Best Beaches in America
From the powdery white sands of the Gulf Coast to the dramatic cliffs of the Pacific shoreline, America's beaches offer an incredible variety of natural beauty and coastal culture. With thousands of miles of coastline to choose from, picking the best is no easy task — everyone has their own favorite stretch of sand. Cast your vote and help decide which beach truly deserves the title of best in America!
What counts: Sand, water, setting, and the feeling you get walking on. Ratings are approximate; the crowd decides the order.
Quartz-white sand so fine it squeaks and stays cool underfoot — the Gulf beach every best-of fight ends with.
State: FloridaSand quality: 10/10Water clarity: 8.5/10Summer water temp: 86 °FCrowd level: 6/10Family friendly: ✓
added by IJRSiesta Beach
6Sugar sand, calm Gulf water, and a sunset festival every single night at Pier 60.
State: FloridaSand quality: 9/10Water clarity: 8/10Summer water temp: 86 °FCrowd level: 8/10Family friendly: ✓
added by IJRClearwater Beach
4The world's most famous learn-to-surf wave with Diamond Head standing over it.
State: HawaiiSand quality: 7.5/10Water clarity: 8.5/10Summer water temp: 79 °FCrowd level: 9/10Family friendly: ✓
added by IJRWaikiki Beach
3Powder sand and turquoise flats facing the Mokulua islets — Hawaii's postcard.
State: HawaiiSand quality: 9.5/10Water clarity: 9.5/10Summer water temp: 78 °FCrowd level: 5/10Family friendly: ✓
added by IJRLanikai Beach
0Kauai's sunny south-shore crescent where monk seals nap beside snorkelers.
State: HawaiiSand quality: 8.5/10Water clarity: 9/10Summer water temp: 77 °FCrowd level: 5/10Family friendly: ✓
added by IJRPoipu Beach Park
0A mile of glittering mica sand under the grand old Hotel del Coronado.
State: CaliforniaSand quality: 9/10Water clarity: 7/10Summer water temp: 68 °FCrowd level: 6/10Family friendly: ✓
added by IJRCoronado Beach
0Sea lions, snorkel-clear water, and sandstone cliffs in San Diego's jewel.
State: CaliforniaSand quality: 7/10Water clarity: 9/10Summer water temp: 68 °FCrowd level: 7/10Family friendly: —
added by IJRLa Jolla Cove
0Haystack Rock rising from misty sand — the Pacific Northwest's moody masterpiece.
State: OregonSand quality: 8/10Water clarity: 6/10Summer water temp: 58 °FCrowd level: 5/10Family friendly: ✓
added by IJRCannon Beach
0Wild Atlantic surf and the striped lighthouse on the edge of the Outer Banks.
State: North CarolinaSand quality: 8/10Water clarity: 7/10Summer water temp: 75 °FCrowd level: 3/10Family friendly: ✓
added by IJRCape Hatteras
0Nags Head Beach
Old-school Outer Banks: wide sand, big dunes, and hang gliders off Jockey's Ridge.
State: North CarolinaSand quality: 8/10Water clarity: 7/10Summer water temp: 75 °FCrowd level: 4/10Family friendly: ✓
added by IJR
0Art Deco skyline, warm teal water, and the people-watching capital of America.
State: FloridaSand quality: 8/10Water clarity: 8/10Summer water temp: 85 °FCrowd level: 9/10Family friendly: —
added by IJRMiami Beach
0Destin Beaches
The Emerald Coast's namesake green water over blinding white quartz sand.
State: FloridaSand quality: 9.5/10Water clarity: 9/10Summer water temp: 84 °FCrowd level: 7/10Family friendly: ✓
added by IJR
0Gulf Shores Beach
Alabama's sleeper: sugar-white sand without the Florida crowds or prices.
State: AlabamaSand quality: 9/10Water clarity: 8/10Summer water temp: 84 °FCrowd level: 5/10Family friendly: ✓
added by IJR
0Sixty miles of boardwalk-backed sand — the East Coast's summer machine.
State: South CarolinaSand quality: 7/10Water clarity: 6/10Summer water temp: 79 °FCrowd level: 9/10Family friendly: ✓
added by IJRMyrtle Beach
0The Hamptons' wide, dune-backed strand that tops national rankings yearly.
State: New YorkSand quality: 9/10Water clarity: 7/10Summer water temp: 70 °FCrowd level: 6/10Family friendly: ✓
added by IJRCoopers Beach
0Maine's three-mile sandbar where the river meets bracing Atlantic blue.
State: MaineSand quality: 8.5/10Water clarity: 7.5/10Summer water temp: 62 °FCrowd level: 5/10Family friendly: ✓
added by IJROgunquit
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