as McNee Ranch, looms above to the east.
Beachgoers here can enjoy basking in the sun and recharging their batteries. People also flock here to take a… read more »
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Dauphin Beach // USA
Michael McCarthy Dauphin Island, a barrier island located off the coast of Mobile, Alabama, makes up nearly a half of the states diminutive coastline. However, size isn't everything and the island is home to Dauphin Beach, one of the Gulf coast's finest.
This affluent island has a rich history that dates back to 1699 when it was first inhabited by a French settler.… read more »
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Cocoa Beach // USA
Rusty Clark This six-mile long stretch of biscuit-coloured sand sits at the heart of Florida's Space Coast. It's well known for its watersports scene, with surfers flocking from far and wide to ride the waves here - it's even where 11-time surfing world champion Kelly Slater learned his craft.
Cocoa Beach is also home to the world's biggest surf shop, Ron Jon's and… read more »
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Crandon Beach // USA
Paulkondratuk3194 Crandon Beach is part of Crandon Park, a former coconut plantation, in the middle of exclusive Key Biscayne barrier island. It is frequently listed as one of the Top 10 Beaches in the USA.
The white sandy beach is truly idyllic, facing east and protected from the rough surf by an offshore sandbar. This allows the Atlantic waves to break gently… read more »
