Top Beaches on the East Coast of the USA

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  • Rocky Neck State Park East Beach // Connecticut

    Rocky Neck State Park East Beach
    ©Idawriter

    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 younger children. While its sands will provide all the entertainment most will need, its neighbouring salt marshes also make it… read more »

  • Sherwood Island State Park // Connecticut

    Sherwood Island State Park
    ©Noroton

    Sherwood Island lies to the south and east of Westport, at exit 18 of the I-95. Sherwood Beach is located on the island's southeast shore, and runs between the outlet of Greens Farms Brook and Sherwood Point, the island's southernmost extent.

    Approximately half a mile in length, Sherwood Beach can have three different colours of sand when conditions on Long Island Sound are right and its waves divide the grains into separate lines of red, black and white. Swimming is permitted from the beach.

    On a clear day, the views from Sherwood… read more »

  • Lighthouse Point // Connecticut

    Lighthouse Point
    ©Stu99

    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 long. Its shoreline is partially protected by breakwaters, and is watched over by lifeguards in season. The summer also sees… read more »

  • Fairfield Beach // Connecticut

    Fairfield Beach
    ©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 connect with the state's road network via Fairfield Beach Road, behind which visitors will find the waterways of Pine Creek.… read more »

  • Pleasure Beach // Connecticut

    Pleasure Beach
    ©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 town after its structures were abandoned following a major fire. Today, Pleasure Beach is accessible via a free water taxi… read more »

  • Edisto Beach // South Carolina

    Edisto Beach
    ©Meredith Harris

    Edisto Beach is the name of both the beach and the surrounding town of around 400 residents, most of whom commute from here. A vacation spot since the 1920s, today Edisto Beach is one of just a handful of largely uncommercialised, family-friendly beaches located in the region.

    Although only stretching a few metres back, the beach runs uninterrupted for around four miles, from the mouth of Big Bay Creek to the north and west to the edge of the town close to the Visitor Center to the east. At this point… read more »

  • Virginia Beach // Virginia

    Virginia Beach
    ©Bruce Emmerling

    The pinnacle of Virginia's seaside attractions, Virginia Beach Oceanfront is comprised of a sweep of almost three miles of golden sand where Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean.

    The record holder for the longest pleasure beach in the world, it is home to a number of annual events including the East Coast Surfing Championships. As you might imagine, the surfing conditions are some of the best on this side of the United States.

    Particularly busy from June until schools restart in September, Virginia Beach Oceanfront is edged for its entire length by… read more »

  • Myrtle Beach // South Carolina

    Myrtle Beach
    ©The ed17

    Since 1949 Myrtle Beach has also been known locally as the Grand Strand, separating it from the city of Myrtle Beach which stands on its landward side for just a small stretch of its staggering 60 miles. Because of its size, its sands are also sometimes subdivided into north, central and south areas, with most of the top attractions located centrally. Its north beach is slightly quieter.

    Visited by approximately 15 million tourists a year, the region around Myrtle Beach boasts more than 100 golf courses and innumerable hotels and… read more »

  • Coney Island Beach // New York

    Coney Island Beach

    Brooklyn's iconic seafront is home to a generous stretch of sand backed by a boardwalk and vast array of amusements. This is the beach people instantly think about when you mention NYC beaches, and judging by the summer crowds it is the one they go to as well!

    Only marginally less busy than nearby Rockaway, Coney Island beach is guaranteed to be jam-packed when the mercury hits the red. And as for Memorial Day, it's pretty much standing room only! This shouldn't be much of a surprise as Coney Island… read more »

  • Orchard Beach // New York

    Orchard Beach
    ©Bebo2good1

    A lovely broad stretch of clean sand, Orchard Beach edges Pelham Bay for a length of well over a mile. Brought to a definitive stop at either end of the bay by stone seawalls, it faces out towards Long Island from the East Bronx on Long Island Sound.

    Part of Pelham Bay Park, the beach is subdivided into 13 sections backed by a paved promenade spotted with food stores and other shops. There's a good amount of local parking, as well as two children's playgrounds, picnic areas and good sports facilities… read more »

  • South Beach (Staten Island) // New York

    South Beach (Staten Island)
    ©Tommy Miles

    With beautiful views back towards Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, South Beach is a long stretch of sand where Upper Bay opens out into Gravesend Bay. Its northeast end – closest to the bridge, is edged by Battery Hudson historic landmark and the Camp Gateway campground, while its opposite end runs into Midland Beach without a break. The Franklin D Roosevelt boardwalk and bike path follows its entire 1.5 mile length.

    South Beach is primarily a beach for relaxing in the sun or messing about in the shallows, although Ocean Pier makes it's a… read more »

  • Asbury Park // New Jersey

    Asbury Park
    ©Fred170

    Hitting its heyday in the 1920s, Asbury Park Beach in New Jersey remains an attractive proposition for those seeking out a day beside the Atlantic Ocean waves. Rated as one of the state's top beaches, in more recent times it has had some allure with the surfing community, while still drawing in those looking to relax on a wide expanse of clean sand.

    There are plenty of places to eat and drink on the adjoining boardwalk, as well as mini golf and Asbury Splash Park for the kids.

    To make use of… read more »

  • Brighton Beach // New York

    Brighton Beach
    ©Gianni Carco

    The easternmost portion of Coney Island Beach, Brighton Beach is located close to Luna Park amusement park and the New York Aquarium. Partially sheltered by the tip of Long Beach to the south, it is sometimes known as 'Little Odessa' because of historic immigration to the area from Russian-speaking Europe.

    Part of the Borough of Brooklyn, Brighton Beach is at its busiest on summer weekends, when New Yorkers make use of the subway network for a day on its broad, gently sloping sands. However, it's still generally less crowded than read more »

  • Cedar Beach // New York

    Cedar Beach
    ©Terry Ballard

    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 local league on Monday nights), and easily traversed thanks to a boardwalk running parallel to the shoreline, Cedar Beach is… read more »

  • Jones Beach // New York

    Jones Beach
    ©thelittleone417

    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 venue. Open year round, it is subdivided into 'fields', with field 10 the go-to spot for anglers. Fields 3-5 are… read more »