Best USA Beaches
The Best U.S. Beaches...
-
226. Mitchell Cove Beach // Central California
David Merrett Great for:- Surfing
The Santa Cruz beach of Mitchell's Cove is marked by a pinnacle of sandstone that stands right at the centre of its sands. South facing, much of the depth of the beach is lost during high tide, although there is the possibility of catching sight of migrating grey whales.
Free parking is available at the top of the steps that lead down the cliff to the beach, between the turnings… read more »
-
227. Laguna Creek Beach // Central California
Miles Gehm Great for:- Surfing
Laguna Creek Beach is within Coast Dairies State Park in Santa Cruz on Cabrillo Hwy. It is popular for sunbathing, birdwatching, exploring tidal pools and surfing. It is also unofficially a naturist clothing-optional beach, just so you know.
There is a free parking lot at the north entrance of Laguna Road off Hwy 1. Cross the highway and look for a well-trod trail through the vegetation. Cross the railroad… read more »
-
228. Lighthouse Field State Beach // Central California
Don DeBold Great for:- Surfing
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 by smooth platforms of sedimentary rock that act as the… read more »
-
229. Calf Pasture Beach // Connecticut
Jllm06 Calf Pasture Beach is located roughly midway between New Haven and the New York state line. Facing south into Long Island Sound, the beach is officially open from May until October of each year. During these months lifeguards are on duty, while visitors can use facilities including public bathrooms.
Some of the earliest records for Calf Pasture Beach are from the seventeenth century, when early settlers used its peninsula as cattle… read more »
-
230. Fairfield Beach // Connecticut
© Joe Shlabotnik Fairfield Beach comprises approximately five miles of wide sandy beach on Long Island Sound. It forms a narrow spit or peninsula which runs continuously between Pine Creek Point to the south and Shoal Point to the north, the closest stretch of land to Penfield Reef.
Fairfield Beach's Long Island Sound location has made it a prime spot for building, with almost its entire length lined with often grandiose beachfront properties. These… read more »
-
-
231. Pleasure Beach // Connecticut
Bill Pleasure Beach stands guard at the entrance to Bridgeport Harbour. On the same narrow barrier beach peninsula as the better-known Long Beach, Pleasure Beach has a much more natural appearance. Its pale sand is mixed with shingle and pebbles from Long Island Sound, alongside occasional pockets of coastal grasses and areas of washed-up seaweed.
Brought back to life in 2014, the area around Pleasure Beach had been Connecticut's largest ghost… read more »
-
232. Lighthouse Point // Connecticut
© Stu99 Great for:- Swimming
The beach at Lighthouse Point forms a dog-leg around the southern and western end of Lighthouse Point Park, in the East Shore district just south of downtown New Haven. This city beach is therefore an ideal spot from which to admire the natural beauty of Long Island Sound, in addition to Five Mile Point Light, a lighthouse dating from 1847.
Lighthouse Point Beach comprises an area of sand approximately 250 yards… read more »
-
233. Rocky Neck State Park East Beach // Connecticut
Idawriter Great for:- Family
- Swimming
The bathing beach at Rocky Neck State Park sits within sight of Old Lyme. A broad sweep of pale-coloured sand curving around its bay, it has a protected water's edge extending for several hundred yards thanks to its position at the mouth of the Four Mile River.
Gently sloping towards the water, and backed by a curtain of parkland, Rocky Neck State Park Beach is a great option for families with… read more »
-
234. Playalinda Beach // Florida
Peter & Michelle S Great for:- Surfing
Playalinda Beach is one of Florida's top spots for naturists. Part of the Cape Canaveral National Seashore near the Kennedy Space Centre, the beach is managed by the National Parks Service and there is a $20 admission fee per vehicle which is valid for one week.
The four mile-long beach has 13 parking areas, each with a restroom and the last one heading north (#13) is favoured by naturists… read more »
-
235. Coco Plum Beach // Florida Keys
© rjlerich Great for:- Snorkeling
Coco Plum Beach is one of the more naturalistic of beach settings within the chain of islands which make up the Florida Keys and is generally less crowded than others in the area. Enjoying the warm shallows of the Atlantic Ocean around the town on Marathon, it backs onto wetlands that provide a vital habitat for the region's bird and plant life.
Coco Plum Beach is also a known turtle nesting… read more »
-
236. Sombrero Beach // Florida Keys
Franz Stellbrink Great for:- Snorkeling
- Fishing
- Swimming
A cosy backyard playground for Islanders, this is one of the best kept beach secrets in the Florida Keys and is located on Marathon Key. Visitors to this beach get to enjoy the soft sand and turquoise waters. It's not a large beach but your little piece of "sand estate" can be claimed regardless if it is crowded. There's plenty of places to park nearby too.
Popular activities on this beach… read more »
-
-
237. Calusa Beach // Florida Keys
Great for:- Snorkeling
- Swimming
Lying close to the southernmost point of Bahia Honda Key, one of the Florida Keys, Calusa Beach comes complete with palm trees and white sand gently-sloping into warm azure blue waters.
One of just a handful of great beaches in the keys, and one of very few that are entirely natural, Calusa Beach is part of Bahia Honda State Park. Encroached by grasses, it has a relatively narrow extent, and… read more »
-
238. Cocoa Beach // Florida
Rusty Clark Great for:- Family
- Surfing
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 you'll find surf schools are dotted along the beach. If… read more »
-
239. New Smyrna Beach // Florida
© Ajr24g Great for:- Family
- Surfing
You'll find the pearl-white sands of New Smyrna Beach just 15 miles south of the better known Daytona Beach, on Florida's East Coast.
The 17-mile strip of sand is a big hit with surfers, thanks to its plentiful wave breaks, with both amateurs and experts taking to the waters here.
In fact, it's been named as one of the top 20 surf towns anywhere in the word by National Geographic.… read more »
-
240. Kehena Black Sand Beach // Big Island
Tal Atlas A thin sliver of black sand on the eastern coast of Big Island in Puna, Kehena Black Sand Beach is best accessed by following the path leading from the left of the car park. Because of its isolation, it is often used by nude sunbathers, although this is illegal on Hawaii and those who strip off may face a fine from local law enforcement officials.
Sometimes also called Dolphin Beach because… read more »
USA Regions
-
California
-
Florida
-
Hawaii
-
Maine
-
Massachusetts
-
North Carolina
-
Oregon
-
Rhode Island
-
South Carolina
-
Texas
USA Cities
You might also like...
-
Massachusetts Best Beaches for Families
-
The Best Gay-Friendly Nude Beaches in the World
-
The Best US Gulf Coast Beaches
-
The Best Beaches on the Florida Panhandle
-
Surfing in the USA & Hawaii
-
The Best Florida Atlantic Coast Beaches
-
The Best North Shore of Oahu Beaches
-
USA Best Beaches for Families
