Best USA Beaches

By | Last Updated:
Contents
  1. Pololu Beach
  2. Makapuu Beach Park
  3. Slaughterhouse Beach
  4. Red Sand Beach
  5. Nauset Beach
  6. Gay Head Town Beach
  7. Jones Beach
  8. Cedar Beach
  9. Narragansett Town Beach
  10. Scarborough State Beach
  11. Hunting Island Beach
  12. Yokohama Bay
  13. East Beach
  14. Sachuest Beach
  15. Asilomar State Beach
  16. USA beach map

The Best U.S. Beaches...

  • 136. Pololu Beach // Big Island

    Pololu Beach
    Jeff

    Set on a remote stretch of coast near the northern tip of the Big Island is the pristine black sand Pololu beach. Only accessible by driving to the end of Highway 270 and then walking the remaining quarter mile, this spot has something of a primeval feel to it - definitely a bit Jurassic Park.

    Pololu Beach lies at the foot of an ancient wooded valley which is also home to… read more »

  • 137. Makapuu Beach Park // Oahu

    Makapuu Beach Park
    Daniel Ramirez
    Great for:
    • Surfing

    Situated on the southeastern tip of Oahu, Makapu'u Beach is in the shadow of Makapu'u Point and the dramatic Lookout Point. The word Makapu'u means "bulging eye" and is thought to refer to a natural feature in the nearby Keanaokeakuapōloli Cave.

    Located about a mile east of Waimanalo Beach, the gently undulating beach has masses of golden sands in a cove-like setting bordered with palm trees and greenery. The steep… read more »

  • 138. Slaughterhouse Beach // Maui

    Slaughterhouse Beach
    dronepicr
    Great for:
    • Surfing

    The charmingly named Slaughterhouse beach is located on the northwestern tip of Maui between DT Fleming Beach and Honolua Bay. Despite that rather unappealing name this is in fact one of the prettiest little beaches on the island.

    The name "Slaughterhouse beach" comes from the fact that there used to be a slaughterhouse above the beach. The Honolua Ranch slaughterhouse along with a tanning/storage shed that were located on the cliffs above. However this… read more »

  • 139. Red Sand Beach // Maui

    Red Sand Beach
    Laila Goubran

    As the name suggests Red Sand beach is adorned with sand that is more than just a little red in hue. In fact the little cove is something of a festival of colors; the red sand, deep blue of the ocean, black of the rocks and green of the ironwood trees.

    The redness of the beach is provided by the iron rich lava-cinder cliffs behind which are constantly eroding.

    The Hawaiian name… read more »

  • 140. Nauset Beach // Cape Cod

    Nauset Beach
    DC_Rebecca
    Great for:
    • Family
    • Fishing
    • Swimming
    • Surfing

    Running along the Atlantic east coast of Cape Cod, between Coast Guard Beach and Chatham Harbor for around 10 miles, Nauset Beach is the longest on the cape. This beautifully pristine stretch of fine, near-white sand is backed by low grassy dunes for much of its length giving it a wild feel.

    Much of the year this part of the coast is pretty quiet. You can often go for long… read more »

  • 141. Gay Head Town Beach // Martha's Vineyard

    Gay Head Town Beach

    Many continue to call Gay Head Town Beach by its original name, although Gay Head Town has been known formerly as Aquinnah (meaning ‘land under the hill') by its population of 440 since 1997. At the end of Massachusetts' famed island of Martha's Vineyard, the beach is best known for its dramatic cliffs and the ocean views they deliver.

    Designated a National Natural Landmark by the US National Park Service, Gay… read more »

  • 142. Jones Beach // New York

    Jones Beach
    thelittleone417
    Great for:
    • Fishing
    • Swimming
    • Surfing

    This six mile white sand beach faces out into the Atlantic Ocean from the chain of islands that form the southern extent of New York's Long Island. Although one of the most popular and most visited beaches in the region, its size helps to ensure it never feels overly crowded, even on busy summer days.

    Named after a seventeenth-century militiaman, Jones Beach includes a two mile boardwalk and an outdoor concert… read more »

  • 143. Cedar Beach // New York

    Cedar Beach
    Terry Ballard
    Great for:
    • Swimming
    • Surfing
    • Kitesurfing

    A landscape as far from the skyscrapers of New York City as it's possible to get, New York State's Cedar Beach in Babylon lies on the long and narrow Jones Beach Island, itself off the southern shores of Long Island. Facing out into the waters of the New York Bight, Cedar Beach comprises a huge area of broadly flat pale sand.

    Home to numerous beach volleyball courts (used by the… read more »

  • 144. Narragansett Town Beach // Rhode Island

    Narragansett Town Beach
    dee & tula monstah
    Great for:
    • Swimming
    • Surfing

    Narragansett Town Beach sits on the eastern side of Narragansett, and is split between a section of public beach and a privately-owned section. The public beach stretches for around half a mile at the southern end of Narragansett Town Beach. This is known as the rockiest area of the beach, although there is still ample sand.

    A relatively undeveloped stretch of sand, Narragansett Beach is primarily visited for its swimming and… read more »

  • 145. Scarborough State Beach // Rhode Island

    Scarborough State Beach
    Wheeler Cowperthwaite
    Great for:
    • Swimming
    • Surfing

    The sands of Scarborough State Beach sit beside the slightest indentation of Rhode Island's Atlantic Ocean coast that it's difficult to even call it a bay. Running almost perfectly straight for the majority of its half-mile plus length, the beach is sometimes divided into north and south sections, the latter being a 1980s extension of the original beach dating from 1937.

    The length and breadth of Scarborough State Beach means sunworshippers… read more »

  • 146. Hunting Island Beach // South Carolina

    Hunting Island Beach
    Marcus Andersson

    Hunting Island Beach lies in the cluster of islands which typify South Carolina's Atlantic coastline between Charleston to the north and Savannah, Georgia, to the south. It's a straight section of near-white sand stretching for around two kilometres, facing roughly eastwards.

    Backed by a basic campground, Hunting Island Beach sits within Hunting Island State Park. Its sands are reached via Route 21, also known as Sea Island Parkway. The park… read more »

  • 147. Yokohama Bay // Oahu

    Yokohama Bay
    Thomas Woodtli
    Great for:
    • Surfing

    Head to the northern tip of Oahu and you'll reach Yokohama Bay, also known as Keawa'ula Beach at Ka'ena Point. The remote route to the beach takes about 90 minutes to reach by car from Waikiki.

    Incidentally, "Keawa'ula" means "Red Bay" and it earned the name due to the squid that regularly spawned in the bay, apparently in such numbers that the bay waters turned red for a time.

    It's one… read more »

  • 148. East Beach // Rhode Island

    East Beach
    © Juliancolton
    Great for:
    • Fishing
    • Swimming
    • Surfing

    Southeast facing East Beach lies in the southern suburbs of the town of Westerly, close to the state lines with Connecticut and New York State. It's one of Rhode Island's least developed beaches, meaning its broad sweep of golden sand provides a relaxed space in which to enjoy the sea air.

    Despite this fact, East Beach still offers visitors a gravel parking lot, composting toilets and public changing rooms. There… read more »

  • 149. Sachuest Beach // Rhode Island

    Sachuest Beach
    ajay_suresh
    Great for:
    • Swimming
    • Surfing

    Also known as Second Beach, Sachuest Beach is a south facing beach tucked between Newport and Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge. Made up of soft sand, it runs for approximately 1.5 miles along Rhode Island's Atlantic Ocean coastline.

    Given its size, it's difficult for Sachuest Beach to ever feel particularly crowded, even on the warmest of summer days. Picturesque into the bargain, its sands are free of both litter and stones,… read more »

  • 150. Asilomar State Beach // Central California

    Asilomar State Beach
    Maxwell Pearl
    Great for:
    • Surfing

    Asilomar State Beach is a beautiful stretch of golden sand located on California's Monterey Peninsula. It is a popular spot for swimming, sunbathing, surfing, and tidepooling. The beach is also home to the Asilomar Conference Grounds, a historic resort and conference center. 

    The one-mile long beach that is made up of both sandy areas and rocky coves and forms part of the Asilomar State Marine Reserve. This means that there are special rules… read more »